Local studio Ministry of Design has completed the interiors for The Standard in Singapore, which features a reception counter with a built-in terrarium and plenty of plants to give the impression of an urban oasis.
Located in the retail district, close to the popular Orchard Road boulevard, the Singapore hotel is the latest from The Standard brand, which is known for its irreverent and immersive approach to hospitality design.
The brief for the project was to capture the spirit of The Standard brand in a way that is relevant and unique to its Singapore context. Ministry of Design responded with a proposal incorporating greenery inside and outside, which is complemented by several bespoke features.
“Our vision for The Standard Singapore has always been part quirky tropical oasis, part mellow party pad; disarming and energising in equal measure,” Ministry of Design founder Colin Seah told Dezeen.
Ministry of Design worked with The Standard’s in-house design team to create the hotel’s 143 rooms and suites, along with public spaces including a destination restaurant.
The guest experience begins at the double-height entrance lobby and reception area, which also contains a cafe overlooking a stepped garden courtyard.
Potted plants and mid-century-informed furniture were used to create a calm and welcoming environment, with materials such as wood, stone and terrazzo contributing to the natural feel.
A notable feature of the lobby is the custom-made reception counter, which Ministry of Design designed to resemble an oversized terrarium.
The glass-fronted display contains a botanically-informed installation by artist Eric Tobua, featuring a tropical ecosystem filled with palm trees, giant snails and psychedelic flora.
Curving walls and columns clad with timber battens connect the lobby with the adjacent Cafe Standard, which contains a bar along with plant-filled seating nooks and a custom-made lighting installation.
Seah explained that the lush greenery within the hotel pays homage to Singapore as a “city in a garden”, where projects such as the Pan Pacific Orchard skyscraper and the garden-filled CapitaSpring building make the most of the tropical climate.
The theme extends to the first-floor Kaya restaurant, where a botanically-inspired wallpaper mural by artist Saran Yen Panya forms the backdrop for an immersive garden-like environment.
Large planters line the hotel’s rooftop pool, which features a swim-up bar so guests can pick up drinks without leaving the pool.
The guest rooms reflect The Standard’s simple and timeless design approach, whilst weaving in local materials and mid-century references.
King and twin rooms feature timber canopies that extend up and over the beds: a feature used previously in the brand’s other hotels.
Punchy hits of primary colour add personality to the rooms and circulation areas, with a glowing red lift evoking The Standard’s familiar logo.
Red accents also feature in the rooms to highlight bespoke joinery elements like the mini-bar with its two different but complementary halves.
Bathrooms are clad in yellow tiles that extend across the floors and walls, while the lift lobbies and corridors feature vibrant blue joinery and a matching carpet designed by Ministry of Design with an oversized terrazzo pattern.
Each guest room has a full-height glass facade wall providing views towards the pool, its surrounding greenery, or the Orchard Road shopping district.
The suites have corner glass and double-height living areas that look out towards the city skyline.
Ministry of Design is an architecture and interior design studio founded in 2004 by Colin Seah. Its headquarters are in Singapore, and it has two more offices in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.
Its self-designed Singapore studio features an all-white interior organised by a simple steel framework, while its other projects include a plant-filled hub for Citibank Singapore and a futuristic sports store in Singapore airport.
Other The Standard hotels around the world include a converted brutalist building in London and an Ibizan former movie theatre.
The photography is courtesy of The Standard.
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