Royal China Restaurant

Restaurants that are well designed are not merely places to eat one’s fill, but are environments that mirror the fine cuisine served, thus heightening the sensations enjoyed by the palate. For the Singapore franchise of the famed London-based Royal China restaurant, situated in the colonial Raffles Hotel, MOD has endeavoured to create just such an environment. MOD’s design calls for 2 interventions. The first is a choreographed transition between the whitewashed arcade of the historic hotel without and MOD’s contemporary dining hall within. Once inside the main restaurant hall, the second intervention, a dramatic 6m vaulted ceiling commands a strong visual axis, along which a line of tables are ceremoniously set. Drawing from Chinese Brocade, dining nooks and private dining rooms feature quilted art-work, curtains and wood paneling inspired by the richness of its coloured embroidery. Blending both traditional and modern aesthetics, MOD has also designed custom furniture, all collateral + identity including the menu + signage and art-directed the uniform design. Awards: This restaurant won the coveted “Best of Year” Awards 2008 in the Formal Restaurant Category, conferred by Interior Design magazine, New York, and was named Finalist in the Gold Key Awards New York 2008.