Today, guests can relive the old-school charms of travel reminiscent of the art deco age in the 1930s in The Grand Madras Hotel. The 35-room boutique hotel reflects a marriage of Art Deco design and contemporary glamour — represented in its new name: The Great Madras Boutique Hotel.
Originally constructed in the 1940s by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), a colonial predecessor of the Housing & Development Board, the building was previously known as Madras Hotel since 1990s. The architecture of the building is reminiscent of the SIT flats in the Tiong Bahru area, along Seng Poh Road, which were constructed two decades earlier.
The building went through a 24-month refurbishment that was completed in 2018. Its revamped design was intended to emulate the neighbourhood’s culture, vibrant sights, sounds and smells.
The building’s original exterior fittings have been largely preserved. The fair-faced brickwork of the balconies on every floor and the Shanghai-plaster column bases were meticulously taken apart to be cleaned, repaired and restored.
As part of the overall renovations, customised wallpaper depicting Singapore’s multifaceted history and daily life, as well as quirky slogans and decorations, were installed to give the hotel a uniquely localised interior.
In addition, the hotel’s original rear spiral staircase was preserved and creates a visual connection through the three storeys, bringing space, air, light and a sense of nostalgia into the rear of the lobby. The lobby, initially separated from the street, was also redesigned into an open-air concept that seamlessly integrates a barber shop and café that are open to the public.
Situated towards the back of the hotel is an outdoor pool and sundeck, allowing guests to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. During its refurbishment, a unique circular opening was cut out in the wall to create a link between the new pool and sundeck.
In recognition of the restoration effort, The Great Madras was one of the winners of the Architectural Heritage Awards in 2018, awarded by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
Its original Art Deco appearance was effectively retained with the adoption of a pastel period paint scheme for its façade, and further accentuated with the use of retro décor throughout its space.
This is a conserved building(s) by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), please visit URA’s Conservation Portal for more details.
Buildings and sites featured on Roots.SG are part of our efforts to raise awareness of our heritage; a listing on Roots.SG does not imply any form of preservation or conservation status, unless it is mentioned in the article. The information in this article is valid as of May 2019 and is not intended to be an exhaustive history of the site/building.
