Asian fusion – Steve Leung’s design philosophy

Upon entering Yuan, it's difficult to believe that one is still standing upon an artificial island that has existed less than a decade. Atlantis, The Palm's fine dining Chinese restaurant opened its doors late last year and, while early reviews of the food have been generally positive, it is the interiors that have made the biggest impact. Acclaimed Hong Kong-born architect and interior designer Steve Leung is the man responsible, infusing the design with traditional 'Siheyuan' architecture, an ancient Chinese style that dates back more than two millennia.

A courtyard is surrounded by buildings on all four sides; dark woods, extensive lattice work and patterned screens combine with abundant natural light to create a celebration, rather than pastiche, of traditional design, with a defiantly 21st-century twist.

The approach typifies its creator, whose philosophy is that design should combine artistry with practicality. Indeed, contemporary style advocate Leung has always been known for his preference for elegantly minimal, functionalism that incorporates cultural and artistic elements, while, preferably, giving the guest something spectacular to look at outside of the design itself.

"A luxurious interior should come with a good view, perfect facilities and superior comfort," he stresses.

Everything in its place

Leung, whose company has been credited with more than 100 design and corporate awards in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide - Yuan picked up Interior Design of the Year: Leisure & Entertainment 2014's Commercial Interior Design Awards - is also famous for combining his signature minimalism with a subtle, but unmistakeable, Oriental vibe, which he credits to his upbringing and subsequent working life in Hong Kong. He describes it as "a very subconscious Asian approach", corresponding to the Chinese tradition of keeping everything correctly placed and in balance.

An examination of any one of Leung's many high-profile hotel projects, which include the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, and the Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay, both opened in 2009, illustrate the designer's priorities.

At the former, which is situated at the campus of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, warm, earthy colours - cream travertine on the walls and the floor in the lobby, as well as a 5m-tall walnut feature wall behind the reception counter, and beige oak wood walls and bamboo pattern wallpaper in the guest rooms - create a pleasingly uncluttered atmosphere. Meanwhile, sweeping, mountain-harbour views that guests can enjoy from the public areas and the rooms bring the outside environment in.

Apart from the bird cages, window lattice and other Chinese touches at the hotel's Sha Tin 18 restaurant, the Asian influence is certainly subtle at this property, the focus, rather, being on creating an atmosphere of 'just right' quality and professionalism, to fit in with its location at an academic institution.

Similarly, at the Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay, the emphasis is on creating the right atmosphere for the hotel's business traveller market, with warm colours again used to elegant effect. However, at this property, these understated tones are juxtaposed with bright hues and eye-catching, contemporary pieces of art - paintings and sculptures - to emphasise the 'city life' theme of the hotel, which boasts a spectacular view of bustling Hong Kong.

Streets ahead

It's at the first Chinese restaurant at a W Hotel (Sing Yin Chinese Restaurant at W Hotel Hong Kong) that Leung's modern Asian aesthetic is best illustrated, however, according to the designer. Rather than opting for the traditional grandeur of a Chinese restaurant, he decided to feature Hong Kong's streetscape throughout the venue, in a contemporary way. While the passage to the main dining area is designed to emulate the city's local shopping streets, the semi-open private dining rooms are disguised as newsstands and boutiques. "Such localised features worked well in the hotel environment with magnificent character," he notes.

When asked to pick his most memorable hotel design project, however, none of these three make the cut for Leung. "Many projects are memorable as they are unique," he says. "But my first hotel project, Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, is one of the most memorable. We were involved at the early stage and designed the hotel from the inside out."

Unusually, the design of the exterior architecture of the hotel was finalised only after rooms had been mocked up off-site. "This is, perhaps, one of those rare times that a hotel has been designed inside out with the focus on meeting the needs of the customer first," the project director said.

For Leung, though, this focus on the guest is far from unusual. "Before I start doing a design, I would first understand the uniqueness and target market of the hotel, as well as the needs of both the client and users," he explains.

This was certainly achieved at Novotel Citygate, and Leung also managed to create a luxurious offering without spending a fortune. "For this four-star hotel, we did our best to provide a five-star design at a three-star cost," he explains. "Both the client and I were satisfied with the result."

"It is also important to have the design fulfilling the hotel's brand image and positioning," he adds. "In the design, I emphasise the layout and proportion of furniture and space, while appropriate placement of artworks can definitely improve a hotel's design."

Leung's expertise in the clever use of space is more than apparent in Novotel Citygate, home to the tallest hotel revolving door in the world, which leads into an imposing, 7m-high lobby. Subtle Asian elements also appear throughout the contemporary hotel. For example, the texture and lines of the lobby's stone are understated reflections of Chinese ink paintings, while the hotel's Essence restaurant features Asian motifs.

When choosing the hotel interior design projects he wants to get involved in, it's not just the clients' and guests' needs and the market positioning that come into play for Leung: he also carefully evaluates the location, the client's background, the scale of the project, the architectural design style, the design period, and, most importantly, whether or not it will offer him a challenge.

Indeed, the successful designer has always thrived on taking on a challenge, which is part of the reason, he says, he now prefers to focus on interior design as opposed to architecture, with 90% of his company's projects currently interior design ones, in addition to furniture and some related product designs.

"Throughout these years, I found interior design projects more interesting and fulfilling," he remarks. "Since I'm often intrigued by new and exciting challenges, the shorter product life cycle of interior projects is more compatible to my personality than that of architectural and urban planning projects.

"I like to face and tackle obstacles, as such experiences help me spot the weaknesses or drawbacks and improve myself, as well as take my design to a higher level."

Spread the word

So, what's next for Leung? Unquestionably, more challenges, and also some more great views.

"We recently completed a project, Hanyuelou Villa Resort in Huang Shan.

The hotel is the largest resort in the area, with an amazing, green view and golf course. The Chinese-modern interior is made of huge amounts of natural stone and wood to create a tranquil, primitive atmosphere."

Leung also hopes to spread his contemporary Asian design concept as widely as he can and, as such, has recently joined forces with design company yoo, founded by John Hitchcox and Phillippe Starck in 1999. "I am so honoured to join and become the creative director of Steve Leung & yoo," he says. "Yoo and I share a vision of improving the living standard of people through designs. As the first Asian creative director, I hope to spread Asian culture and art to the globe, and also lead Asians, especially Chinese, to develop our own style and characteristics, and to create world-famous designs."

"Steve Leung & yoo welcomes a variety of projects. It can be residential, or hotel projects, which are challenging and interesting," he concludes, adding that he will further develop his own company by further diversifying into hotels, restaurants and retail, as well as exploring more opportunities for brand collaborations. Expect to see Leung back in Middle East before too long.