It has been twelve years since the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster restored and integrated two 1880s Tanah Merah colonial bungalows into a worldclass urban resort. Set in 30 acres of lush tropical greenery, Capella Singapore has since been justly celebrated for its quiet luxury, and slick blend of contemporary style and graceful old-world charm. And now, the world-renowned André Fu Studio has added a new chapter to the resort’s sepiatoned story with the completion of a year-long refurbishment of its 110 suites and villas, which were originally designed by the late Jaya Ibrahim.
Swathed in a colour palette of earthy sand, sage, and mineral grey, the new suites are infused with a blend of serene comfort, relaxed luxury and organic contemporary design. Green is prominent. Its natural hue both reflects the thick natural botanicals surrounding Capella Singapore – bringing the outside indoors – and lifts the mood.
“Capella Singapore was conceived as an urban resort,” says André Fu, the Hong Kong-based principal and founder of André Fu Studio. “Its original interior design by Jaya Ibrahim was based on a balanced symmetry and pared down luxury. With this refurbishment, I have tried to respect that original intent, whilst infusing an evolved level of luxury that the modern hotel guest has come to expect. The design needed to reflect the fact that people use spaces differently today.”
Whilst the original structure and layout of the suites remain, the bespoke furnishings – inspired by Fu’s own André Fu Living furniture collection – now reflect a softer silhouette, keeping with his vision of a tropical, modern urban resort. Blending tropicality with a light mid-century vibe, the mood is very much a dialogue between the old and the new. “You feel the presence of the new in the rooms, but it’s not overdone.” Fu explains.
In fact, a wonderfully tactile quality suffuses the refurbished rooms. Solid ash indoor furniture, stitched dun leather trays, and decorative teak bowls hand carved in Indonesia are balanced by soft grey rugs woven from jute and cotton, and terrace furniture made of teak. An oversized screen made of interlocking panels of rattan and oak, and stained silver grey, stands at the entrance.
This is matched by a handsome oak drink cabinet whose rounded edges, and sliding rattan door panels are reminiscent of antique kitchen armoires. A floating desk lamp made of dark stained wood and, again, rattan contrasts with a curvaceous, low-slung sofa upholstered in woven flaxhued fabric, and paired with slate green pillows.
Multi-functionality is the bedrock of the creative process. Recognising that the modern guest might use a hotel’s room and spaces differently from a generation ago, the refurbished rooms have a distinctive residential mood about them. The deep-set sofa, for instance, invites guests to not just lounge, but also to work and even sleep. The two-tiered lounge table – the lower level capped by a round slab of light grey marble, and the upper level, a carved tear-shaped piece of timber – performs double duty as an informal dining spot and desk.
Throughout the design process, Fu says his creative intent was based on respect, especially for the original work by Jaya Ibrahim. “I wanted my presence to be complementary. Jaya represented the first generation of modern Asian designers,’ he says, explaining that the Indonesian legend’s design language was, and is, pure and emotive and reflective of where South East Asian design stood at the time.
“My perspective acknowledges that the world has become larger,” Fu goes on. “For me, design now crosses cultures and geographical locations whether you’re in Singapore, Tokyo, London or Aix-en-Provence. So, it’s not about designing a new room just for the sake of being new. It’s more personal than that. It’s about evolving a space through design. In the context of the refurbished rooms at Capella Singapore, I think of it as an imaginary dialogue between me and Jaya.”
“I am continually impressed by André’s work,” says Fernando Gibaja, General Manager of Capella Singapore. “Every project we’ve worked on with him, including the recent refurbishment of our inhouse restaurant, Cassia, has been a masterclass in how to create consistent, on-brand design.
I could not be more pleased with what he’s achieved with our refurbished rooms. There are dramatic elements in the design and, yet, such a sense of softness. He’s injected an element of modernity without losing the sense of the hotel’s heritage. In fact, he’s added to its timelessness.”
