Project by Micheal Graves & Associates
MICHAEL GRAVES & ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF HOTEL MICHAEL AT RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA, SINGAPORE
Hotel Michael, a 470-room boutique hotel named after world renowned designer Michael Graves, has just opened to the public at Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa, a hospitality mega-project planned and designed by Graves’ firms Michael Graves & Associates (MGA) and Michael Graves Design Group (MGDG) under the direction of Principal Patrick Burke, AIA.
Fully outfitted with Graves homewares and furnishings, including artwork created especially for the hotel as well as an original typeface for the signage and graphics, Hotel Michael is themed inside and out around the Graves style and brand—a unique tribute to the architect’s broad design repertoire and four-decade commitment to creating gracious, humanistic, and convivial spaces and products. The hotel also includes the first-ever Michael Graves Gallery, an emporium where guests can purchase a wide assortment of Graves products, many of them designed exclusively for the guest rooms and public spaces of Resorts World.
Located on the north side of Sentosa Island directly opposite the bustling city-state of Singapore, Hotel Michael comprises nine stories of guestrooms above two levels of public spaces. While Hotel Michael’s façade has a regular rhythm of evenly spaced elements, the iconic roof is articulated as a series of vaults of various heights, creating a spirited and lyrical presence, reminiscent of the undulating hills of the tropical island.
In developing the unique interior design scheme for his namesake hotel, Michael Graves built on his longtime fascination with the origins of architectural forms. Starting with the long, mural-like canvas above the reception desk in the lobby, Graves has created original paintings for Hotel Michael characterized by simple, archetypical forms placed in imaginary landscapes. These paintings Graves has titled “archaic landscapes”, and Hotel Michael’s interiors incorporate some of the same forms, making the visitor feel as though they were walking through Graves’ paintings in real life.
The same effect is in evidence in Hotel Michael’s smartly designed deluxe guest rooms, clubrooms, deluxe suites and presidential suites—each of which includes additional Graves artwork—as well as the hotel’s amenities. High up in the rooftop vaults of Hotel Michael, the Sky Bar nightclub is a dramatic space where architecture meets the sky; downstairs, the hotel restaurant reflects Graves’ career-long fascination with Italy, its name, Palio, a reference to the famed horse race held twice each summer in Siena.
The Michael Graves Gallery brings all the pieces of the Hotel Michael experience together in one unique retail venue, and gives visiting families a chance to take some of that experience home with them. From chairs and tables to the famous Alessi teapots and decorative chrome-plated birds, the store is a 2,400-square-foot outlet for all things Michael Graves.
Hotel Michael functions as a kind of microcosm for MGA’s comprehensive approach to Resorts World as a whole: even the hotel’s signature typeface—a simple, elemental font recalling the gentle primitivism of Graves’ paintings—bears the Graves imprimatur. Known for his whimsical designs, playful forms and lively colors, Michael Graves creates designs that put a smile on your face, but his designs also have their serious side, rooted in his deep understanding
of the architecture of the world, from Italy to Asia. At Hotel Michael, as at Resorts World in general, MGA has created a rich and welcoming environment for people of all ages, which operates at every scale of endeavor — from the planning of the site’s varied experiences and distinctive architecture to the smallest detail of the hotel’s interiors and furnishings.
About Michael Graves & Associates
Michael Graves & Associates has been in the forefront of architecture and design since AIA Gold Medalist Michael Graves founded his practice in 1964. Today, the practice comprises two firms run by 8 Principals. Michael Graves & Associates (MGA) provides planning, architecture and interior design services, and Michael Graves Design Group (MGDG) specializes in product design, graphics and branding. MGA has designed many master plans and the architecture and interiors of over 350 buildings worldwide, including hotels and resorts, restaurants, retail stores, civic and cultural projects, office buildings, healthcare, residences and a wide variety of academic facilities. MGDG has designed and brought to market over 2,000 products for clients such as Target, Alessi, Stryker and Disney. Graves and the firms have received over 200 awards for design excellence. With their unique, highly integrated multidisciplinary practice, the Michael Graves Companies offer strategic advantages to clients worldwide.
