Singapore: The hotel formerly known as the Marina Mandarin is undergoing a major renovation in the new year, seeking a more environmentally focused design.
The newly christened Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay was designed by neo-futurist John Portman, whose multi-story atria design became extremely popular in hotels.
The atrium will be kept in the new design but will be filled with plants to create a garden effect and will be supplemented by the use of specially designed windows that increase the amount of natural light, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the environment. The hotel has already revealed a 13-metre green landscaped wall, demonstrating commitment to the new aesthetic.
“People who travel often are now seeking a new experience, one that differs from the standard cookie-cutter hotel,” said Pan Pacific Hotels Group CEO Choe Peng Sum on the redesign. “More people are also becoming environmentally conscious and long for a hotel that caters to that.”
Sustainability is intended to be the driving theme of the rebuild, with environmentally-friendly guest amenities included in rooms, to the inclusion of natural materials in interior designs, to the new restaurant, which centres on organic and sustainably sourced food. The hotel hopes that these additions will not only help them stand out but will also provide its business and conference guests an opportunity to relieve stress in the midst of work.
Sustainability is a major industry trend we’ve seen in the design and redesign of hotels- Lisa Haude, hotel designer, saw it as one of the driving trends of 2020. Organisations like itmustbeNOW centre around creating a more sustainable hotel industry and influencing others to be more sustainable along with it.
The PPHG redesign shows that sustainability can be not only environmentally sound, but sound economics as well; making planetary health a design focus aims to make the hotel not only kinder to the earth, but a stronger destination as well.
