Singaporean creative Colin Seah on why you shouldn’t follow design trends
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Singaporean creative Colin Seah on why you lot shouldn't follow pattern trends
The architect-designer behind some of the region's near exciting hotels and resorts, including the new Prestige Hotel in Penang, believes that trends go against sustainability, longevity, and adept blueprint as good trouble-solving.
"In the offset, man congenital for safety and shelter, like animals. Today, a building has and then many roles to play," maintains Colin Seah, Ministry building of Blueprint founder. (Photo: Mark Lee)
07 Nov 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 09:46PM)
If you're curious to know where Colin Seah – founder of integrated architectural, interior design and branding firm Ministry of Design (MOD), and award-winning designer of several stylish boutique hotels – stays when he's on vacation, his reply would daze you.
"Hotels with very normal, very standard rooms," admitted the ii-fourth dimension President's Design Laurels winner, who also won Grand Prize at the Gold Cardinal Honour (regarded equally the hospitality manufacture's highest international accolade), twice.
"Holidays are my time to live, to disconnect," he explained. "Staying in some hip hotel would leave me stuck in work manner, checking out design details, wondering why things were done a sure way, or if I'd take washed things differently."
On vacation, he reads, watches art-house films, visits museums, enjoys leisurely meals, and takes long countryside drives in locales such as French republic'south Loire Valley, Portugal's Douro Valley, or the Scottish Highlands. His wife – and Modernistic'southward director of business development – Joy Chan Seah loves vino and whisky, while he loves cars.
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Architecturally trained in the US, Seah cut his teeth at Rem Koolhaas and Daniel Libeskind, before spending iv years at National Academy of Singapore'south Department of Architecture, researching pattern pedagogy and serving as design critic.
"My career evolved organically without any real planning," he said of his showtime hotel gig in 2004, designing the at present-defunct New Majestic Hotel located in Singapore'south Chinatown. "That'southward when I fix Modern. Later on that, more boutique/heritage commissions came in, such as MacAlister Mansion, Loke Thye Kee Residences and Regal Theatre in Penang.
"So came commissions by chain hotels and resorts, such as W Retreat in Phuket, Movenpick Resort & Spa in Vietnam, followed by big-scale commercial projects, such as to create the masterplan, architecture, landscape and interiors of the 300,000 sqm Vanke Yan Tai Mixed Utilize Development in China."
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WHAT SORCERY IS THIS? DESIGN INSPIRATION FROM HARRY HOUDINI
For the recently-opened Prestige Hotel in Penang, MOD was tasked to create interiors for "a property that's indie only with 160 rooms, that'southward non besides hipster-meets-Peranakan as that segment's already saturated, that's not an simulated of the E&O Hotel'southward old-world colonial charm".
Prestige Hotel's long, narrow site, with rooms aslope a 150m-long corridor meant to Seah that "apportionment was the master effect, with guests facing a long, wearisome trudge to their accommodation".
His solution? Paint the corridor in a gradation of grey shades, and install revolving low-cal fixtures that would cast mesmerising shadows to engage guests, while lulling them into a dreamlike state of relaxation.
Riffing off the idea of hypnosis, Mod explored themes such every bit magic and illusion, earlier arriving at an "A-ha" moment, which was… Harry Houdini.
"We got inspired by the glass and steel cages he performed his underwater escape stunts in. Then we put brass filigree cages to create zones in common areas. The hotel lobby is encased in a standalone glass box; room furnishings, such every bit Telly consoles and bathrooms, are variations on the theme," Seah said. "Other 'magic pull a fast one on' elements were incorporated, such equally 'invisible' toilet doors camouflaged to blend in with the walls.
The effect is boldly Fine art Deco-ish, surprisingly elegant for something with such off-the-wall inspiration.
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TRIBAL COUNSEL
The company was recently appointed to blueprint their first ski resort for Vanke. The 350-room ski-in, ski-out independent boutique hotel belonging to Marriott's Tribute Portfolio launches in 2022 at the Winter Olympics in Chongli, Mainland china.
"Our starting point is to 'Question, Disturb, Redefine'," Seah said, quoting his company'due south motto. "To expect for areas of innovation inside the field. For example, there never seems to be plenty space in a ski resort'south room to identify wet skis and coats. Creating a 'mud room' expanse at the entrance was a solution so unproblematic and obvious but which no one had done before."
