Commissioned by: ORBA, OuterEdit
Year: 2015
Pioneer Portraits is a compelling showcase of Singaporean history - a celebration of her milestones, presented with pride and dignity through the eyes of her creative community. Along Orchard Road, 3 metre-tall glass panels will be applied with 24 stunning pieces of art, depicted by 24 of Singapore’s best and budding visual artists/illustrators. We are honored to be contributing to one of the milestones - First Hotel on Orchard Road in 1971.
The hotel that came to stay
By the 1970s, commercial and retail development had intensified to a point where merely shopping on Orchard Road was no longer enough.
People now wanted to stay at Orchard Road.
They finally got their wish when the 39-storey main tower of the Meritus Mandarin Hotel (now known as Mandarin Orchard Singapore) opened in 1971, with the blessings of then Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Goh Keng Swee. Perched high on the rooftop was a revolving restaurant aptly named the "Top of the M", which gave guests rare views of the bustling shopping belt. The 37-storey South tower block opened for business two years later.
Over the years, the hotel racked up numerous travel awards, and even eventually came to host Chatterbox, a restaurant that's known for its mouth-watering chicken rice. Today, the lower floors of the hotel have been converted into a shopping arcade known as the "Mandarin Gallery."
Shop, dine, play. Makes sense, really.
