Meaningful journeys all start somewhere. Situated at the crossroads of culture and commerce, this modern luxury hotel is designed with authentic touches to evoke a sense of kinship and community. The property hosts 324 rooms, split into superior, deluxe, premier, and grand premier rooms. While faithful to its history, Clan Hotel brings a renewed sense of wonderment and surprise with an unorthodox take on traditional Asian hospitality.
Kunio Iwata, Managing Director, KKS International Pte Ltd 1. How has the SG Mark benefited you?
Our head office in Tokyo has recognised the Clan Hotel as the best Hotel Design of The Year 2022. This indicates that our hard work for The Clan Hotel has been recognised externally and internally among all projects completed by KKS GROUP.
2. How do you think your design has impacted users?
Some guests are more curious to visit or stay in this hotel when they know that the hotel has been awarded this year’s SG Mark winner. Particularly those involved in the Hospitality field are curious just as how we would be to other projects.
3. What was the most challenging moment when developing your idea?
The difficult moment is always how to transform or translate the ideas into design to fit into space and in what manner. In this case, how can the design be “sustainable” for a long time than just fashion? We must consider this carefully to ensure the hotel design still looks fresh and reminds guests of the immigrant story even after 10~15 years.
4. What are some new things you learned about yourself and the users as you were designing?
Whenever we design hotels, my vision is to design and implement ideas. However, it is very curious whether the guests have the same concept as mine about looking at products to appreciate or have different points of view.
5. What are your future plans (personal or company/ work)?
KKS International (S) Pte Ltd. will continue work on hospitality design as part of KKS GROUP of the company in Japan to promote our ability in “good design” that influences guests in some way. Our satisfaction will be when the guests check out with good memory of staying in the hotel. However, it will still be “competitive & challenging” to achieve this, but I believe it is only possible if the designer has a passion for creative design.
6. What was the inspiration behind your product/design/idea?
The inspiration was based on the history of the location of the site & surroundings to connect the “Past” & “Future”.
7. Did you experience a designer’s block during your work process?
No, I have not experienced a designer’s block. But it is instead facing difficulties in coming to satisfy the final design.
8. How do you unwind after the grind?
As a designer, there is no break from thinking about design whenever or wherever you are. This is the nature of how the designer will be more creative and imaginative. I do get tired and tense when the design is still unsatisfactory and how to deliver a better design & solution.
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