Post by oldmike on May 19, 2007 9:19:56 GMT 7
Night at the Museum
National Museum in Stamford Road comes alive after sundown with the opening of two bars
By NIGHTLIFE REPORTER, Frankie Chee
THE National Museum of Singapore houses artefacts that are as old, or even older, than the 1887 building.
But now it also houses items of a much more recent vintage - 1981 Krug champagne and 2006 Grey Goose vodka.
Within the building, which recently reopened after a $130-million restoration, two bars - Muse and Novus - keep the place humming after sundown.
'Traditionally, museums work only during the day but we wanted the museum to come alive at night and felt we needed to inject some nightlife element into it,' says Mr Tan Boon Hui, assistant director for programming at the National Museum.
'We want it to be buzzing at night, just like it is in the day time with students, but the character at night should be sexy,' he adds.
The National Museum is not the first museum here to adopt such an approach. Over at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Empress Place, the trendy Bar Opiume, run by the IndoChine Group, has been in business since 2001.
It is not a surprise that the two restored museums have caught the eye of businessmen.
Says Mr Yung Ong, director of Novus Bar: 'When I found out about the site, I knew we had to set up a food and beverage outlet because of the uniqueness and importance of the building.
'How many people can have the National Museum as its address? It's not every day that a 200-year-old building opens its doors for you.'
Novus Bar, along with Novus Restaurant, takes up 3,130sq ft, and Mr Ong says business has been very good since it was launched earlier this month.
Notes Mr Jeffrey Soh, one of the two partners of Muse Bar: 'Many people who previously did not know where the National Museum is have started to come to this iconic building. Our bar has given the place another identity.'
The 3,600sq ft Muse Bar opened in March, and patrons from their mid-20s onwards, along with a number of Lamborghini owners, take up much of the 150-seating capacity on weekends.
Mr Michael Ma, owner of the IndoChine Group, says business at Bar Opiume, which sees about 100 patrons per day, is good.
'The Asian Civilisations Museum is a perfect match for us because IndoChine is also about Asian concepts, as reflected in our food and drinks, and so the clientele for the two complement each other,' he adds.
Indeed, the museums are picky over their choice of tenants.
'We were stringent in selecting the right type of bar whose design could best maximise the beauty of the museum,' explains Mr Tan, adding that the museum received many inquiries but narrowed it down to between three and five bidders for the four available units in the museum.
Mr Ong says the challenge was to come up with a design that would sit well with the surroundings. Novus' modern-classical look adopts the motifs of the building.
The bar cost $2 million to set up, while the owners of Muse spent $1.3 million to give their place a sexy vibe.
It has been money well-spent, going by what customers say.
Copywriter Charlene Chua, 26, says: 'The general ambience is quite nice, the alfresco area is very pretty and I think it's a pretty cool idea.
'These bars benefit from being inside national monuments and this makes their environment unique.'
frankiec@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some wine-and-dine options at the museums to choose from.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE
Muse Bar
A chic and sexy bar that houses a Krug Korner, where limited and special vintages of the famous champagne are exclusively available. Light snacks and finger food, along with house and chillout sounds, keep you occupied as you sip your glass of champagne.
Operating hours: 6pm to 3am daily, closed on Sundays. No cover charge
Novus Bar
A charming and cosy bar that plays smooth jazz, including live sets in the courtyard from Wednesdays to Saturdays. The place also encompasses Novus Cafe and Novus Restaurant.
Operating hours: 11.30am to 2am daily. No cover charge
ASIAN CIVILISATIIONS MUSEUM
Bar Opiume
A trendy bar with a romantic alfresco area that faces the Singapore River, and flanked by Siem Reap II Cafe and IndoChine Waterfront Restaurant.
Operating hours: 6pm to 2am daily. No cover charge
__._,_.___
National Museum in Stamford Road comes alive after sundown with the opening of two bars
By NIGHTLIFE REPORTER, Frankie Chee
THE National Museum of Singapore houses artefacts that are as old, or even older, than the 1887 building.
But now it also houses items of a much more recent vintage - 1981 Krug champagne and 2006 Grey Goose vodka.
Within the building, which recently reopened after a $130-million restoration, two bars - Muse and Novus - keep the place humming after sundown.
'Traditionally, museums work only during the day but we wanted the museum to come alive at night and felt we needed to inject some nightlife element into it,' says Mr Tan Boon Hui, assistant director for programming at the National Museum.
'We want it to be buzzing at night, just like it is in the day time with students, but the character at night should be sexy,' he adds.
The National Museum is not the first museum here to adopt such an approach. Over at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Empress Place, the trendy Bar Opiume, run by the IndoChine Group, has been in business since 2001.
It is not a surprise that the two restored museums have caught the eye of businessmen.
Says Mr Yung Ong, director of Novus Bar: 'When I found out about the site, I knew we had to set up a food and beverage outlet because of the uniqueness and importance of the building.
'How many people can have the National Museum as its address? It's not every day that a 200-year-old building opens its doors for you.'
Novus Bar, along with Novus Restaurant, takes up 3,130sq ft, and Mr Ong says business has been very good since it was launched earlier this month.
Notes Mr Jeffrey Soh, one of the two partners of Muse Bar: 'Many people who previously did not know where the National Museum is have started to come to this iconic building. Our bar has given the place another identity.'
The 3,600sq ft Muse Bar opened in March, and patrons from their mid-20s onwards, along with a number of Lamborghini owners, take up much of the 150-seating capacity on weekends.
Mr Michael Ma, owner of the IndoChine Group, says business at Bar Opiume, which sees about 100 patrons per day, is good.
'The Asian Civilisations Museum is a perfect match for us because IndoChine is also about Asian concepts, as reflected in our food and drinks, and so the clientele for the two complement each other,' he adds.
Indeed, the museums are picky over their choice of tenants.
'We were stringent in selecting the right type of bar whose design could best maximise the beauty of the museum,' explains Mr Tan, adding that the museum received many inquiries but narrowed it down to between three and five bidders for the four available units in the museum.
Mr Ong says the challenge was to come up with a design that would sit well with the surroundings. Novus' modern-classical look adopts the motifs of the building.
The bar cost $2 million to set up, while the owners of Muse spent $1.3 million to give their place a sexy vibe.
It has been money well-spent, going by what customers say.
Copywriter Charlene Chua, 26, says: 'The general ambience is quite nice, the alfresco area is very pretty and I think it's a pretty cool idea.
'These bars benefit from being inside national monuments and this makes their environment unique.'
frankiec@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some wine-and-dine options at the museums to choose from.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE
Muse Bar
A chic and sexy bar that houses a Krug Korner, where limited and special vintages of the famous champagne are exclusively available. Light snacks and finger food, along with house and chillout sounds, keep you occupied as you sip your glass of champagne.
Operating hours: 6pm to 3am daily, closed on Sundays. No cover charge
Novus Bar
A charming and cosy bar that plays smooth jazz, including live sets in the courtyard from Wednesdays to Saturdays. The place also encompasses Novus Cafe and Novus Restaurant.
Operating hours: 11.30am to 2am daily. No cover charge
ASIAN CIVILISATIIONS MUSEUM
Bar Opiume
A trendy bar with a romantic alfresco area that faces the Singapore River, and flanked by Siem Reap II Cafe and IndoChine Waterfront Restaurant.
Operating hours: 6pm to 2am daily. No cover charge
__._,_.___