Imagine having 270 Orchard Road as your address. While Singapore’s shopping strip lost its lustre in recent years, its real estate space remains covetous. Taking over the space previously tenanted by Grand Park Orchard, Pullman recently unveiled its first hospitality foray on the island. The second opens at the end of this year along Hill Street.
Pullman Orchard’s exterior is nondescript, unfortunately constrained by the limitations of the old building. But, the interior is a masterclass of clever design around restrictions.
The primary draw is the hotel’s restaurant. “One of the biggest changes to the new property was our desire to convert the existing outdoor space into a glasshouse restaurant,” says Piya Thamchariyawat, the principal and senior creative director of EDG Design, and the woman responsible for conceptualising the beautiful space. Repeated rejections from the architectural and engineering teams didn’t faze her. According to them, the bearings and architectural supports needed to support this endeavour were not feasible with the existing structure.
Finally, Piya got her wish, and only after making several reiterations to the restaurant’s space and layout. The effort shows. Eden Restaurant, which serves Asian classics, is stunning in the day. The sunlight streams in, lighting the dining tables with an almost ethereal glow.
Sunlight streams in at Eden Restaurant, thanks to the glass ceiling. 
Eden Restaurant is one of the draws of Pullman Hotel.
Piya also wanted the ceiling of the hotel’s arrival lobby to be as high as possible. Unfortunately, the older property had extremely low ceilings. The clever workaround: redirecting the ducting so the ceiling could go as high as possible.
Another challenge was the existing L-shaped building’s structure. That meant one side of the hotel’s front faced the public while the other comprised only guest rooms. “This meant little to no blind spots where we could connect the restaurant service to the back of staff out of public view,” says Piya.
The ingenious solution was to create a service corridor and tunnel out of sight and strategically covered by ribbed glass blocks. This allowed natural light to enter the meeting rooms while still ensuring that the service staff remained unobtrusive.
Yet, despite all these clever design innovations, Piya’s favourite feature is the detailing. She takes pride in the minor elements that make up the whole. From the giant dog fixture at the entrance to the accessories around the hotel that nod slyly at Pullman Orchard’s fashion concept, the Easter eggs are many.
The project, from conception to construction and opening, took less than 18 months—a miracle in any enormous project, let alone one in an area with complicated zoning procedures like Orchard.
Piya had to make multiple adjustments to meet the deadline, and credited the vendors she worked with for assisting with changes, including the customising several furniture pieces.
The result is a stellar example of what happens when clever forward-thinking design blends with grit and tenacity: a hotel for the ages.
