Statues at the this hotel by Singapore studio Ministry of Design have their heads in the clouds.

Called The Club, the monochrome Singapore hotel features undulating folds of fabric hanging from the ceiling and black illustrations of plants and trees.

The designers poke fun at a statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, British statesman and founder of Singapore, by obscuring it's head with the fabric.

Here are some more details from Ministry of Design:

THE CLUB

Branding + Facade Design + Interior Architecture + Design + Collateral Design
1950 m2 Singapore. Built 2010

The Club is Ministry of Design's latest high design boutique hotel offering in the uber chic Club Street conservation area with 22 distinctly unique rooms, a rooftop skybar with alfresco deck and a destination F&B venue with a tapas bar on the ground floor.

Conceptualizing The Club's branding, MOD has orchestrated a unified design vision to all related collateral, signage and spatial environments. Targeted at the design and lifestyle savvy global nomad, The Club's blend of sophisticated and comfortable design is at once distinctly local as it is cutting edge global.

Colin Seah, Design Director says, “Searching to ground the hotel in the context of Singapore as well as the historically rich conservation area of Club Street and Ann Siang Hill, we drew its inspiration from 2 sources.” “The first is Singapore's colonial past, which we have made modern tongue-in-cheek references to through art installation like features such as an larger-than-life statue of Raffles with his head in the clouds as well as through some key furniture pieces and artifacts.

The second inspiration was drawn from the area's popularity as a remittance center for turn of the century Chinese immigrants where hard earned money and wistful letters were sent back to the homeland. We have taken the memories of these exchanges and created features that hint of this legacy in the rooms of The Club, where the modern day nomad and the nomad of yesterday cross paths for a moment.” All rooms combine traditional colonial design inspired elements together with sleek modern detailing, attitude and creature comforts - creating a colonial chic aesthetic.

Unique layouts together with tailored artwork in each room make each of the 22 rooms distinct. MOD designed the artwork and famed local artist Wynlyn Tan implemented them in the hotel.  Guests have the option of checking in at the ground level lobby or at the panoramic roof top Sky Bar, overlooking the Club Street conservation area and CBD. F&B areas designed by Jane Yeo include Lobby Lounge, Tapas Bar, and 2 private function rooms.

ABOUT MINISTRY OF DESIGN
Question, Disturb & Redefine

Ministry of Design was created by Colin Seah to Question, Disturb & Redefine the spaces, forms & experiences that surround us and give meaning to our world.

An integrated spatial-design practice, MOD’s explorations are created amidst a democratic ‘studio-like’ atmosphere and progress seamlessly between form, site, object and space. We love to question where the inherent potential in contemporary design lies, and then to disturb the ways they are created or perceived – redefining the world around us in relevant and innovative ways, project by project!

This, we declare, is real change, not change for the sake of novelty.

Fortified with these aspirations, we begin each distinct project anew by seeking to do 2 things – to draw deeply from the context surrounding each project, but also to dream freely so that we might transcend mere reality and convention. Each MOD project endeavours to be delightfully surprising but yet relevant, distinctly local but still globally appealing.

The response to our ethos has been overwhelming and we’ve received critical acclaim with a multitude of international award wins and key media coverage – these include the RISING STAR OF ARCHITECTURE by the MONOCLE SINGAPORE SURVEY, GOLD KEY AWARD, the INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS and the PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD twice over as well as feature appearances in WALLPAPER, FRAME and SURFACE.

True to our multi-disciplinary profile, we’ve also won the Grand Prize in SAPORITI ITALIA’S design competition, and Luxury Tower was manufactured for display at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2010.

MOD’s integrated spatial design approach has resulted in wide-ranging local and foreign projects such as the NEW MAJESTIC HOTEL, SHO-U RESTAURANT, ASHLEY ISHAM BOUTIQUE, SOHOCHINA SANLITUN CONDOMUNIUMS, BBH OFFICE IN A WAREHOUSE, HOLLAND PARK RESIDENCE, FACE TO FACE, THE CLUB BOUTIQUE HOTEL, THE RACE CLUB, HYATT HOTEL SEOUL & being a finalist in the SINGAPORE PAVILION WORLD EXPO 2010 SHANGHAI.

Visiting address: 28 Ann Siang Road
Postal code: Singapore 069708
Total floor area (m2): 1950
Client: Harry’s Hospitality Pte Ltd
Facilities: 22 distinctly unique rooms 1 rooftop Skybar with alfresco deck for check in, breakfast & drinks 1 destination F&B venue & 1 tapas bar Private Events
Duration of construction: 6 months
Opening: May 2010

See also:

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Lien Residence by Ministry of Design	Face to Face by Ministry of Design	Leo Burnett Office by Ministry of Design