From the Drawing Board
Three established Hong Kong designers open up to Catherine Shaw about their creative process
Leading Hong Kong designers talk us through their creative process
André Fu: Waldorf Astoria Bangkok The designer
Hong Kong-born architect André Fu shot to fame a decade ago with a number of high-profile commissions, including Hong Kong’s The Upper House hotel, and he shows no sign of slowing down. Recent projects by his firm, AFSO, include airy pavilion suites at The 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.
The project: Early impressions
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 Thai motifs. The magnolia flower provided inspiration for the building’s architecture; Fu continues that visual reference inside through sensuously curved walls, sinuous furniture and delicate patterned rugs.
“There is a very careful curation in the visual sequence as you move through the hotel,” says Fu, who was educated in the UK. “This 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 flower, like a petal that unfolds.” The architect says this translates into an atmosphere of sensuality and fluidity throughout the interiors.
“The 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.”
The 171 guestrooms at the hotel, which opened at the end of August, exude a calm, residential air. They diffuse a subtle palette that ranges from warm, dusty gold with mellow grey and peach accents to mineral blue and mustard gold. Thai artisanal expertise is evident throughout, particularly in the handmade ceramic items and custom-made bronze graphics, including room numbers that were created by a local Thai creative studio.
The hotel’s intricately wrought cast iron screens are a signature feature. The entrance features a dramatic 8m-high floor-to-ceiling pair, decorated with a filigree of art deco motifs and a hint of the quintessential arched finger silhouette of Thai classical dance. “It’s very subtle,” says Fu. “You may not even notice it at first but it is a very important touchpoint that highlights this fusion of Waldorf Astoria and Bangkok.”
AB Concept: Statement, The Chinese Library and The Dispensary The designers
Ed Ng and Terence Ngan founded their Hong Kong design studio AB Concept in 1999 and have since built up an impressive international repertoire of pioneering projects with thoughtfully conceived dining rooms and bars. Their sensuous, multi-layered style coupled with meticulous detailing and well-considered use of space have allowed the duo to create inspirational interiors for hotels, clubs, homes and restaurants.
The project: Early impressions
Ng and Ngan’s latest achievement, in collaboration with Aqua Group founder David Yeo, is a trio of food and beverage spaces spread over a single 10,000sqft floor of the historic former police station at the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts on Hollywood Road that opened in May. The Chinese Library serves up Hong Kong’s favourite Chinese dishes, Statement boasts contemporary British cooking and The Dispensary is an opulent, colonialstyle bar. From the start, the designers adopted a creative design solution that would avoid damaging the historical fabric of the building and remain in keeping with the colonial style, making it, says Ng, a “fun process” as the duo tried to “create the right balance in blending heritage with modern touches.”
Inspiration
The designers worked closely with Yeo, who brought his considerable experience in the restaurant industry to bear. “David really knows what he wants,” says Ng, “but he also allows the designers to trust their own vision and creativity.”
The first step, according to Ng, was to develop a vision of all three spaces as an entity, inspired by the history and culture of Hong Kong as well as the role of the 170-year-old former police station. “Part of Hong Kong is very British,” he says, “but you will always see a small seasoning of Chinese influence. And another part of Hong Kong is very Chinese but with an interesting British element that is hidden in the roots. By looking at the three outlets as the whole, it’s really a story of Hong Kong.”
Tai Kwun’s original function may have been utilitarian but there’s nothing impersonal about the three spaces’ alluring visual ode to Hong Kong’s past. Original elements have been retained in each and the wooden floors and window frames have been sensitively restored. The overall palette contains hints of the original colours that the police used in the plush, contemporary fabrics.
Antique mirrors with wooden frames in the form of traditional Chinese plaques were added by AB Concept above each window in Statement. “It is a small touch that adds a pinch of Chinese within a Western space and reflects a unique element that made Hong Kong Hong Kong,” says Ng.
“Each step of the design process is about creating harmony, so that the interiors never overpower the dining experience.” The combination of nostalgic and eclectic elements—restored tiling, marble and mirrors—ties the scene together at these three places in a contemporary way, breathing new life into the traditional charm of the historic Tai Kwun building.
Laura Cheung: Ecriture The designer
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.
The project: Early impressions
French restaurant Ecriture, which has perched at the top of H Queen’s in Central since it opened in April, 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 soft 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 Thai silk wallpaper to create a continuous panoramic pattern at Ecriture, plus the floor and ceiling tiles reveal copper elements and the bar’s handcrafted 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 finishes and new designs.”
Cheung was also responsible for the floral arrangements, styling books and accessories in the restaurant’s library, as well as the eatery’s logo and menu cover. The menus are upholstered in Thai silk with copper leafing, while custom-designed placemats in the same fabric are hand-stitched with the organic shapes of Arita ceramic tableware.
The greatest challenge, according to Cheung: “All the copper finishes had to match the base of the dining table, which we did not receive until quite late in the project,” she says. “That was challenging as there were so many elements and different 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 flows naturally from then on.”