In our interview with André Fu we discover his road into hotel design and how he creates a sense of place in his projects

Yes, we all love beautiful hotels. But where would we be without the world’s best hotel designers who imagine where we lay our heads and sip our cocktails? We’ve already spoken to Jean-Michel Gathy, Tara Bernerd and Bill Bensley about their personal journeys into the niche world of hotel interiors, and we were uber excited to sit down for this interview with André Fu to find out more from the beloved Hong Kong designer.

An interview with André Fu

Tell us about the first ever hotel project you took on and some of your learnings from that.

It was back in 2005 – one of my first residential projects was featured in the Sunday papers in Hong Kong and it caught the eyes of Keith Kerr, the Chairman of Swire Properties at the time. I was shortly called for an interview, and a fortnight later I was entrusted with the opportunity to create what is The Upper House now.

At the time, I had a team of three. It was the very first property conceived by Swire Hotels and the brief was simply composed of two words: calm and comfort. The site was formerly a serviced apartment completed in 1989 with a very challenging framework – much of which was then re-interpreted to become some of the most iconic moments of the hotel. Given that at the time I only had a studio of three and I had no previous hotel experience, it was a tremendous opportunity that I was entrusted with.

You recently transformed the property’s restaurant from much beloved Café Gray to Salisterra. What was your inspiration for this and how did you realise it? Was it nerve racking to change a restaurant that had gained so much love from the public?

As the designer of Café Gray, which was indeed much loved, I was conscious that my task was to create a very different dining experience from Café Gray but one that would celebrate and enhance the cuisine of Jun Tanaka.

I have taken my memories of the Mediterranean as an inspiration and have responded with a dialogue of rich colours, intriguing textures and bold geometries to compliment the chef’s vivid cuisine. The aspiration right from the beginning was to capture the richness of the Mediterranean with the warmth and familiarity of a neighbourhood bistro. The infusion of a rich palette became the core of the experience I had in mind right at the beginning – from the earthy tones of terracotta orange, burgundy, mineral blue, to dusty turquoise and golden caramel. Each colour serves as a visual highlight for the five distinct dining spaces.

How did you approach the design story for St. Regis Hong Kong (we love it, btw!)? How was this property different from others you’d worked on in the past?

The overall idea was to create a curated mansion that would recall both the New York of the original St. Regis and the culture and heritage of Hong Kong. My initial inspiration was the first St. Regis hotel built in New York by John Jacob Astor 1V in 1904; my goal was to take this cultural landmark and infuse its Hong Kong outpost with my own childhood recollections of growing up in Hong Kong.

I wanted to go deeper than the stereotypical concept of lanterns, junks and temples and tap into my own memories of the city. I was born in Hong Kong and so designing the St Regis made me question exactly what my home town means to me. I have used timber panelling which is quite a western approach but combined it with traditional jade lacquer to reference the East.

With the extensive proportion of solid grey marble and bronze utilised throughout, there is a strong sense of masculinity and boldness that somewhat embraces the New York Gotham aesthetics to me. However, the injection of sage greens, emerald and burnt orange in high gloss lacquer or the expressive artwork from the likes of Hong Kong artist Chris Huen at the ground floor lift lobby and the intriguing canvas work of Donna Hunca at the great room vestibule all contribute to a flair that I am seeking to conjure of a personal curated mansion.

Tell us a little about the concept behind Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto. What did you do to retain a sense of place in the project?

Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto is built on the site of the original residence of the Kitake, the executive branch of the Mitsui family, and directly faces Nijō-jo Castle in the city centre. In a commitment to sustainability, I chose to preserve the residence’s original, 300-year old Kajiimiya Gate. This involved collaborating with Kyoto artisans to restore its weathered wood.

A strong sense of history and authenticity is also maintained through one of the hotel’s main features: the Japanese Garden. The garden was created in collaboration with Kyoto landscape master Shunsaku Miyagi. The landscaping honours historical Japanese gardens through a thoughtful placement of stone lanterns and decorative rock features, creating a natural vista that reflects the seasons through flowers and grasses, water and breezes, and the gentle chirping of insects. The garden is a mindful, reflective space in which to absorb a sense of Japanese hospitality, architecture and culture, again offering what I consider to be an authentic luxury experience.

In the guest rooms, the juxtaposition of tradition and modern continues through beautifully crafted interlocking joinery and understated custom furniture. Traditional Japanese tea house interiors and materials such as solid natural cut walnut, tatami, and kimono fabrics are also introduced with a contemporary twist that underline an authentic sense of place.

Are there any major differences when it comes to designing hotels for different locations, say Europe versus Asia? And if so, what are they?

Being born in the east and then raised in the west, I trust my work is always an honest expression of the way I live. With the scalable hotel projects that formulate a large part of my portfolio, I would have many opportunities to travel to the specific location and every reason to talk the time to absorb and communicate with the local team to gain a more in-depth understanding of the destination. Notably, celebrating ‘a sense of place’ is an understatement in the world of hospitality, but I personally think there is nothing more rewarding than to create each hotel with its own narrative, a story that evokes a genuine re-telling of a city’s cultural context, whether it is in Europe or in Asia.

What special factors do you need to consider when creating spaces for hotels rather than residential or commercial spaces?

A hotel will communicate with a wider audience on a daily basis and with the vast facilities and amenities that are involved, I am able to express a more layered and holistic approach – from its conception to the physical journey within the hotel property.

A good hospitality project should focus on the essence of experiences – I always believe an environment ought to be genuine and specific for its consumer, and not about creating mere visual spectacles. I also believe that a good hotel should evoke a sense of residential comfort – essentially a hotel is a temporary home.

What hotel project has given you the greatest freedom to push yourself so far?

I think that would be Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto since Kyoto is a city with a rich heritage – my aim was to create an experience that is authentic and culturally sensitive from an outsider’s point of view.

What are the major changes you’ve seen in the industry since you first began designing hotels?

Social media has a huge impact on the way people travel and live these days – on a positive side, people are generally a lot more informed about design and they crave experiences that are more in tune with their personal taste. To me, luxury has evolved to reflect this way of living – a luxury that is more genuine and a luxury that is down to the essence of the experience than something that is purely visual and superficial.

What do you look for personally when you check-in to a hotel for the first time?

Wherever the hotel might be, I always look for elements of thoughtfulness, how the hotel has considered the comfort and wellbeing of its guests.

What’s the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in and why?

The Park Hyatt Tokyo – one of the first sky hotels – it still remains timeless, modern, and relevant to me.

Restaurant dining or room service?

Always restaurant dining.

Pool or spa?

I can’t choose – both!

And finally, how do you celebrate when you see your design finally come to fruition?

I like to just sit there and observe how people interact with the design. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a space provoking emotions and allowing people to connect with it.

Stay up-to-date with new projects from André Fu through the website www.andrefustudio.com

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