Singapore, Republic of Singapore
21 Carpenter by WOHA Architects is a boutique hotel that was converted from a 1936 conserved group of four shophouses that pays homage to the building’s history as a remittance house.
Great effort went into researching the history of the heritage building and its context, which informed the design.
The conserved 4-storey shophouses and the 5-storey contemporary extension that floats above the heritage structure are a striking juxtaposition of old and new that complement each other visually and contextually.
The 21 Carpenter has been awarded a 2024 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, in the Environments category.
The new extension is a form of stacked cubic elements which reveal and frame elements of the old building, giving new viewpoints and a contemporary backdrop to the heritage elements.
A rare three-tone Shanghai plaster was uncovered during restoration works and carefully restored over 3 years, including the original signage, railings and relief panel.
The Chengal floorboards, joists and beams of the original structure were retained and reused as flooring and upcycled into furniture, panelling and railings.
Referencing and connecting to the past users of the building, the aluminium art façade of the contemporary addition is inscribed with poetic passages from original remittance letters.
The interior design features a contemporary interpretation of 1930’s Chinese Art Deco.
The guest rooms are simple and elegant, with brushed timber floors and painted timber panelling inspired by the original fit out.
The lobby, a bright and airy skylit double-height social space, is embraced by the canopies of the trees of the Garden Terrace above – a sheltered, yet breezy outdoor common space for lounging, socialising, or events.
21 Carpenter is infused with plant life, bringing greenery into the neighbourhood and making the site greener than it ever had been in its 200-year history.
A rooftop infinity pool and lounge offer exceptional views of the iconic Singapore skyline.
The project contributes to street life with its fully glazed shopfront to the restaurant and lobby along the heritage covered walkway, giving passers-by an inviting look inside to see the activity in the hotel.
Conservation harmonizes with other ambitions: the plants, solar panels, perforated facade and hybrid cooling using fans maximise the environmental performance of the building, despite its restricted envelope.
Project: 21 Carpenter
Designers: WOHA Architects Pte. Ltd.
Design Team: Christina Ong, Mappaudang Ridwan Saleh, Fu Yingzi, Rainbow Lee, Chong Siew Way, Daniel Tan, Melissa Mak, Qiu Yuting, Arlinda Thresnadharana, and Koh Wei Ling
Manufacturer: 8M Real Estate Pte. Ltd
