Rising above Pacific Place in Admiralty, the hotel Asian influenced and timeless design reveals an understated calmness throughout.
Andre Fu of AFSO, hailed by Vogue UK as ‘Design Wunderkind’ and Conde Nast Traveler US as an ‘Asian Design Sensation’, is behind the design of The Upper House.
Andre’s previous notable projects include Piacere Italian Restaurant and Nadaman Japanese Restaurant for Shangri-la Hotel Tokyo, Cassia Chinese Restaurant at Singapore’s Capella Resort, Agnes b. La Loggia Flagship Store in Hong Kong, JIA Shanghai’s eclectic lobby as well as the private residence of international actress Michelle Yeoh.
Natural materials, original sculpture installations and seamlessly proportioned spaces are integrated to create a sophisticated and modern "Asian influenced" residence. “With an intention to create a small luxury hotel reminiscent of a private residence, I have purposely conjured a sense of tranquility throughout the design and ambience of the hotel,” says Andre Fu.
I am now under a circular bamboo enclosure, ‘the Lantern’, marking the beginning of the ‘upward journey’ along a dimly-lit escalator with walls lined with bespoke lamps , ascending to my suite.
Although Hong Kong is known for his stunning views on the panoramic harbor, this time I chose to stay on the side that showcases the rare green side of the city , the Island View having the sensation to be on top of the world but at the same time in a treetop villa.
The spacious room is clearly designed to provide a sense of understated luxury. The contemporary monochromatic design features natural timber, shoji glass, limestone and lacquered paper panels presented in two colour schemes: ‘Bamboo’ with solid ash flooring, bamboo timber and lilac upholstery; ‘Celadon’ featuring green tea upholstery, limed oak flooring and creme oak timber.
My room layout offers abundant space including 300 sq ft bathrooms with walk-in rain showers, the stunning dressing area introduces a free-standing bathtub with breathtaking panoramic view of the trees. Lined with Italian ‘Perlato Svevo’ natural limestone floors and Beige Turkish ‘Terre d’Oriente’ limestone walls, the bathrooms is simple and uncluttered.
My suite personal butler shoes up with green tea, a cake prepared by Chef Gray and shows me a secret corner on top of a small kitchenette with all sorts of delicios homemade delicacies, candies and drinks. Ipod on the desk with my prefeerd music is ready to be heard. My dinner reservations, requests room info and service, will be addressed through the small device directly to the respective department.
Oh my friends, I forgot, the bathtub water is running...I must go before it's sunset.
Joelle's Piks:
The Upper House, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China
http://afso.net
Joelle Maslaton Oster
Founder of Joelle Magazine and Studio Joelle, an interior design practice in New York. She writes on art, design and the places in between.
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