With the minimum of fuss, George Town – Penang’s original colonial quarter and UNESCO World Heritage site – is quietly reinventing itself with a growing brood of stylish, intimate boutique lodgings. Its latest offering, the Loke Thye Kee Residences, is carved out of five pre-war shophouses, each of which comprises a standalone suite framed by a soaring pitch roof. For nearly two decades the buildings languished in neglect - collateral damage from the fall-out of the Asian financial crisis - before being rescued by the current owners, a boutique property development company. Over the original exposed brickwork and a traditional footprint of garden forecourt, alleyway and private balcony, the Singapore-based architects Ministry of Design – the outfit behind the ambitious rehabilitation of Penang’s Macalister Mansion – have layered modern touches such as customised rugs and floor lamps, Christian Fischbacher cushions and Saarinen side chairs. Local artist Ch’ng Kiah Kiean was also commissioned to create nine original pieces for each suite. And just in case a mood of lassitude strikes during the heat of the tropical day, a raft of diversions is at hand: the residences are part of a larger complex that includes a classic Hainanese-Chinese restaurant that dates back to 1919, a traditional café, tea spa, rooftop grill and bar, art gallery, and heritage centre.
ADDRESS
326 Jalan Penang
George Town
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Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designCreativity leaps the screen at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s record-flying roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
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The modernist home of musician Imogen Holst gets Grade II listingThe daughter of the composer Gustav Holst lived here from 1964 until her death, during which time the home served a locus for her own composition work, which included assisting Benjamin Britten
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This fun and free-spirited photography exhibition offers a chromatic view on the world‘Chromotherapia’ at Villa Medici in Rome, explores how we view colour as a way of therapy, and how it has shaped photography over the last century (until 9 June 2025)
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All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
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2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
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Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Kerry Hill Architects designs the One & Only group’s first Asia property — Johor, Malaysia -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia -
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
