Ireka Corp group managing director Datuk Lai Voon Hon and Urban Resort Concepts co-founder Markus Engel (Photography by SooPhye)
Instead of wondering why the caged bird sings, I am trying to imagine what sort of feathered creature would have called this massive birdcage home, fashioned from interlaced naturally finished and glazed terracotta. It would be something mystical, most likely, but this flight of fancy is just that, a passing whimsy. In reality, a handcrafted bronze fountain acts as the base, ready to release jets of water in rippling welcome.
This dramatic installation sits in the centre of an antechamber that separates the porch from the foyer proper of The RuMa Hotel and Residences. You would be hard-pressed to guess that you are a mere stroll away from the Petronas Twin Towers. The entire city — sights, sounds and mayhem ubiquitous to any bustling metropolis — has been effectively shut out with this clever bit of architecture.
And clever is the guiding philosophy throughout this bespoke hotel, springing from a desire to give Kuala Lumpur a luxury hotel that is inherently Malaysian. Ireka Corp group managing director Datuk Lai Voon Hon is a practised hand at adding an original signature to the hospitality industry, driving the vision behind The Westin KL and Aloft KL Sentral. The former was the benchmark to beat when it joined the luxury hotel scene in 2003, while the latter was the stylish, first-of-its-kind offering for tech-savvy travellers when it opened in 2013. It remains the world’s largest Aloft Hotel to date in terms of rooms.
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