GEORGE TOWN, Jan 11 — George Town is not just well known for its heritage buildings... it is also famed for its collection of eclectic boutique hotels.
Even then, Sinkeh — one of the newer guesthouses — stands out because it also houses an art space for talks, performances like readings and was the venue for some of last year’s George Town Festival programmes.
Sinkeh — which is Hokkien for newcomer and a reference to all the Chinese immigrants who came to then-Malaya -- which offers nine rooms is a 19th century Straits Chinese house.
The idea of combining a guesthouse and an art space was mooted as a way to fund and promote the local arts scene, particularly the performing arts.
Sinkeh’s owner, Chee Sek Thim, wanted to create a business model that will be able to fund the art space so he thought of setting up a guesthouse where the rooms are upstairs while the open space on the ground floor is turned into an art space open for rent.
“The arts scene, particularly the performing arts, in Penang is still in its infancy with a lot of room to grow,” Chee said.
Chee, who has been part of the Malaysian performing arts for many years, was living in Kuala Lumpur for many years before he decided to come back to Penang to set up Sinkeh.
“Our guests will be informed that they are contributing to the art space and at the same time, they will also be informed if there are any performances or events at the space during their stay here,” he said.
The shophouse was in a poor condition, with most of the interiors gutted, when Chee found it. The upper floors had to be rebuilt in its entirety.
He hired award-winning Malaysian architect Lillian Tay to restore and rebuild the century-old shophouse and the result is a combination of modern, contemporary rooms for guests with traces of the past in the walls, the timber beams and the structure of the rooms.
The reception area opens up to an open-air courtyard which leads to the art space that has moveable panels to enclose or to open it up.
The rooms are on its first and second floors with views of the city and it also has a small patio where there’s a fridge and coffee- and tea-making facilities for guests.
Though the rooms are compact and minimalist, there are lots of open and exposed spaces with plenty of natural light streaming in.
Also be prepared for the daring glass-enclosed compact bathrooms in each room but your privacy is assured as the glass walls face the peeling mouldy walls of the adjoining shophouse.
Sinkeh
105 Malay Street, 10100 George Town
Tel: 04-2613966
