Photos Copyright | David Yeow
Echoing the mod-glam days of the fifties, Enfin harks an era of style and statement up-to-date with the use of contemporary materials, finishes and design elements. Stepping through the entry passage and arriving in the restaurant’s reception lobby, the bare and cavernous commercial lot measuring 336 square metres in a downtown office tower is unrecognisable from its stark roots. A sliding screen of slim iron geometry weightlessly conceals the entry passage and marks the entrance from the lift lobby. Slid aside, patrons amble down an elevated walkway of polished copper that is flanked on both sides and across the ceiling by copper-plated steel bands.
“The idea for the catwalk entry was to create a wow-factor for the diners by having them strut in with a sense of celebrity,” architect Jason Sim explain. “As you walk in on the elevated platform, the reflections off the rose gold-toned walls and ceiling give you the illusion that the surrounding is moving along around you, which is a surreal experience.” Inspired by Art Deco details, the folded copper-plated steel bands are, as they note, a simple idea which results in a “complex experiential outcome”.