OF HEART AND ART

Assisted by Studioshen, entrepreneur Sean Lim breathes new life into a heritage shophouse in Joo Chiat

- By Luo Jingmei

A long a quiet lane off the main Joo Chiat stretch of buzzy cafes, quaint boutiques, wellness and fitness establishments and edgy restaurants, a short row of conserved shophouses from the 1920s mixes with modern landed houses. One of them belongs to entrepreneur Sean Lim.

Lim has been making waves in the real estate scene for the upcoming Radisson Blu Hotel and Apartments beachfront project in Penang, of which he is part owner. The one-billion-ringgit, mixed-use project developed by his company NWD Holdings comprises the 243-key hotel as well as a serviced apartment block with 475 units. Designed by Hong Kong's P&T Group, it is targeting completion in the third quarter of 2028.

“We bought the last beach-facing plot of land,” says Lim, who is sparing no expense in making the project at Batu Ferringhi a high-quality one. Positioned as a wellness destination, its landscaping will be managed by Landscape Tectonix—the firm behind the luscious greenery in projects such as the Four Seasons Hotel at Chao Praya River.

A DREAM HOME