Established in 1976, Red House Seafood is one of Singapore’s oldest seafood restaurants and is synonymous with Singaporean cuisine. Over the years, the restaurant has evolved with the country’s growth and identity, representing the palette of flavours that reflect Singapore’s cultural diversity.At their third and largest new restaurant at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront, we were commissioned by FARM, the lead interior architects, to design the furniture in response to a clear briefing:‘To re-define what a Singaporean Seafood restaurant should look like. To express the spirit of Nanyang 南洋 * which lies in its openness, inventiveness and resourcefulness, where it is a confluence of ideas, cultures and tastes.’*Lit. “South Seas” ie of the Southeast Asian Chinese style
Connecting the present to the past with cultural material memory
By re-interpreting the Southeast Asian Chinese aesthetic DNA and expressing it through contemporary forms, colours and material palettes, the furniture contributes to the interior design and ambience and the strengthens project’s narratives.
Furniture that generates ambience
The main dining hall chair, RH01, is inspired by vintage mid-century rattan chairs which were a common sight in the Singapore of yore, in context with the tropical climate. The woven backrest enables transparency and lightness across the voluminous space and as well a casual and relaxed ambience.
Vinyl-upholstery in Peranakan* colours is employed for nostalgic links and as well as easy maintenance of a high-traffic zone. The chairs are also stackable for easy re-arrangement of the space for various events.
*Straits-Chinese
Blossom dining
For RHV, the VIP room dining chairs, the studio referenced archetypal models found in high-end Chinese restaurants. The chair envelopes the user with padded armrests and has a lighter upholstery on the inside, suggesting a blossoming flower in their arrangement around the table.
Designed for pragmatism & daily operations
Normally covered in white tablecloth, the graphical table surfaces’ wooden edging echos and dialogues with both models of chairs respectively.
The tables were designed with a central circular base for extra seating to be added without issue and to be easily rolled away by the staff for spatial adjustment.
