An upscale Hong Kong hotel features the city’s brightest creative sparks, writes Aaron De Silva.
September 16th, 2011
Hotel ICON, a new 262-key development located across from the Hong Kong Coliseum and Hung Hom railway station in Tsim Sha Tsui, is set to redefine the city’s design scene with its unique showcase of local and global creative talents.
![]()
The acclaimed Rocco Yim of Rocco Design Architects oversaw the hotel’s architectural design while the illustrious William Lim of CL3 Architects designed the contemporary interiors, including the guestrooms, the ballroom and the lobby’s grand sweeping staircase.
![]()
Lim’s goal was to create spaces of ultimate comfort. “Comfort is always a priority when designing guestrooms,” he explains. “I wanted to create a sense of richness and elegance, then let the spectacular views complete the story.”
![]()
Fashion doyenne Vivienne Tam also contributed to the project, designing the hotel’s exclusive VT Suite in a chic, simple palette, a reflection of her signature aesthetic. Meanwhile, her award-winning Hong Kong compatriot Barney Cheng created the hotel’s stylish, clean-cut staff uniforms.
![]()
The confluence of art and design is reflected in the hotel’s eclectic art collection, curated by renowned designer Freeman Lau. “I wanted to give a comprehensive picture of the creative industry here in Hong Kong,” says Lau. “The aim is to show a diverse group of artworks so that guests can get a taste of the different elements in the creative sector.”
Tommy Li, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent graphic designers, created the hotel’s striking logo. Fluid and evolving, the logo signifies the hotel’s central location as well as its outreach and commitment to the city’s creative clique.
![]()
The outreach extends far beyond Hong Kong’s borders. Influential British firm Conran & Partners designed the hotel’s restaurants, including Above & Beyond, the sleek, members-only facility on Level 28, and The Market, a buzzy, open plan restaurant inspired by the city’s iconic wet markets. Celebrated French botanist/installation artist Patrick Blanc created the lavish 18m vertical garden in the lobby. Measuring 230m2, the verdant wall is the largest of its kind in Asia.
Hotel Icon
hotel-icon.com
Rocco Design Architects Ltd
rocco.hk
Conran & Partners
conranandpartners.com
CL3 Architects Ltd
cl3.com
Conran & Partners
conranandpartners.com
Patrick Blanc
verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
The Geelong College’s Sport and Wellbeing Centre ‘Belerren’ designed by Wardle is designed around bringing in natural light. But Shade Factor’s job was to help modulate and precisely control it for the most important competitive moments.
Developed by bangdesign for Stylecraft, Kinn is an Australian-made collection of seating and occasional tables, shaped by modest proportions, practical detail and the changing demands of shared interiors.
The magnetic pull of certain spaces comes down to how seamlessly they work and, more importantly, how they feel. Recognising this, Kettal Workplace draws on the uplifting codes of other sectors to deliver contemporary workplace design.
As Woven Image celebrates 40 years, it introduces a new collection developed in collaboration with Australian artist Ben Goss, inspired by his original artwork Where the Kookaburra Sits into a vibrant collection of digitally printed EchoPanel® murals and patterns.
Haworth xFriends is an exciting approach to collaboration and partnership which aims to make workspace design ‘open source’ and accessible to local markets, while sharing the stories of designers. We had a chat with Haworth’s xFriends Integration Manager, Alex Przybyla, about the project.
Functional and concise, the designs of Noom are an exercise in craft and artisanship. Composed of simple geometric shapes, each piece is made in the designers’ Ukraine workshop.
Ribbons of pure light for architectural design: Discreet – distinguished – distinctive. Dimensions: 68 x 100mm (continuous length) Delivery: 1 – 4 weeks Applications: Reception, corridors, boardrooms and offices Variations: Recessed, surface mounted or suspended. Any length. Finish: Opal acrylic diffuser, titanium-painted body
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
For The Eye Piece’s fourth store, Ricci Bloch brings general optometry and a dedicated Lindberg shop-in-shop together within a double-height tenancy at Sydney’s EY Centre.
HDR’s Factory of the Future at Western Sydney University turns an awkward slice of Bankstown City Campus into a hands-on learning environment for robotics, digital fabrication and advanced manufacturing.