A Parisian Cafe in Singapore

A Parisian Cafe in Singapore

Hui Designs combines French joie de vivre with a relaxed tropicana mood in Merci Marcel Orchard  

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Palais Renaissance is a shopping mall in a discreet corner of Singapore’s bustling Orchard Road. A nondescript building housing several independent boutiques, its approach is now heralded by an inviting cafe that marries Parisian chic with local flavour. Sited on the ground storey, large domed apertures cut a cheerful introduction to the eatery owned by restaurateurs Antoine Rouland and Marie-Charlotte Ley Rouland.

This is the third Merci Marcel outlet designed by Lim Siew Hui, whose eponymous studio is behind many distinctive F&B destinations in Singapore such as Mexican eatery Chico Loco and The Lo & Behold Group’s OverEasy diners. An adjoining lifestyle boutique sets it apart from predecessors.

The domed apertures — a prevailing motif in the first outlet — capitalise on the cafe’s street-side location, according pedestrians a cheery tableau of tangerine and green backed by rustic textures; one side also faces the lush gardens of the abutting Thai Embassy. ‘I designed sweeping arches of metal-framed windows, walls and doors as a nod to a style popular with bungalows in 1950s Singapore and reminiscent of Bauhaus architecture. This immediately raises the visibility of Merci Marcel Orchard and connects the shopping district with the new flagship outlet,’ says Hui.

The garden feel extends inwards with French artist Tiphaine Sartini’s bucolic wall murals and potted plants all round. The fluid arrangement of banquette and bar seating lends a casual feel to the space, as do plastered and whitewashed brick walls and hexagonal terracotta floor tiles from Italy. Vines drape over the central bar, and shine comes in the form of illuminated brass shelves lined with spirit and liqueur bottles that catch the light streaming in. Brass skirting and thresholds mirror the gloss nearer the ground.

The entrance foyer evokes a French boudoir, doused in atmospheric basil green, capped by a glowing dome and adorned with a burgundy chaise lounge. A neon sign hangs above in contemporary contrast. In the restaurant, Honoré Décoration fringe lamps continue the soft tone, while Seletti monkey lamps playfully mark corners. There’s also a strong craft aesthetic evoked through woven rattan ceiling panels and a shelf by BYO Living.

Hui calls her design strategy ‘a contemporary interpretation of France in the Tropics’. In terms of furnishing, this translates to a melange of vintage Danish dining chairs, Saarinen Tulip tables and chairs found in Paris, and rattan and wicker Sika Design bar stools. Fused with the vitality of fluid forms, the comfort of shadows and warmth of sunlight on the skin, the space perfectly evokes both languid afternoons on a balcony or sunsets by the French Riviera.

Text / Luo Jingmei
Images / Tawan Conchonnet

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