Bronze Award / by HYLA Architects
30 Bencoolen
Company Name:
HYLA Architects
Project Designers:
Tiffany Ow
Project Location:
Singapore
Located in an urban setting in the heart of the city that is densely populated with hotels, 30 Bencoolen is a 13-storey hotel that was worn out and dated at the time before renovation. The challenge was to transform the building, within the limits of the authority requirements and the constraints of the original structure into a more purposeful design that is relevant in today’s times.
Branding and redefining the street’s new identity, the newly renovated hotel addresses the relationship between the hotel streetscape with its human traffic. This connection with the surrounding streetscape is enhanced with a full glass façade shopfront with a curved ceiling that extends from the interior space. With the widening of the pedestrian footpaths, the gridded glass façade shopfront offers a view into the hotel, connecting the interior with the vibrant street that has been newly greened and pedestrianized. The redesigned façade with its playful windows and sun-shading fins further enriches and add to the artistic value of the district.
A key element of the design is the rich and varied palette of materials. The materials chosen for the façade are bold yet simple, giving the hotel an entire rebrand. A large number of different types of materials and finishes have been employed to create a richness of experience that is demanded in a home away from home, without pretension or artifice.
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