Royal audience

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Raffles' famous colonial exterior.

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Double-happiness chairs were designed by Ministry of Design and fabricated by Grandwork Interior, the main contractor.

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Ash timber floors from Sinma Timber Flooring cover the reception and main dining areas.

An old dame takes a great leap forward, through a bold and blue design, to capture a new crowd.

Historic settings can be a source of elegance, drama and gravity in a design, but they don't always lend themselves to a modern remake.

So how do you fit something contemporary into a space like Singapore's Raffles Hotel, where the weight of history and people's expectations will be a heavy burden?

In the case of the Royal China, a Chinese restaurant with an established reputation and a well-known look located inside Raffles, redefinition was going to need bold decisions.

The restaurant had to shed its traditional guise of black walls and red carpets. Guests also needed to be able to make an entrance without suffering culture shock as they moved from white colonnades to restaurant dining room.

Led by design director Colin Seah, Royal China's new look was created by Ministry of Design and included a comfortable shift between spaces.

"I designed a transition that deliberately left the hotel environment behind, immersing you in a brand new environment of the restaurant," said Seah.

"The guest is made to weave through a distinct ante space, turning 90 degrees thrice around a wave-like wall, finally emerging into the restaurant. The existing space with all its historical trappings was not a constraint; in fact, it was a point of inspiration."

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