By Mark Lean | Jan 16, 2010
Onwards & upwards
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Andre Fu’s designs use natural material to create a modern Asian-influenced look.
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If Hong Kong interior design had a face, then that face surely belonged to Andre Fu, the internationally acclaimed talent who, quite literally, has the world at his feet.
Fu’s first hotel project, The Upper House, towers above the Admiralty district, emanating a decidedly appealing aura of calm on an island of buzz. Fu’s design manifesto for the upmarket Swire Hotels’ project is based on feng shui principles, minus any ornate Chinese décor.
In other words, you won’t find any dragon or phoenix motifs there.
This isn’t surprising as the Cambridgeeducated Fu is partial to the minimalist approach. He is quickly becoming a major player, in part through his internship with minimalist design’s godfather — the architect John Pawson.
Through his company AFSO HK, a partnership with Stephane Orsolini, Fu has been on an upward trajectory. Wisely, he started his Asia-based projects on a small scale.
These include the Piacere and Nadaman restaurants at Shangri-la Hotel Tokyo; the eateries at JIA Hong Kong, Opia and Y’s; JIA Shanghai’s lobby, Cassia at Singapore’s Capella Resort; Agnes b. La Loggia flagship store in Hong Kong, as well as actress Datuk Michelle Yeoh’s residence on The Peak.
The 34-year-old’s highly regarded portfolio of work led to the global hotel phenomenon known as The Upper House, in what was previously the JW Marriot Residences. Evidently, there are no traces of the former in the designer’s vision. Since its opening earlier this year, the hotel’s occupancy rates have been just a little shy of phenomenal.
It’s clear that hotel guests have taken to Fu’s designs.
“The hotel is conceived holistically as one poetic journey with a design language that is consistent throughout. It is the building-up of layers that conjures the overall experience at The Upper House.
“I believe the use of natural materials, original sculpture installations and seamlessly proportioned spaces have helped to create a sophisticated and modern Asian-influenced residence,” he says.
International acclaim has been unceasing for Fu. He is described by Conde Nast Traveler as an “Asian Design Sensation”, and by Travel + Leisure US as “Design-of-the-moment”. Clearly, Fu takes his company’s tagline “bespoke with a twist” to heart. Whether it’s the creation of restaurant space or art gallery, his design approach revolves around “the sense of journey”.
“I trust my projects all share such a thread. However, a product like The Upper House is unique in its overall holistic approach, as a majority of guests will stay overnight if not longer. The challenge lies in our questioning what the traveller’s needs are, and finding the most appropriate answers to them,” Fu explains.
“I intended to create a small intimate hotel reminiscent of a private residence. I have purposely conjured a sense of tranquillity throughout the design and ambience.
“The palette is restrained, with the use of bamboo lacquered panels to create an oriental sensitivity, yet the flavour of the scheme, when viewed in its entirety, remains international,” he points out.
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Andre Fu at Swire Hotel.
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As an aside, the furniture (arch floor lamp, finnochair, hakkabench) and gadget (i24R2 speaker) created by AFSO HK complement the company’s more macro-type endeavours. According to Fu, all his projects are personal in that the objects and the spaces he creates indelibly mirror his personality.
“I should imagine that my design philosophy will, to a greater or lesser degree, reflect my personality and lifestyle. I opt for visual stimulation at all times and seek to understand the differences in cultures and history anywhere I go,” he says.
All the same, he agrees that at the end of the day, the opinions of his clients matter. In fact, he welcomes feedback.
“As a designer, my role is fundamentally to deliver the client’s vision with my own design vocabulary,” he says.
With his professional profile having soared, Fu is in an enviable position where he can decide whom he would like to collaborate with.
“I normally use a hand-in-hand approach with my clients such that we are all aligned with my mission to create a product that is holistic throughout — from its initial concept to the final operational needs.
“A great product can only be achieved when all the elements are aligned, and that is exactly why we are extremely selective in the projects we do”.
On his plate currently: the Ben Brown Fine Arts Gallery, Pedder Building, Hong Kong; a yet-to-benamed eatery in Guangzhou’sW hotel, as well as another potentially amazing hotel project, The Fullerton Bay in Singapore.
No doubt about it — Fu is on the up and up.
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