Beyond bold statements: The evolving design philosophy of Singapore designer Colin Seah

From hotels with psychedelic gardens to serviced apartments designed to feel like home, Colin Seah's varied portfolio reflects a conviction that every space deserves its own identity.

For Colin Seah, founder of Ministry of Design, no two projects are quite alike. Each presents an opportunity to explore a different narrative and design approach. (Photos: Ministry of Design)

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Mention designer Colin Seah and adjectives like “bold”, “irreverent” and “wacky” immediately come to mind to describe his projects.

Who can forget the New Majestic Hotel with its 30 individually designed rooms and funky pop art at every turn? Another is the all-white Canvas House for co-living concept Figment on Blair Road. More recently, The Standard Singapore stands out for its mid-century modern style and biophilic features, such as the terrarium integrated into the reception counter.

Which is why, when I was given a tour of his latest completed project, the renovated mixed-use Stamford Place, expectations were high that it would once again surprise. Instead, it felt like entering a home that was warm and cosy. Formerly known as Stamford Court, the L-shaped building is distinctive for its clock tower, dutifully keeping time at the junction of Stamford Road and Hill Street since 1996.

At the junction of Stamford Road and Hill Street, Stamford Place retains the distinctive clock tower of the former Stamford Court, now complemented by a refreshed light-grey facade. (Photo: Ministry of Design)

“I got older,” joked the 54-year-old, when asked what prompted this change.

Over the years, Seah has amassed considerable experience and evolved his approach through Ministry of Design, the firm he founded in 2004 and now runs with his wife, Joy Chan Seah.

“Our ethos has always been to question, disturb and then redefine. Back in the early days, we had an instinctively rebellious streak, finding things in projects which allowed us to fundamentally challenge and revolutionise our designs,” reflected Seah.

Nowadays, he is less inclined to do that. Instead, with maturity, he has become more interested in questioning the relevance of convention. “If there is no need for it, then we evolve or revolt,” he added.

REVITALISING A LOCAL LANDMARK

At APT, Colin Seah questioned the conventions of serviced apartment design, creating interiors that balance a distinct design identity with the comforts of home. (Photo: Ministry of Design)

While there seems nothing quirky about Stamford Place at first glance, he explained that his act of “rebellion” lay in questioning the conventional serviced apartment concept, here branded as APT. For instance, why did it have to be cookie-cutter, like a typical apartment? Where was the line between hospitality and home? Could it be redrawn?

The result is 66 units spread across two floors, done in a cream-coloured palette with an abundance of curves, such as the rounded corners of the built-in sofa and the pelmet below the recessed ceiling. For Seah, the priority was to make the spaces comfortable for long-stay guests.

“Three days in a very vibrant, vivacious hotel environment is fine, but maybe not a week or two. We are treading that fine line between having a narrative and sense of the guests feeling like themselves. They don’t have to adopt another persona to be here.”

Other gestures of “revolt” include APT’s corridor carpets, designed with a swirling geometric pattern inspired by time and horology. The rhythmic movement is slightly hypnotising – a stark contrast to the neo-noir lifts, whose saturated red glow evokes a moody, sultry vibe.

Colin Seah introduces a more theatrical element at Stamford Place through its lifts, where saturated red lighting and dark finishes create a moody, almost cinematic atmosphere. (Photo: Ministry of Design)

While the architecture was left untouched, Seah had a hand in updating the facade (now light grey), common spaces, new restaurant Stamford Social and co-working space The Great Room by Industrious. The building also houses seven tenanted spaces.

Conceptualising the project involved digesting the brief and coming up with a narrative, which Seah said is how he always starts. Fortunately for him, he had a “design ally” in the client, Ashish Manchharam, founder of Elevate Capital Group and a champion of restoring heritage buildings.

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With Stamford Place, the vision was to retain the building’s character while refreshing the facade and clock tower. The interiors had to be laid-back and approachable, creating a hangout in the Civic District that also welcomes students from nearby educational institutions.

In response, Seah drew inspiration from the neighbouring colonial buildings in the Civic District, incorporating materials such as rattan and terracotta tiles. The windows have black frames, which he aptly called “mascara treatment”. Other horological references were incorporated too, such as a feature light on the reception ceiling.

The main entrance was also deliberately repositioned beneath the clock tower. “We wanted the project to be comfortable, inviting, iconic to a point, but not shouty,” he quipped.

