Located adjacent to the historic Raffles Hotel, Raffles City is a strikingly successful addition to the district’s classical and Victorian structures. It contains one office tower and 2 hotel towers, with 4 levels of retail and a 3-story conference center. The challenge driving the design of this renovation was how to achieve stylistic diversity without imposing aesthetic conflict. The resulting solution provides a sense of discovery with a sequence of experiences carefully linked together, which allow people to enjoy this project as one coherent story. In the way the design is undeniably present, but also gets out of its own way, the underlying concept could be called “zen.” Some playful materials or interactive future technologies are introduced as well to provide a surprise. This “new face” for Raffles City dramatically lifts its branding and its market edge.