With a heritage trail of traditional shophouses, Art Deco buildings and temples, Singapore's District 12 is also home to Holiday Inn Express & Suites (HIEXnS) Novena. The Architecture and Interior Design teams at ONG&ONG worked closely with the owner, Marlow International and the new hotel operator, IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), to transform the existing Quality Hotel.
Faced with the challenging timeframe to catch the post-pandemic hospitality boom, the team moved expeditiously to set the design methodology for the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Singapore. The teams at ONG&ONG worked hand-in-hand to devise creative solutions of reconfiguring layouts while limiting the extent of additions and alterations works. The clever use of colour palettes and patterning helped to enhance the inherited spaces. Drawing from the area’s rich cultural heritage, with older shophouses juxtaposed against modern structures, the design inspiration sets the tone for travellers to experience vibrancy while exploring this part of Singapore.
Splashes of vibrant hues coupled with the emblematic green and blue Holiday Inn signage spruce up the exterior and gives a preview of the dynamic interior. Surfaces and built-ins are clad in neutral tones, creating a homely and timeless ambience; fabrics and furnishings are energetic and playful, representative of the rich cultural tapestry which is the essence of the design concept.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Novena aims to showcase that by adapting and modernising existing structures, designers can rejuvenate neighbourhoods and create vibrant, purposeful spaces filled with history and heritage.