NOT JUST HOTELS, BUT ENTIRE WORLDS

At The Standard Singapore, Colin Seah reimagined the reception counter as a terrarium depicting Singapore as a psychedelic garden, bringing a playful touch to the hotel’s interiors. (Photo: Ministry of Design)

Being commissioned to design Stamford Place soon after working on The Standard could give some creatives whiplash, but Seah was completely unfazed. In fact, he was pleased as punch.

“If you look at our recent in-progress and completed portfolio, nothing is alike. I think it is super encouraging, because it means that no one has pigeonholed us yet. We are the guys who can sink our teeth into a brief and give the client something that is comprehensive and holistic.”

At The Standard, the storytelling centred on merging the tropicality of the location with the irreverence of the brand. In response, Seah overlaid a timeless and contemporary feel onto its mid-century modern DNA. For instance, the terrarium-inspired reception counter depicts Singapore as a psychedelic garden. At Kaya restaurant, a botanical-themed wallpaper adds to the atmosphere.

Ascend to the rooms and a sense of quietness pervades, anchored by a timber-ribbed canopy running the width of the bed onto the ceiling. “There are subtle details, custom-designed furniture and an overall tranquillity with the abundance of natural light. The Standard was very good in supporting this balance of calmness as a contrast to the public areas,” said Seah.

Away from the hotel's more exuberant public spaces, the guestrooms at The Standard Singapore take on a quieter character, with warm wood finishes, natural light and custom-designed furnishings. (Photo: Ministry of Design)

A testament to his abilities came after the project was completed, when an Indonesian client who had experienced the property approached him to design a hotel in Long Beach, California. The brief: timeless, elegant, with an Asian touch. “You’d think that's so different from The Standard, but what he was saying is he recognised we can create these immersive worlds,” Seah explained.

He is committed to steering Ministry of Design in this direction, especially since he revels in being involved in every aspect of a project. His enthusiasm was palpable during the interview in APT’s Stamford Suite when he was asked how this approach manifests in his latest projects outside Singapore.

In Luoyang, an ancient imperial capital of China, he has designed The Reserve, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection. The mighty Yellow River inspired the concept, where the core narrative is that of the home of an art collector who has invited guests to stay. “There are moments where the culture is expressed in very vivid ways and other times, it forms a quieter backdrop,” he described.

For Divine Residences in Kuala Lumpur, Colin Seah was tasked with creating interiors that would stand apart from the surrounding five-star hotels and luxury residential towers. (Image: Ministry of Design)

Closer to home, Seah is keeping tabs on Divine Residences Kuala Lumpur, a 1,000-key hotel in Bukit Bintang that has started construction. Apart from the rooms, he was responsible for the design of all the other areas. These include the tunnel-like driveway, reception, restaurants and open-air rooftop bar on the 80th floor.

“The entrance is like a speakeasy, very moody and mysterious without the use of any clear glass. When you enter, the lighting and art make it feel lounge-like and sexy, like a forbidden space. We were tasked to do something quite differentiated from the surrounding five-star hotels and luxury residential towers.”

BACKED BY A STRONG TEAM

Colin Seah describes building his team as a project that is never quite complete, but one he considers his most important achievement. (Photo: Ministry of Design)

Having run Ministry of Design for 22 years, Seah surprised me when he named his team, rather than a completed work, as the project he is most excited about. “It's the project that’s never quite fully completed, but it's the most important one,” he said.

With a headcount of between 25 and 30, he and his wife have built a team aligned with their vision of designing immersive worlds. Like proud parents, both highlighted how deeply everyone cares about delivering quality work – a reflection of the Seahs’ belief in making the workplace an extension of themselves. “We are invested in treating people as equals, with respect,” he added.

The fruits of their labour were evident when they were able to take a three-week holiday to Denmark in August. With everyone looking out for one another, work-life balance is not just a corporate concept. “We had to work some but we had peace of mind while on the road, because we knew we had a good team manning the fort. That’s a very lovely thing, especially as you get older,” said Seah.

