21 Carpenter has garnered recognition from the likes of Forbes, which aptly described the heritage boutique hotel as a “stunning modern homage to 1930s Chinese Art Deco.” The property is located at the corner of New Bridge Road and Carpenter Street—hence the name. It sits between Clarke Quay, known for its pulsating nightlife and Chinatown, for its old-world charm. The blend of old and new, however, extends beyond its location, continuing from outdoors to indoors.
Today, the same remittance house has been artfully restored as 21 Carpenter—helmed by conservation specialists 8M Real Estate and designed by the award-winning agency WOHA. In fact, it’s housed within four former shophouses and was the office of Lee Wee Nam, who later became one of the founders of the Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation.
Stepping in, inscriptions are one of the hotel’s most distinctive design motifs and a recurring feature. Poems and excerpts from the letters that migrant workers would send home to their families are woven into the aluminum pattern. Horizontally in English and vertically in Chinese, even today the textured verse evokes a sentiment of longing and nostalgia through the decor.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Hotel Designs.
