On the South bank of the Singapore River, across the bridge from some of Robertson Quay?s most popular haunts, such as Toby?s Estate and Kith Cafe, sits a former 19th-century spice warehouse turned boutique hotel. There?s an immediate uniqueness to it, and if you?ve spent some time in Singapore you?d recognize how it?s different. This is a short, two-story building with signature triple-pitched roofs?a curious feature, given there aren?t many buildings like that left in Singapore, a land-scarce country that’s been forced to build as high as possible. The Warehouse Hotel, which turns 2 years old this January, has become somewhat of a secret gem in an area that is usually abuzz with nightlife, swanky cafes and clubs.
The property is located right by the Singapore River, with nightclubs and hipster cafes on the opposite bank. ?People always like the story behind the building,? says Chris Lee, founder of Asylum, when presenting The Warehouse Hotel at the Taiwan Pin Design Awards. (Check out our coverage of the awards here.)
Lee knew he had a leg up when his team got the chance to work on a building with multiple former lives. ?This warehouse is 120 years old. It?s twice the age of Singapore!,? Lee exclaimed.

In 1895, when the British occupied Singapore, the property lived and breathed the spice trade as a ?godown? to house goods peddled by merchants from Singapore to Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca. Now, depending on the age of the locals you ask, Singaporeans may...