Loke Thye Kee Residences
Loke Thye Kee Residences is situated in the heart of Georgetown Penang, one of 5 Malaysian UNESCO world sites rich in heritage. MOD’s design draws inspiration from this heritage and specifically the historic Loke Thye Kee restaurant, its 100-year-old namesake and neighbor.Harking back to the romance of the early 1900’s, Loke Thye Kee Residences recalls the spirit of a bygone era but adds its own contemporary twist to modernize the living experience. Designed amidst the footprint of the traditional shophouse courtyard and alleyway, each of the 5 suites is preluded by a lush garden forecourt and an intimate private balcony.
The suites are furnished with soaring pitch roofs and all suites are well appointed with living areas and full facility pantry spaces. The traditional meets the contemporary on several levels, traditional timber hardwood floors are contrasted with customized contemporary fixtures that are designed to appear as if levitating. The rough texture of the original brick walls are visually enlivened by hidden LED cove lighting and the typically enclosed vanity and wardrobe spaces are celebrated as transparent glass boxes which seamlessly extend into the rest of the room. MOD also designed all the branding and in-room collateral in order to provide a holistic experience, ranging from a quirky pillow menu, to a food map navigating the area’s street food, the room service menu, TV menu etc. The artwork was specially commissioned for the project and it reflects the spirit of historic Penang framed in a modern way.
“We set out to find a design team that could capture our philosophy, avoid the clichés and most importantly understand what is truly Asian. This search brought us across Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand where we met some very impressive young designers and architects. Eventually, it was Colin’s enthusiasm and passion that convinced us that he and his team were the right people to help us write this new chapter.
MOD’s balance of sensitivity to the heritage of the building, while not allowing this same respect to limit their ideas and concepts was key. We had seen the team push many design boundaries in some of their previous projects, and we believed that this edge would enable us to have a distinct design that would befit this century old shop house row. We are both pleased and inspired by MOD and have already embarked on another project in Penang with them. The Majestic Theatre, grand dame of Georgetown’s once vibrant theatre row will once again raise her curtains, and with MOD at the design helm, we are confident that she will be the main star on the red carpet.”
—Jonathan Foo, CEO, 1919 Global
Awards:
This project has been featured in Wallpaper’s Travel Lifestyle Showcase, and in Net-a-Porter’s Luxe Edit profile, and was a Finalist at Asian Hotel Design Award’s 2016 Best Suite category, organized by Sleeper Magazine, London.
