No_9_September_1968 — Page 26

ed into the building to give on-the- spot training to hotel staff in Septem- ber 1967. Thereafter the hotel was gradually furnished and occupied, culminating in taking the first guests during the Easter week-end 1968.

By August 1968 the Banquet Hall was on the point of completion, the top floor Supper Club decor work was still in progress, but the bedroom block was practically in full occupa- tion.

Contractors

The general contractor was Lim Kah

Ngam (S) Ltd.

Sub-contractors included:

Electrical installation

Co., Ltd..

R. E. Morris &

PABX & PAX equipment William Jacks

& Co. (M) Ltd.

Air-conditioning

equipment

Gwan (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Lifts China Engineers Ltd.

Kian

Coffee shop, Fixed decor by architects in consultation with Don Ashton; chairs and tables by Diethelm

take place the overall design concept should still be kept in view and wherever possible the building should still form a unified whole.

In general, all those concerned with the design and management of this hotel arrived at conclusions which were remarkably well integrated, con- sidering the different approaches possible. For example, artist Seah Kim Joo who executed the Batik murals, has generally adopted the golden yellow and green colour com- binations which recur in the main lobby, the upper floor lobbies and the European restaurant, all of which produce a harmonious effect with the jade green Onyx, the gold wall paper on the vaulted ceiling, and the green carpet of the Orchid Bar.

Decor designers

Although perhaps not visible to the naked eye, the main lobby is fan shaped and all the marble slabs for the floors have been specially cut in segmental shapes and assembled in Singapore after arriving from Italy.

While the hotel was nearing com- pletion, the management engaged a firm of decor designers largely to execute designs for the bedroom furniture and public room furniture, waiter stations and the like. In ad- dition, this firm, Pacific House, was also requested by the management to provide the decor for the Lotus Room (or Banquet Hall) and the Supper Club. Aside from these, the rest of the public areas are built from archi- tectural details.

The architectural drawings were developed from an earlier consultation

with Mr. Don Ashton who was re- tained by an earlier management. The architects first prepared a comprehen- sive report pinpointing the likely selection of materials and themes arising from which Mr. Ashton later worked in the architects' office for a short period before producing the conceptual sketches, some of which were later developed into working details by the architects.

The general contract was let in July 1966 and the hotel management mov-

Plumbing installation

Tong Nam

Contractors Ltd.

Steam boilers

Mechanical & Com-

bustion Engineering Co., Ltd.

Aluminium windows and doors

Die-

thelm & Co., Ltd.

Jardine Waugh (S) Ltd.

Mechanical ventilation

(S) Ltd.

―

Jardine Waugh

J

Dodge & Seymour

Marble work

Door ironmongery

(F.E.) Inc. and Harrisons & Crosfield (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Fountain equipment

Co., Ltd.

Cycle & Carriage

California

Macalister & Co.,

Swimming pool equipment

Pools Ltd.

Sprinkler system

Ltd.

Furniture:

Coffee shop and Orchid Bar Diethelm

& Co. Ltd.

Rajah Room Bedrooms

Typical bedroom. Furniture and decor by Pacific House

Van Hin. Yang Ah Kang.

30

Far East BUILDER, September 1968.