d+a | Issue 116 • Jun/July 2020

/ DINE / 78 each is undeniably unique, as every design concept is so closely inspired and informed by its home city and the local dining culture of its surroundings. One example of an element which remains constant across all Mott 32 locations, is the hideaway dining alcove not immediately noticeable to first time visitors – these special spaces create an experience that diners look forward to when planning their next visit to a Mott 32 restaurant. For Mott 32 Singapore this is The Orangery, a botanical sanctuary-esque pavilion, with draping ferns and rich foliage perfect for yum cha gossip. How does the interior design of Mott 32 Singapore complement its cuisine? In designing for an elevated dining experience such as Mott 32, the earthy velvet palette of terracotta, teal and volcanic grey and considered lighting feels immediately exclusive. In line with the cuisine, the design embraces the dynamism of Chinese culture while innovating tradition, and delivering an honest, rustic, contemporary result. How did you decide on the spatial configuration of the restaurant? Mott 32 integrates three semi-private dining rooms alongside onemain private dining room. We set out to create a space versatile enough to cater to a whole host of different diners and to evoke different atmospheres dependent on placement in the space. In a sense, each becomes its own conceptual pocket. The Orangery, which celebrates the Garden City, has ferns draping around the brim of the alcove redirecting guests to look up for a fresh perspective. The Lantern Private Dining Room, conversely, has its own personality, which imbues the art movement with the value of beauty in art and design. We went around the city to source objets of curiosities to sit against a hand-painted and ABOVE. The Lantern Private Dining has a hand- painted and embroidered ornate wallcovering of a rich, gold-leaf pattern on a semi-sheen blue background.