The Line, Shangri-La Hotel
Singapore
Tihany Design

This buffet line breaks form

© Sam Nugroho

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

The Line, a 390-seat restaurant featuring several international cuisines and all-day dining, replaces a traditional coffee garden located in the lower lobby level of Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel. A series of glowing orange glass boxes travel throughout the ceiling and floor space, a connecting element that brings together the wide variety of exquisite cuisine and dining areas. Tihany believes that the light symbolizes inspiration found in “the line of continuity” running through nature, culture, family, and life.

In this self-service restaurant, diners visit a series of 12 architectural pavilions that house display kitchens for different cuisines: from western and Italian, to sushi and dim sum. Displays of fresh ingredients accent the food stations and whet diners’ appetites. They include a glass enclosed meat cooler at the grill, an appetizing exhibit of seafood at the crustacean counter, and a three-foot-tall chocolate fountain within the dessert area. Designed to highlight the necessary function of each food station, the kitchens are clad with white Corian, mirror polished stainless steel, and glass. The architect experimented with Corian’s sculptural qualities, using it to create abstract formats throughout the space.

In choosing finishes and colors, Tihany referenced the four forces of nature. The restaurant’s overall white appearance signifies air; the orange-red line of glass boxes traveling through the space are fire; custom-designed hand-tufted carpet and “zebrano” marble floors symbolize earth; and the blue glass at the cooking stations recalls water. Adding a softer, personal experience, the banquettes and chairs are upholstered in pearlescent silver vinyl with white leather.

An intimate, self-contained bar area located on an elevated level above the main dining room allows for after-hours use. Within this area, a display of wines separates the retail space from a tea room at the back of the restaurant. Acid-etched glass encloses a special room in which chocolatiers and bakers prepare sweets for the entire hotel, providing guests with a glimpse behind the scenes. Guests may also dine in an outdoor patio that faces the hotel’s botanical garden and pool.

Formal name of Project:
The Line, Shangri-La Hotel

Location:
Singapore

Gross square footage:
12,000 sq. ft.

Owner:
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
www.shangri-la.com

Architect:
Tihany Design
135 West 27th Street, 9 Floor
New York, NY 10001
212-366-5544 tel.
212-366-4302 fax
www.tihanydesign.com