Wangz wonderland

Singapore’s changing urban face over the past 30 years has been remarkable. Admittedly, the cutting-edge skyscrapers are an integral part of the island’s architectural landscape. But what makes Singapore exceptionally well in urban planning is the creative reutilisation of the existing buildings.

Wangz Hotel is a case in point. Located in Tiong Bahru, the hotel occupies a 20-year-old cylindrical building that was originally designed as both a commercial and residential property.

“When we bought this building in 2007, the first two floors were occupied by shops, while the upper floors housed residential units,” says owner Wang Chang Yuin, better known as Yuin.

Together with his sibling, Yuin ventured into hospitality business in 1996. Their first foray into the industry was Wangz Business Centre, a serviced office suite facility located at the penthouse of Suntec Tower One, Singapore.

However, unlike this serviced office suite, Wangz Hotel is a much bigger investment. According to Yuin, the renovation of Wangz Hotel cost approximately RM17mil (S$8mil).

Under the architectural direction of CPG Consultants, what was once a retro building with mosaic tiles façade is now a modern architectural masterpiece. The property is literally a gleaming sculpture, with perforated aluminum cladding and asymmetrically placed glass windows.

Despite the futuristic architectural approach, Wangz Hotel exudes a rather warm atmosphere - all thanks to the interior setting that sees a harmonious blend of designer furniture, earthy colour scheme and clever lighting arrangement.

StarProperty.my caught up with the affable hotelier recently.

Aluminum mask
As with many capital cities in this region, there have been a lot of world-class boutique hotels built in Singapore over the past few years. But Yuin, speaking from experience, will tell you that running a boutique hotel isn’t an easy job.

In Southeast Asia, particularly, the winning formula of a successful boutique hotel is injecting a dash of sophistication into an eclectic colonial building. But Wangz Hotel took the game up a notch by offering an impenitently modern design.

“Surrounded by many heritage blocks in Tiong Bahru, we knew from the beginning that we have to make this building look modern – inside and outside – to standout,” says Yuin.

The warm interior (left) softens Wangz Hotel's cold facade (right)

This was his brief to CPG Consultants and Avalon Design Pte Ltd, which tackled the architecture and interior design works for Wangz Hotel respectively.

With that in mind, the design team resurrected the façade, made a scissor staircase and reconsidered the use of space. But they soon found out that there’s MRT track beneath the neighbourhood, which means the renovation process “must not put more structural loading to the existing building, as to avoid any obstructions to the MRT system”.

But Yuin is quick to add that such obstacle didn’t compromise his design goal. In fact, it made him and his design team more creative.

“CPG Consultants torn down the mosaic tile façade to make way for perforated aluminum, which gives the building a modern look and is much lighter than other materials in terms of weight. On a practical level, this aluminum clad also protects the dwellers from the glaring sunlight,” Yuin explains.

To further boost the modern aesthetic, strips of glass windows were deliberately added to the façade. According to Yuin, not only do the glass windows emphasise the desired modern aesthetic, they also help bring in natural light into the building.

This façade alone cost RM2.4mil (S$1mil). But Yuin says that it was a worthwhile investment, as the statement-making façade accurately sets the identity of the hotel.

Urban oasis
Occupying a modern structure that is surrounded by a garden, Wangz Hotel prides itself as an “urban oasis” – and rightfully so. Wangz Hotel’s garden, designed as a circular patch that follows the contour of the building, is lush and beautiful. It is uncommon, one might say, that a hotelier sacrificed 5ft of land for a garden.

“I could have expanded the lobby with this piece of land, but I believe that a garden gives more value to the property and the community in both aesthetic and environmental sense,” he says.

The idea of having a garden got a nod from his design team. In fact, the garden has inspired the design team so much that the overall interior concept was based on the colours, mood and texture found there.

“Despite the cold façade of this property, we weren’t afraid to play with colourful furniture and finishing, for the garden has given us an excuse to be more earthy and warm. And I personally believe that such welcoming interior is good for the business.

“I didn’t want Wangz Hotel to have a stark interior setting. I wanted it to be disarming, without losing the sophisticated edge of the hotel. I believe this design approach to be effective in softening the property’s seemingly cold façade,” he reasons.

Panton Chair in different colours and MOOI's Pig Table in the lobby

Take a good look at the lobby and you will know what he means. The lobby, with rows of Panton chairs (in red, black and white) is every inch warm, inviting yet sophisticated. Contemporary numbers such as MOOI's Pig Table, Saporiti Italia's Flashmob Bench, and Arne Jacobsen's Swan Chairs add quirky characteristics to the interior. 

Adding to this vibrant interior is a private collection of original artworks worth approximately RM970,000 (S$400,000). Staying true to its “urban oasis” concept, the artworks have been specifically commissioned to reflect floral and bird-inspired themes.

The same interior concept is also present in the rooms. Due to the circular shape of the building, each room required a bespoke layout planning.

“We fully embrace the shape of the building. The unusual shape (of the building) has allowed us to be innovative and creative. Where layout is concerned, we broke spatial boundaries with floor-to-ceiling windows, diverse wall textures, colour blocking, artwork displays and ambient light,” Yuin explains.

When asked what has been the most difficult challenge running a boutique hotel thus far, Yuin comments, “Looking back, the design and building phase was the easy part. What I, as a hotelier, must be prepared for is to be hands-on in the operations and be ready for lots of hard work.”

Yuin advises those who are considering renovating their house or commercial properties to find the right design team and contractor. A golden advice indeed.