The Prestige — Penang, Malaysia

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Penang, a sun-kissed island floating on the north-west corner of the Malaysian peninsula, has long been celebrated for its mix of extant colonial architecture and lively food scene. The newly opened 162-room The Prestige in the city’s old quarter only adds to the allure.
Careful not to detract from the area’s fin de siècle urban footprint, architect KL Wong’s imposing white pile of high arches and grillwork opens into a playful interior by Singapore-based Ministry of Design.
Here, the mood riffs off Christian Bale’s Victorian magician flick The Prestige with long corridors camouflaged with dizzying Escher-ish black and white cubed floor patterns, Art Deco chrome lattices, bathrooms behind hidden doors, and desks that seem to float over chrome spheres.
The rooftop saltwater pool looks over the port and the Strait of Malacca, though the attention is pleasurably diverted by head chef Shafiq Rizhar Rozali’s Peranakan-inflected nasi ulam, and fried chicken marinated in a honey gochujang paste.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
8 Gat Lebuh Gereja
Georgetown
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Brooklyn furniture studio Stillmade unveils its first collaborative design series
Stillmade brings to life the designs of four New Yorkers – Pat Kim, Danny Kaplan, Michele Quan and Mignogna Studio
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Toyota and Jun Takahashi create a limited edition Aygo X
Toyota Aygo X Undercover edition is a city car spliced with a high-end streetwear brand
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Daniel Arsham debuts new work in Paris and New York
Daniel Arsham and Perrotin mark 20 years of collaboration with New York and Paris exhibitions
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
By Chadner Navarro Published
-
Kerry Hill Architects designs the One & Only group’s first Asia property — Johor, Malaysia
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia
By Dimity Noble Last updated
-
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By Jennifer Choo Last updated
-
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Littlenap — Hangzhou, China
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Casa Santa Teresa — Corsica, France
By Daven Wu Last updated