The hotel is designed by Singaporean DP Architects, who strove to highlight the brand’s history in a modern, appealing manner. “The façade constitutes an aluminium screen which is a modern interpretation of railway sleepers, and the tower curtain wall has aluminium fins reminiscent of railway tracks. The terracotta hue of the podium mimics the roof tiles that were the quintessential roofscapes of the shophouses of Hill Street in the past,” says Jeremy Tan, director, DP Architects.
Old school elevators lead into hallways lined with carpets showcasing the inaugural railway map of Singapore. The Art Nouveau-rooms are modelled after private railroad cabins and feature an open-concept wardrobe that imitates the seating in a rail coach; and textured wall coverings resembling train interiors. The cupboard handles look like vintage suitcase clasps.
With a little imagination, the hotel’s first floor could be considered a bustling train station, complete with a luggage holding area, dining spots, and easy access to the street. Madison’s is a New York deli reflecting Pullman’s Chicago origins. The piece de resistance is a golden brass cabin (the Porter’s Lounge),
a semi-private dining and meeting space. Behind is a cabinet of vintage technological treasures. An unassuming door hides an expansive space which is a modern Izakaya-meets-speakeasy bar, MOGA. There are tiny trains here, too. They run continuously, on parallel lines every few minutes, in a futuristic-looking Japanese cityscape.