As a designer of hospitality spaces there is none better than Nic Graham. Principal of his eponymous practice, Graham established his studio in 1998 in Sydney and now travels the world creating exemplar projects for a long list of renowned clients.

Graham is admired for the use of colour and pattern in his projects and one of his latest completed commissions, The Artyzen Hotel in Singapore, does not disappoint. The interior of The Artyzen Hotel is a shining example of his detailed and eclectic style and certainly raises the bar on hotel luxury for the discerning patron.

Located on Cuscaden Road, just around the corner from Orchard Road, the hotel, with architecture by ONG&ONG, sits beautifully in the surrounds of neighbouring high-rise buildings with a façade of terracotta custom perforated powder coated aluminium and black steel detailing and voids filled with greenery that punctuate the building’s form.

The Artyzen Hotel boasts 142 rooms and comprises 120 guestrooms, nine Twins, seven One Bedroom Suites and a Penthouse. All rooms and suites have balconies of various sizes and there are myriad other facilities – from the casual dining experience of Café Quenino, Quenino by Victor Liong a degustation menu only restaurant, meeting and event rooms large and small, a wellness centre and gym and the pièce de résistance, the rooftop pool and bar.

Entry to the hotel is through discreet sliding glazed doors and the lobby and lounge is to the left where staff at three counters meet and greet guests. A feature of the reception area is a concrete relief, basket weave wall designed by Dani Marti and this anchors the space and provides texture and interest.

Beyond this is Café Quenino, open early till late, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. However, the design of the café is quite simply breathtaking. It heralds what is to come throughout the interior of the hotel with the mixing of colours, patterns, textures and materials.

This is a room that has been masterfully conceived, where the idea of eclectic design is realised to perfection. The interior is layered and then layered some more, and it should be overwhelming, but it isn’t.

The arch has been used to great effect in this space and this motif has been used throughout the property. In the café there are perforated painted aluminium arches aside the walls and, internally lit, they enhance the custom wallpaper (also in the lobby) designed by local artist Dawn Ang who translated the concept designed by Graham. Highlighted by mirror the arches reflect the comfortable rattan cushioned chairs and tables and myriad objets in the café; in the restaurant the arch is captured in the vaulted ceiling; in the rooms and suites the form has been incorporated into the ceilings and doorways; and everywhere else it is integrated into entries, walls, nooks and walkways.

Moving back to the hotel entry and to the elevators for the ride up to the rooms. However, once the elevator doors open, the most beautiful backlit graphic of shophouses with yellows and greens, blues and reds greet the guest. Designed by Terence Tan, each artwork is a variation on the theme, spectacular and definitely not expected but each packs an artistic punch and does it with style.

Related: The Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou designed by Avalon Collective

Next, it’s on to experience a standard room that is anything but standard. This room has an entry, a separate toilet, basin and mirror, a large bathroom and separate shower at one end with free-standing bath at the other. Further within the spacious bedroom there is a study nook, a chaise lounge, chair and table, then a private outside balcony with chair and ottoman.

Much like the Café, this is layered design with a multi-coloured free form patterned thick pile rug underfoot and a more sedate graphic on a padded bedhead affixed to the wall. There is textured wallpaper, wall sconces and a pendant light in black and old gold and then there is the technology in the form of a master switch with dimming facility and a sheer and solid curtain that all move in a the touch of a button.

They say the devil is in the detail and this room is filled with all manner of artworks, objets, mirrors and every amenity for the traveller. The king-size bed is ultra comfortable, and twins are available as well, but the total impact of the standard ‘room’ is a resounding WOW.

Suites and a penthouse are also available and these are a continuum of the rooms – just much, much larger. Depending on which suite is selected, there are enormous outside landscaped entertaining areas with tables and chairs and room to move, spaces with fairy lights embedded in the ceiling and rooms within rooms that are the size of a grand apartment. In all the suites are simply breathtaking.

In a city such as Singapore, where space is a premium, rooms offered at The Artyzen Hotel are simply not expected. There is generosity in every area, intricate design and a refinement seldom found elsewhere.

The restaurant is a little more paired back, but Quenino by Victor Liong is again a sizable space with well positioned tables and chairs and beautiful objects, vases and flowers positioned in the cabinetry. With views of the greenery outside the aesthetic is relaxed and complements the sensational cuisine.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of The Artyzen is the ‘at home’ atmosphere that the interior creates. Whether in a room or the restaurant, café or bar, there is a feeling of calm, quiet and comfort within the cornucopia of colour, pattern and materiality. This is the art that Graham brings to this hotel where eclectic design is so beautifully curated. There is always something more to see, another layer of substance that when all is combined just works so well.

Of course, the rooftop speaks for itself. With an infinity pool, lounge and bar areas and 240-degree views of the skyline of Singapore, there is much happening beyond the sophisticated interior of The Artyzen and the wide vista complements the complexity of the interior.

Originally the site of The Artyzen Hotel was home to a sprawling mansion and tropical garden named Villa Marie by the great-grandson of well-known Singapore philanthropist, the late Mr Tan Tock Seng. While the home has been replaced, tropical pocket gardens can still be seen within the hotel, around the grounds and populating the voids in the architecture that reaches to the sky – all designed by ONG&ONG.

The Artyzen Hotel is another Nic Graham & Associates success story. The offering of this venue is a game changer for Singapore where luxury becomes home and there’s space to move, all wrapped up in sensational design.

NIC GRAHAM & ASSOC.
nicgraham.com

ONG&ONG
ong-ong.com

Photography
Courtesy Artyzen Hotels

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