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从拥有迷幻花园的酒店到旨在营造家的感觉的服务式公寓，Colin Seah 的多元化作品集体现了他坚信每个空间都应该拥有自己的独特个性。

对于Ministry of Design的创始人Colin Seah来说，没有两个项目是完全相同的。每个项目都提供了探索不同叙事方式和设计方法的机会。（图片：Ministry of Design）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

提到设计师 Colin Seah，人们脑海中立刻浮现出“大胆”、“不敬”和“古怪”等形容词来描述他的作品。

谁能忘记拥有30间设计各异的客房、处处可见时髦波普艺术的New Majestic Hotel？还有位于布莱尔路（Blair Road）的Canvas House，这座全白的建筑是共享居住概念Figment的所在地。最近，新加坡标准酒店（The Standard Singapore）以其现代中世纪风格和亲生物设计脱颖而出，例如前台柜台内嵌的生态瓶。

因此，当我参观他最新完成的项目——翻新后的多功能综合体斯坦福广场时，我满怀期待，希望它能再次带给我惊喜。然而，它给我的感觉却像是走进了一个温暖舒适的家。这座L形建筑原名斯坦福苑，其标志性的钟楼自1996年以来一直忠实地矗立在斯坦福路和希尔街的交汇处，为人们提供时间的指引。

斯坦福路与希尔街交汇处的斯坦福广场保留了原斯坦福苑标志性的钟楼，如今其外立面已焕然一新，呈现出浅灰色。（图片：设计部）

当被问及是什么促使他做出这样的改变时，这位 54 岁的男子开玩笑说：“我年纪大了。”

多年来，Seah 积累了丰富的经验，并通过他于 2004 年创立的 Ministry of Design 公司不断发展自己的设计方法。现在，他与妻子 Joy Chan Seah 共同经营这家公司。

“我们的理念一直是质疑、颠覆，然后重新定义。在公司创立初期，我们天生就有一股叛逆精神，在项目中寻找能够从根本上挑战和革新我们设计的东西，”Seah 回忆道。

如今，他不太愿意这样做了。随着年龄的增长，他开始更关注质疑传统习俗的意义。“如果没有必要，我们就要么进化，要么反抗，”他补充道。

重振当地地标

在APT，Colin Seah挑战了服务式公寓设计的传统模式，创造出兼具鲜明设计特色和居家舒适感的室内空间。（图片：Ministry of Design）

乍看之下，斯坦福广场似乎并无特别之处，但他解释说，他的“反叛”在于质疑传统的公寓式酒店概念，这里将其命名为APT。例如，为什么它必须像普通公寓一样千篇一律？酒店和家之间的界限在哪里？这条界限能否被重新定义？

最终呈现的是分布在两层楼的66个单元，整体采用奶油色调，并大量运用曲线元素，例如嵌入式沙发圆角的设计以及凹入式天花板下方的檐板。对于Seah而言，首要任务是为长期入住的客人打造舒适的空间。

“在充满活力、热闹非凡的酒店环境中待三天没问题，但一两周可能就不太合适了。我们正在努力平衡如何营造氛围和让客人感到自在舒适之间的关系。他们不需要为了来这里而伪装自己。”

其他“反叛”之举还包括APT走廊的地毯，其设计灵感源于时间和钟表学，饰以漩涡状几何图案。地毯的韵律律动略带催眠效果，与新黑色风格的电梯形成鲜明对比，电梯饱和的红色灯光营造出一种阴郁而魅惑的氛围。

Colin Seah 通过斯坦福广场的电梯引入了更具戏剧性的元素，饱和的红色灯光和深色饰面营造出一种神秘而近乎电影般的氛围。（图片：Ministry of Design）

虽然建筑结构保持不变，但Seah参与了外立面（现为浅灰色）、公共空间、新餐厅Stamford Social以及由Industrious打造的联合办公空间The Great Room的翻新。该建筑还设有七个出租空间。

项目构思包括理解项目概要并构建叙事框架，Seah表示他总是这样开始的。幸运的是，他的客户Ashish Manchharam是他的“设计盟友”，Ashish Manchharam是Elevate Capital Group的创始人，也是历史建筑修复的倡导者。

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斯坦福广场的设计理念是在保留建筑原有特色的同时，翻新其外立面和钟楼。室内设计则力求轻松舒适，打造一个位于市政区的休闲场所，同时也欢迎附近教育机构的学生前来。

为此，谢先生从市政区邻近的殖民时期建筑中汲取灵感，运用了藤条和赤陶瓦等材料。窗户采用黑色窗框，他巧妙地称之为“睫毛膏处理”。此外，他还融入了其他钟表元素，例如接待处天花板上的特色照明灯。