"Nosotros named the hotel 'Tribe'; considering people chronicle to one another through shared interests. Our target marketplace of younger cosmopolitan Chinese consumers tend to vacation in tribes of six, eight, fifty-fifty up to 20, unlike in other countries where it'due south mainly couples, or minor families of four," Seah added.
Angular lines reminiscent of tribal tattoos feature on columns, walls, partitions, art installations, even on collateral such equally baggage tags.
"I don't similar trends. They're immaterial for Modern. We dig deeper to observe customised solutions to encounter our clients' needs. I think in terms of sustainability, problem-solving and longevity." – Colin Seah
"Everything's holistically infused," Seah said. "That's how I arroyo things. I come up with a 'North Star', with everything else built effectually that concept, down to the smallest particular."
The four-calendar month-long wintertime flavour would impact the building materials and processes, and the time available for onsite construction.
"Nosotros visited many Chinese factories to source pre-fab piping panels, bathroom kits, and room kits to reduce building time, and had to consider factors such as placement of fireplaces, and installation of air locks at entrances to keep out cold exterior air," Seah elaborated.
"Even though apres-ski culture differs effectually the world – in Japan, it's fine dining and onsens; in Europe, it'southward casual bar culture – what'due south important for any ski resort is to provide a sense of a warm welcome. Nosotros designed pockets of spaces for groups of half-dozen to 8, and included twenty-seater communal dining tables, to create the conviviality Chinese consumers like," he explained.
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ARCHITECTURE, "THE MOTHER OF ALL ARTS"
So there'due south a hot leap resort projection in Taiwan for InterContinental Hotels Grouping, slated to open up in 2022.
"It's in an earthquake zone, on a very hilly plot. Bated from aesthetics and functionality, nosotros had to find solutions for walls that can withstand unexpected rockfalls, and so on. Information technology'due south astonishing, what I have to learn in the course of my work," he marvelled, adding: "Architecture actually is the mother of all arts. It requires awareness of the environment, of the people using the space, of commercial imperatives, an understanding of how the world works.
"In the first, man built for safety and shelter, like animals. Today, a building has so many roles to play: Equally a symbol of society'southward aspirations, as an embodiment of spiritual, religious or creative ideals, to push artful boundaries, to meet an ever-evolving range of commercial needs."
Yous'd think a elevation creative like him would enthusiastically reel off the latest design trends, when asked. But Seah takes an reverse stance.
"I don't like trends. They're immaterial for Modern. Nosotros dig deeper to find customised solutions to come across our clients' needs. I think in terms of sustainability, problem-solving and longevity. Nowadays, the speed at which information is transmitted across the globe leads to the rapid spread and authorization of certain 'flavours of the calendar month', narrowing the range of what's considered absurd or acceptable, stifling creativity and multifariousness. That leads to waste, to consumers always demanding the adjacent new affair. It goes confronting sustainability, longevity, and good blueprint as good problem solving," he said.
"Architecture really is the female parent of all arts. It requires sensation of the environment, of the people using the space, of commercial imperatives, an understanding of how the world works." – Colin Seah
Another affair that gets to him, is how social media has led to "also much focus on 'imageabiity'; how adept things look on Instagram. And so the tactile, auditory, olfactory senses aren't catered for. Say you lot accept a stylish eatery, but it's noisy because of too many hard surfaces; the chairs aren't comfortable; potent cooking smells waft from the open kitchen. That's bad design."
1 cannot help but muse out loud that an invite to the Seah residence would be a real sensory treat.
"Joy and I put in a lot of effort when nosotros have guests over," Seah admitted. "Our house entrance is like a spatial palate cleanser where a company feels he'due south leaving the outside world backside. Our sound organization is such that he'd hear the same music, played at the same volume, as he moves through the living and dining spaces, and even the guest bathroom. Dissimilar areas are scented differently, and feature a carefully assembled collection of art pieces. We even curate the food nosotros serve! Information technology's all about creating an immersive, holistic feel that engages and delights all the senses, whether for work or play."
Since he'due south designed everything from mirrors, chairs, homes, offices, retail spaces, hotels, resorts, and million-square-foot mixed-use developments, what would Seah similar to take on next?
"First, a small resort within natural surroundings that really promotes rest and relaxation, with special spaces for ablutions, meditative worship, socialising and confinement, with lots of depth and idea paid to every single aspect. 2nd, an institutional space within an urban surface area, dedicated to art and culture: It would have performance and exhibition spaces, and feature very thoughtfully curated programming."
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/colin-seah-ministry-of-design-245706
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