Yabu Pushelberg Creates a Lush Sanctuary at Raffles Sentosa
The beloved brand marks a new chapter with its second Singapore outpost on the vacation island of Sentosa
After opening in 1887 on Singapore’s Beach Road, Raffles marks its 138th year by opening its second property in the Garden City, this time on the vacation island of Sentosa. Set atop a hill overlooking the Singapore Strait, Raffles Sentosa is surrounded by 100,000 square metres of lush greenery, setting the scene for the nation’s first all-villa resort.
The property’s design was helmed by acclaimed multidisciplinary design firm Yabu Pushelberg, whose founders Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu naturally paid a visit to Raffles Singapore when conceptualising the Sentosa outpost. ‘If Raffles Singapore was the grand old dame, we see our project as the granddaughter,’ says Pushelberg. ‘We’re not here to reinterpret colonial architecture. Grandmothers are noble, while granddaughters are sensual; grandmothers bring order to things, while the granddaughter lives a more fluid and modern lifestyle.’
The designers have retained the essence of the Raffles brand — an appreciation for colour, material, texture and layering — while pursuing a new path with a meandering ‘village’ that responds to the hilly landscape. This gentle invitation to slow down begins from the very start, where the circuitous driveway up to the lobby feels like an intentional, meditative exhale, a signpost that you’ve left the city behind and entered a wellness haven. ‘We let the resort open up so that guests can discover it incrementally,’ Pushelberg notes.
Trading the conventional layout of an over-the-top lobby for soft furnishings and full-height windows, the check-in experience is itself soothing. And when it’s time to check into the villa, a buggy roves through winding pathways before arriving at your doorstep, akin to exploring a small town. Views of the sea flicker into view, gradually unravelling all that Raffles Sentosa has to offer.
Nature leads the way at the resort, and this is put on full display in the rooms. There’s an intimate indoor-outdoor connection, with the bedroom, living room and pool separated only by full-height glass doors, the structure’s architecture purposefully blending into the lush landscaping. In the same vein, a botanical mural by Singaporean artist André Wee brings the flora and fauna inside. ‘Taking inspiration from Rousseau’s The Dream painting, we wanted to create a magical, fictional story of a tropical paradise,’ says Yabu. The mural complements the sensual mise en scène, whether in the unimposing architectural scale, lambent glow behind the gridded bedhead, or bathroom vanities that veer closer to living room furniture.
The furniture, plush and comfortable yet restrained, completes the mood. ‘It was about creating a balance of ideas within a space,’ says Pushelberg. ‘We’ve got a big team of product designers who design furniture all day long, but in this case, it was about giving the furniture a little bit of character, but nothing shouts out.’
Raffles Sentosa hums with tranquillity at every turn. Everything has been thoughtfully and tenderly put in place, creating a balm for the senses that is iconic in its own right.
Text by Joseph Koh
Images courtesy of Raffles Sentosa Singapore
