The design of "straits clan" club in singapore

Located in Singapore, Straits Clan, a members’ club, is housed in a 1970’s Singapore inspired building. Straits Clan houses Clan Café, a dining room, and a bar with a bistro that are open to the public, reflecting influences from Singapore and South East Asia and translating them into modern purposes. The designer Takenouchi Webb Wanted to take a different design approach from most dim members only clubs, instead Webb focused on creating a welcoming environment where people will start interacting. Webb succeeded in creating a welcoming atmosphere that mirrors influences from Singapore which were captured in a palette of onyx, concrete, rattan, and tropical greenery Rattan panels are placed against dark timber and red marble within the bar, also surrounded by wooden and rattan furnishings.

The bistro is representing coffee shops from the 70’s in terms of its geometric floor tiles and onyx feature wall. Shanghai plaster adapted from neoclassical colonial buildings is seen on some of the walls. The designer maintained a cohesive cool color scheme and interconnected the space from the square patterns in the tiles to the square form of the breezeblocks. A selection of different seating options is provided, dining chairs around circular and square tables, lounge seating, stools around the bar, and rattan chairs in the bistro. Lighting in this project plays an interesting role in terms of conveying different moods in different spaces. A contrast of light color temperatures is created in different areas, some are warm white while others are daylight. There are four layers of lighting in this space natural lighting, general lighting, ambient lighting, and task lighting. During the day, sunlight or natural lighting enters the space through the glass façade and lights a great percentage of the café, however during nighttime artificial lighting is provided.

The Café has recessed spotlights that act as the general lighting and are the main source of artificial lighting. The second form of lighting is the task lighting which is a diffused high concentration pendent light hanging above the service table, helps ease task performance and diffuses indirect light. The third layer of lighting is a high concentration florescent wall lighting that acts as an ambient light emitting minimum glare and can be left closed during day time. The dining area conveys a different mood as the color scheme is darker with geometric floor tiles, green tiles on walls, wooden columns and a dark ceiling. General lighting in the dining area is recessed, direct downward reflection with indirect glaze and shadows. The second layer of lighting is the circular diffused high contrast wall lighting that serves as an ambient.

The bar with an adjacent bistro’s main source of light or general lighting is a contemporary multidirectional chandelier with glazed cone bulbs. Attached to the metal rod within the bar is a form of task lighting with a bulb similar than that of the chandelier, however it’s with higher concentration. The task lighting is reflected upon the rattan below it, creating the illusion of another layer of lighting. Ambient diffused wall lighting is also found with no shadows or glare. Most circular ambient lighting is repeated around different spaces, however with different light effects. The theme of circular lighting is carried around this project creating harmony. A contrast of light color temperatures is created, some are warm white while others are daylight, some areas are dimmer than other areas, due to the task required. The overall style of this project is reflected clearly within the materials used, how space is divided, and the use of different layers of lighting.