Singapore, Republic of Singapore

Inspired by Singapore’s culture, colors, and flavors, Artyzen Singapore is a modern lifestyle hotel for luxury travellers designed by ONG&ONG and Nic Graham & Associates, that replicates the feel of an expansive villa and a hotel experience deeply ingrained in tropical elements.

This landmark was once a sprawling tropical garden mansion named “Villa Marie”. Built in the 1940s, it had long been vacated in its original state, while the surrounding areas developed with high-rise structures.

Elements such as high ceiling space, verandas, courtyard gardens, vertical arches, and terracotta roof tiles, are reinterpreted in the new structure, exuding old-world charm.

For its architectural design, the project has been awarded a 2024 Good Design Award in the Environments’ category by The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

The building massing is designed as villas stacked vertically, each with its garden as an extended space to the landscape.

The sky gardens are connected to its adjacent guest rooms, allowing guests to walk out from their balconies and immerse themselves in a tropical garden even in a high-rise structure.

The hotel comprises five major parts.

Sky gardens of 2-storey and 3-storey volumes are stacked at alternating floors, creating an interesting play on the façade.

The hotel is designed with building fenestration orientated to avoid the East and West direction, minimising heat and solar glare.

Through designing the building structure interspersed with sky terraces, the porosity created allows natural ventilation to most parts of the building.

Across the façade, guest room balconies are lined with steel mesh screens, reminiscent of the window screens from traditional shophouse typology.

These screens act as shades and provide privacy for the occupants.

Together with double skin at the gable, steel mesh panels, and lush greenery provision, the internal spaces utilise less energy to achieve thermal comfort within the buildings.

Project: Artyzen Hotel Singapore
Architects: ONG&ONG Pte. Ltd. and Nic Graham & Associates
Lead Architect: Steven Low
Client: Shun Tak Holdings Ltd.
Photographs: Courtesy of the Architects