主入口也被特意移到了钟楼下方。“我们希望这个项目舒适、宜人、具有一定标志性，但又不张扬，”他打趣道。

不仅仅是酒店，而是整个世界

在新加坡标准酒店，Colin Seah 将接待台重新设计成一个玻璃生态瓶，将新加坡描绘成一个迷幻花园，为酒店的室内装潢增添了一丝趣味。（图片：Ministry of Design）

在完成《标准晚报》的设计工作后不久，就受邀设计斯坦福广场，这对于一些创意人员来说可能会造成不小的冲击，但谢先生却完全不受影响。事实上，他高兴极了。

“如果你看看我们最近正在进行和已经完成的项目组合，你会发现没有一个项目是相同的。我认为这非常令人鼓舞，因为它意味着还没有人给我们贴上标签。我们是那种能够深入理解客户需求，并为客户提供全面、整体解决方案的团队。”

在The Standard酒店，其设计理念在于将当地的热带风情与品牌特有的不羁风格巧妙融合。为此，设计师Seah在其经典的中世纪现代风格中融入了永恒的现代气息。例如，以玻璃生态瓶为灵感的接待台将新加坡描绘成一座迷幻花园。Kaya餐厅则以植物为主题的壁纸营造出独特的氛围。

步入房间，静谧之感扑面而来，床幔横跨床面，直达天花板，营造出宁静祥和的氛围。“房间处处体现着精致的细节，定制的家具，以及充沛的自然光线，共同营造出一种整体的宁静感。The Standard酒店在这方面做得非常出色，与公共区域的喧嚣形成鲜明对比。” Seah说道。

与酒店热闹喧嚣的公共区域不同，新加坡标准酒店的客房风格更为静谧，以温暖的木质装饰、充足的自然光线和定制设计的家具为特色。（图片：Ministry of Design）

项目完成后，一位体验过该项目的印尼客户找到他，委托他为加州长滩设计一家酒店，这充分证明了他的能力。客户的要求是：永恒经典、优雅别致，并融入亚洲元素。“你可能会觉得这和标准酒店截然不同，但他的意思是，他认可我们能够打造沉浸式体验，”Seah解释道。

他致力于引领Ministry of Design朝着这个方向发展，尤其因为他乐于参与项目的各个环节。在APT的斯坦福套房接受采访时，当被问及这种方法如何在新加坡以外的最新项目中体现时，他的热情溢于言表。

在中国古都洛阳，他设计了希尔顿旗下Curio精选酒店——洛阳臻选酒店（The Reserve）。酒店的设计灵感源自雄伟的黄河，其核心故事讲述的是一位艺术收藏家邀请宾客入住的府邸。“有些时候，文化以非常生动的方式展现；而另一些时候，它则营造出一种更为静谧的背景，”他解释道。

吉隆坡的Divine Residences项目，由Colin Seah操刀设计，旨在打造与周围五星级酒店和豪华住宅楼截然不同的室内空间。（图片：Ministry of Design）

在吉隆坡武吉免登，Seah 密切关注着 Divine Residences Kuala Lumpur 的建设，这家拥有 1000 间客房的酒店已经开工。除了客房之外，他还负责所有其他区域的设计，包括隧道式车道、接待处、餐厅以及位于 80 层的露天屋顶酒吧。

“入口就像一家地下酒吧，氛围神秘而诡谲，完全没有使用透明玻璃。进入之后，灯光和艺术品营造出一种既像休息室又性感的氛围，仿佛置身于一个禁忌之地。我们的任务是设计出与周围五星级酒店和豪华住宅楼截然不同的作品。”

背后有强大的团队支持

Colin Seah 将组建团队描述为一个永无止境的项目，但他认为这是他最重要的成就。（图片：Ministry of Design）

在运营Ministry of Design 22年后，Seah 让我感到惊讶，他最兴奋的项目并非某个已完成的作品，而是他的团队。“这是一个永远不会完全完成的项目，但它是最重要的项目，”他说。

他和妻子组建了一支25到30人的团队，共同致力于打造沉浸式世界。如同骄傲的父母一般，他们强调每个人都非常重视交付高质量的工作成果——这体现了Seah夫妇将工作场所视为自身延伸的理念。“我们致力于平等对待每一位员工，并给予他们尊重，”他补充道。

他们的辛勤付出在八月份得以享受为期三周的丹麦假期时得到了充分体现。大家互相照应，工作与生活平衡不再仅仅是企业的概念。“我们确实需要工作，但在旅途中却很安心，因为我们知道有优秀的团队在背后支持我们。这感觉真的很好，尤其随着年龄的增长，”Seah说道。

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