Portfolio
Creative insights and inspirations from the drawing boards of popular Hong Kong-based designers, André Fu and Laura Cheung
The designer
Hong Kong-born architect André Fu shot to fame a decade ago with a number of high-pro le commissions, including Hong Kong’s e Upper House hotel, and he shows no sign of slowing down. Recent projects by his rm, AFSO, include airy pavilion suites at e Berkeley hotel in London, a spa and restaurant at Villa La Coste in Provence, France, the Andaz Singapore hotel, and a lifestyle line called André Fu Living.
Theproject: Earlyimpressions
Fu says he was drawn to the challenge of reflecting a historic brand within a contemporary setting. “I remember when I was first offered the project,” he says. “I looked at the very futuristic, organically shaped building and thought, ‘Oh wow!’ I remember the Waldorf Astoria New York as a teenager. It was very majestic and formal, so I was intrigued by the prospect of putting such a legendary hotel within such a contemporary building.”
Inspiration
According to Fu, a key feature of the design process was to infuse the Waldorf Astoria’s original art deco style with the vibrancy and culture of Bangkok, expressed through a subtle contemporary reworking of traditional
ai motifs. e magnolia ower provided inspiration for the building’s architecture; Fu continues that visual reference inside through sensuously curved walls, sinuous furniture and delicate patterned rugs.
“ere is a very careful curation in the visual sequence as you move through the hotel,” says Fu, who was educated in the UK. “is is partially to respond to the challenge of the building, which is narrow in width and long in depth, but that also allows us to have the sense of the magnolia
ower, like a petal that unfolds.” e architect says this translates into an atmosphere of sensuality and uidity throughout the interiors.
“e passageway leading into the spa is one of my favourite moments. It is lined with curved, white, lacquered panels that are very tactile and gently illuminated from below, elevating the experience with a subtle touch.”
e 171 guestrooms at the hotel exude a calm, residential air. ey di use a subtle palette that ranges from warm, dusty gold with mellow grey and peach accents to mineral blue and mustard gold. ai artisanal expertise is evident throughout, particularly in the handmade ceramic items and custommade bronze graphics, including room numbers that were created by a local ai creative studio.
e hotel’s intricately wrought cast iron screens are a signature feature.
e entrance features a dramatic eight-metre-high oor-to-ceiling pair, decorated with a ligree of art deco motifs and a hint of the quintessential arched nger silhouette of ai classical dance. “It’s very subtle,” says Fu. “You may not even notice it at rst but it is a very important touchpoint that highlights this fusion of Waldorf Astoria and Bangkok.’’
Thedesigner
Laura Cheung is the founder of Wan Chai-based home decor and lifestyle brand Lala Curio, known for its playful style and the curious items on display there. Trained at New York’s Parsons School of Design and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, she is celebrated for her ornamental, colourful style and creative interpretations of China’s traditional decorative arts.
Theproject: Earlyimpressions
French restaurant Ecriture, which has perched at the top of H Queen’s in Central since it opened last year, was created by Cheung as part of a collaborative team, in which she worked closely alongside the client, chef and contractor. “It was interesting and challenging at the same time,” she admits, “but thankfully the dynamics were wonderful and it all came together smoothly.”
Inspiration
Cheung’s responsibility was to conceptualise the branding and so decor elements, using aged copper as a core material. She interpreted this through kintsugi, the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted with powdered gold or silver so as to highlight the imperfections. Delicate copper leaf was hand-painted onto ai silk wallpaper to create a continuous panoramic pattern at Ecriture. e
oor and ceiling tiles reveal copper elements and the bar’s handcra ed copper tiles have a patina that gives them a naturally aged look. “Painting with copper leaf is a new technique that we developed for the project,” says Cheung. “We love exploring and creating new nishes and new designs.”
Cheung was also responsible for the oral arrangements, styling books and accessories in the restaurant’s library, as well as the eatery’s logo and menu cover. e menus are upholstered in ai silk with copper lea ng, while custom-designed placemats in the same fabric are handstitched with the organic shapes of Arita ceramic tableware.
e greatest challenge, according to Cheung: “All the copper nishes had to match the base of the dining table, which we did not receive until quite late in the project,” she says. “at was challenging as there were so many elements and di erent applications of materiality, all having to match the tonality of an ageing copper sample.”
Cheung clearly enjoyed the challenge at Ecriture and has advice for others who embark on restaurant interior design projects. “It is always important to start with a clear concept,” she says. “Everything ows naturally from then on.”