Has storytelling in hospitality environments ever been more potent? HASSELL’s skill at narrating and crafting engaging hospitality experiences is impeccably demonstrated in their latest bar project, Idlewild.
June 7th, 2019
Idlewild Bar brings a refreshingly transformational spirit to a small corner of the InterContinental Singapore. There, narrative and its bedfellows emotional engagement and immersion are critical components of a rich and romantic space that lures guests into a captivating story.
“Welcome gentlemen, I’m Albert, what will you have?”
“Hey I’m Ben, this is Peter. Is this place yours?”
“No the proprietor is definitely my wife,” he says proudly.
A sultry voice chimes in from behind, as an elegant woman in a cheongsam extends her hand.
“Welcome gentlemen, call me May.”
As the story goes, Albert moved from the US to Hong Kong in 1925 in search of adventure. An engineer by training, he found himself working as a producer in the film industry with Run Run Shaw and later Cathay in Singapore. May, a Cantonese beauty and actor, met Albert in 1930, moving to Singapore in 1935. Idlewild was a gift from him to her.
The bar was designed as a rich, immersive expression of their personalities and a timeless space that captures the energy and aspiration of the golden age of air travel. Idlewild was the original name of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (renamed in 1963). The enticing lure of air travel in the era of the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight (the 1940s) became the frame through which the narrative of May and Albert plays out at Idlewild.
The entrance is a portal dressed in dusty pink velvet that curves back on itself to take guests on a journey from the hotel to the intimate parlour of May and Albert. Photographs of the fictional couple and travel memorabilia adorn rich blue walls, and an exotic selection of liquors and spirits from around the world in the cabinet of curiosities (which guests can try) sets the scene for an evening’s escape.
The split-level bar curves through the space and guides guests to the main salon, where elements such as smoky mirrors, hand-glazed tiles, booth seating in embossed velvet, and mother-of-pearl tabletop inlays create a rich and distinctively vintage character.
Key to the guest’s enjoyment of the narrative is the feeling of being removed from the reality outside. HASSELL smartly crafted bay windows with banquettes at the perimeter to deepen the sense of escape, with plantation louvres installed externally to the hotel lobby to create a dappled light effect.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
Researchers have created a series of guides to support wellbeing for architects, after a survey found architecture workers had a lower-than-average quality of life compared with Australia’s general working population.
Warren and Mahoney’s mixed-use project in Auckland is approaching full occupancy, with big plans across hospitality, workplace, retail and more.
The build-to-rent model stands out as one of the most prominent discussions in design and development circles, so we’ve engaged with various perspectives and case studies from industry leaders and shifters. From citymaking design practices to entrepreneurial viewpoints, these stories provide a nuanced understanding of this increasingly prevalent model.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
An entry by MuseLAB, in The Retail Space in the 2024 INDE.Awards, takes shoppers to another planet where diamonds and great interior design make a lasting impression.
In our series spotlighting aficionados across the design industry, we spoke with Alexandra Guglielmino, who leads the Art Advisory team at Bluethumb Art Gallery.