Birds of Paradise Beach

The Beach road of old used to run along Singapore’s original coast before land reclamation work began – bringing forth Nicoll Highway, Suntec City and the Esplanade. This Birds of Paradise (BOP) Beach Road site presented us with the opportunity to apply our hyper–futuristic style over familiar cues of its former beachfront coast.

Sandy textures, tones and curves were adopted to create an urban beachfront oasis – a place of rest and relaxation amidst the hustle and bustle of Singapore. Drawing from BOP’s subtle yet contemporary approach and the rustic atmosphere of the beach, it was key to strike a balance between sophistication and approachability. Walls were lime washed in a sandy pink rose hue for depth and texture. The main entrance set back halfway into the store allowed for an alfresco vestibule, open and inviting, with a curated landscape of flora inspired by sea kelp and coral. This medley of primed yet organic textures, shiny yet coarse colours and hefty yet gentle tones set the stage for presenting the main product – authentic gelato crafted with ingenious botanical infusions. 

A light pebble wash palette and texture followed multiple arc ripples for the seats, planters and countertop representative of sand and seashells found along coastal beaches whilst reinforcing the soft colours featured across BOP’s established brand identity. Similarly, scalloped ceilings and rhythms of arcs and curves are echoed throughout the space – mimicking the tide of waves that rescind and ripple along the shore. Their cone-making station, a BOP staple, presents itself along the wide arc of a ripple counter and doubles as a rest area, giving the audience an hourly gelato cone-making performance, leading to the internal skylight that presents a focal floating plant sculpture, projecting the intention of being weightless in water, as we give way to moments of stillness, calm and tranquillity.

The intentional use of earth tone, textures and details throughout the space consistently responds to the beach and nature-themed narrative – coupling the boutique’s site-specific heritage and BOP’s promise of delivering a delightful botanical gelato experience.