G Hotel Kelawai

2015 Penang, Malaysia
Commercial, Hospitality
Singapore Design Awards 2016 - Platinum 'Spatial'
Design Excellence Awards 2015 - Gold Award for 'Hospitality Design'
World Architecture Festival 2015 - Shortlisted for 'Completed Buildings - Hotel & Leisure'
Asia Pacific Property Awards 2015 - Highly Commended for 'New Hotel Constructions & Design (Malaysia)'
Singapore Design Awards 2014 - Awarded 'Asia's Top Design Practice'
International Design & Architecture Awards 2014 - Silver for 'Interior Design - Commercial'
International Design & Architecture Awards 2014 - Honourable Mention for 'Commerical - Professional'

G Hotel Kelawai

2015 Penang, Malaysia
Commercial, Hospitality
Singapore Design Awards 2016 - Platinum 'Spatial'
Design Excellence Awards 2015 - Gold Award for 'Hospitality Design'
World Architecture Festival 2015 - Shortlisted for 'Completed Buildings - Hotel & Leisure'
Asia Pacific Property Awards 2015 - Highly Commended for 'New Hotel Constructions & Design (Malaysia)'
Singapore Design Awards 2014 - Awarded 'Asia's Top Design Practice'
International Design & Architecture Awards 2014 - Silver for 'Interior Design - Commercial'
International Design & Architecture Awards 2014 - Honourable Mention for 'Commerical - Professional'

View project

All projects

A typology of flux and shifts.

While historic buildings make Georgetown the colourful, postcard-perfect UNESCO World Heritage Site, a homogeneity blankets over newer developments outside of Penang’s inner city. It is in this landscape that G Hotel Kelawai aspires to be a more contemporary, outspoken expression of its time and place.

The building’s outward chiaroscuro—of darkened recesses and white striae—is both an image-making and environmental device. Overhangs, vertical shields and control of windows make a tripartite system that radically cuts heat gain, reducing the energy and cost of keeping the 208-room hotel cool in Penang’s relentless sun.

White mesh, held between white ribbons of overhangs, stagger across the elevation in a visual arrhythmia—expressing the flux and movement that characterise the hotel typology and the wider zeitgeist. When night falls, the building comes alive in a dance of light and colour to animate the city.

Aluminium battens, the product of a local industry, is applied iteratively to define the podium and lobby interiors. Entry is into a triple-volume cage, whose singularity of tone and texture is modulated by soft light and proportioned openings.

This receptacle is also a spatial dispenser that conducts guests via stairways and portals to surrounding volumes containing lounge, reception, as well as other functions on the upper floors.

“G Hotel Kelawai aspires to be a more contemporary, outspoken expression of its time and place.”

“flux and movement […] characterise the hotel typology and the wider zeitgeist”

Filter by

Project List

Our Awards

G Hotel Kelawai

A typology of flux and shifts.

White mesh, held between white ribbons of overhangs, stagger across the elevation in a visual arrhythmia—expressing the flux and movement that characterise the hotel typology and the wider zeitgeist. When night falls, the building comes alive in a dance of light and colour to animate the city.

“G Hotel Kelawai aspires to be a more contemporary, outspoken expression of its time and place.”

Filter by

Project List

Our Awards

Recent Projects

G Hotel Kelawai

A typology of flux and shifts.

White mesh, held between white ribbons of overhangs, stagger across the elevation in a visual arrhythmia—expressing the flux and movement that characterise the hotel typology and the wider zeitgeist. When night falls, the building comes alive in a dance of light and colour to animate the city.

“G Hotel Kelawai aspires to be a more contemporary, outspoken expression of its time and place.”

2007 Penang, Malaysia

G Hotel Gurney

2007 Penang, Malaysia

2018 Melbourne, Australia

399 Little Lonsdale

2018 Melbourne, Australia