A luxury hotel in Singapore anticipates what could be a healthy coexistence with nature, at reasonable prices and with exquisite architecture.
Little by little, sustainability parameters are being introduced into the DNA of a hotel industry, aware that the commitment that its customers have with the future of the environment is becoming more responsible every day and, therefore, they are more demanding with what they surrounds them. We saw it at the Fogo Island Inn in Canada, a natural environment like no other, where the main concern was sustainability. Today we see him in a hotel that is located in the antipodes: in the popular city of Singapore.
The building that we show you is called Oasia Hotel Downtown and it is located in the heart of Singapore’s central business district. All a declaration of intentions that tries to reflect that the economy does not have why to be faced with the ecology.
It is a tower covered with tropical vegetation, with species from the area, which extend through the vertical and horizontal walls distributed in the form of gardens or walls, and configuring large areas for recreation and social interaction. The developer behind this magnificent hotel is called Far East SOHO Pte Ltd, a mega real estate company from Singapore.
Luxury and ecology united in a hotel
The building, which is 190 meters high, has a total of 27 floors and a constructed area of 19,416 square meters (20,000 in large numbers). Inside, the tower houses 314 rooms, ranging from 23 m2 for the Deluxe Room to 58 for the Superior Room. And accommodation prices for one night are between 160 and 330 euros.
The architecture studio behind the skyscraper is called WOHA, it is based in Singapore and is highly psyched on the need to fight the so-called climate emergency. From its website it boasts of being recognized for its designs, because they promote environmental and social principles.
In addition, through its Instagram account, the study proudly shows a family of Himalayan vultures that visited the hotel in January of this year, perching in its green areas, in what seems like a mating ritual. In short, if these birds that reach between 2.5 and 3 meters in wingspan choose the hotel… Shouldn’t we do it too?
A facade surrounded by nature
The tower was conceived as a refuge for birds and animals, in order to introduce biodiversity within the city. To achieve this, it has been achieved that 100% of the surface of the building is green.
In other words, the ecological capacity of this building compensates for the lack of plant matter in ten buildings with similar characteristics (it’s fantastic, let’s face it). This is achieved thanks to a synchronized red aluminum mesh that is distributed over the cylindrical surface of the tower and that allows the implantation of 21 types of vines.
Accompanying these climbing plants, colored flowers are interspersed, which will serve as a lure for insects, the preferred food of birds (each with its own). The aluminum frames have been executed in such a way that they allow air to circulate inside the building, generating different spaces on the floors, but maintaining exquisite thermal, acoustic and, of course, environmental comfort. In no other hotel will you breathe such pure air.
Four terraces and three outdoor pools
The complex was completed in 2016, with a tower that has four large terraces on floors 6, 12, 21 and 27. The latter is part of the roof and is the most impressive terrace of the tower.
Not only because of the height at which it is located, but also because it is surrounded by a 10 meter high screen that is crowned with a circular lane, through which the maintenance and adaptation of the fantastic facade is facilitated. In addition, this screen accompanies the carefree design of the building, which seems to seek the complicity of users and passersby.
On the 6th, 21st and 27th floors of the building there are four magnificent swimming pools. We already know that outdoor swimming pools are mandatory if you want to show off your hotel … and I would almost say a residential complex. So it is not surprising that they have opted for one of the best tile models in the world: Chroma tiles from the Agrob Buchtal company.
They are resistant to the most abrupt thermal changes, easy to clean, antibacterial, thanks to their Hytect coating; odorless, emission-free and resistant to acids and lyes.
A Spanish woman has designed the interior of the hotel
But, if the conception and exterior design of the building is important, it is no less important to enable it for use, and in that the Asturian interior designer Patricia Urquiola is an expert. So it’s no wonder that the hotel’s interior design, including that of the pools, has been entrusted to his skilled hands.
On her website, Patricia explains how the diversity of the city and its tropical environment inspired her to design the four areas of the towers, highlighting, through the use of colors, the personality and contemporaneity of the complex.
If you dare to enjoy this impressive and ecological architecture, you will have to «suffer» the temptation to bathe in the infinity pool on the 21st floor; seek the tropical privacy of the 27th floor; practice yoga on the Sky Terrace on the 12th floor; work your body and mind in the gym on the 6th floor; taste what the OSO Ristorante has prepared; entertain yourself at the Cin Cin Bar with one of its 100 types of gin; or, in order not to keep getting long teeth, spend a pleasant time in its Club Lounge. In short, architecture, ecology, enjoyment and good taste. Can you ask for more?