Rosa Malacca

Merit, Hospitality Category | BCI Asia Interior Design Awards 2018

Located on a narrow longish site, sandwiched between old three-storey buildings, sits a seven-storey boutique hotel.

Being an ‘infill’ building site, the rooms are designed on a north–south orientation to avoid direct sunlight and to capture front street views and back sea views. The middle-section rooms overlook a central courtyard, filled with lush greenery for a cosy all-day dining ambience. Each of the 60 rooms feature a distinctive artwork that lends character to the space.

Featuring a modern rustic concept, the hotel adopts bare minimal finishing with exposed clay brick walls. Its traditional reinforced concrete design and rigid building structural grid also contribute towards economical construction. Double-layer bricks with cement mortar infill help ensure water tightness is achieved, especially for the building coverage.

The hotel currently has its own restaurant, fitness centre and private carpark. As the owners managed to acquire the land on both sides of the hotel, there are plans to expand the development with 40 more rooms, complete with rooftop swimming pool and other amenities on the left, as well as a landscaped carpark on the right for a more comprehensive hotel setting.

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRAINTS
The narrow site posed a huge construction challenge as it was difficult for big machinery and cranes to access the land. Instead of the conventional piling method, the more costly injection piling was used. The contractors had to construct the rear of the building first before working on the front. The ground floor height was also raised to a level that allowed easier site access for large machinery.

To get local consultants and contractors onto the same page for the hotel’s concept, tours to a few similar completed projects around Malaysia were arranged for them to get an idea of the desired look and feel.

The project team also travelled to villages around Malaysia to source for old reclaimed wood. For the rustic metal steel work, the designers tapped on the old steel makers who could hand solder the metal connecting joints for the necessary rustic look and finishing.

PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Rosa Malacca
Location: Jalan Parameswara, Melaka, Malaysia
Completion Date: January 2017
Site Area: 1,143 square metres
Gross Floor Area: 5,049.48 square metres
Building Height: 7 storeys
Number of Rooms: 60
Client/Owner: Rosa Hotel Sdn Bhd
Architecture Firm: Arkitek KHP
Principal Architect: Tony Khoo
Interior Design Firm: Lifeshop Atelier
Principal Designer: Lee Boon Keat
Civil & Structural Engineer: Lead Engineering
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: City MNE
Quantity Surveyor: Kumpulan Ukur Petanah (KUP)
Lighting Consultant: Lifeshop Atelier
Landscape Architect: Chee Brothers & Landscape
Main Contractor: Boh Huat Chan Construction
Interior Fit-Out Contractor: Lifeshop Atelier
Images: Rosa Malacca