AFSO / André Fu

“It’s not about imposing a lifestyle; lifestyle comes from within”. André Fu

As the architect behind major luxury hotels like The Upper House in Hong Kong, Singapore’s Fullerton Bay Hotel, and restaurants such as Four Seasons Seoul’s Kioku and Motif in Tokyo, it’s hardly surprising that André Fu is one of the world’s most sought-after architects/designers. Recently, Wallpaper* magazine included Fu – who has headed up his own design practice AFSO since 2000 – in its list of the top 20 interior designers, while luxury publishing house Assouline issued a stunning book on his work earlier this year.

Born in Hong Kong, he spent his formative years at a boarding school in England and earned an art scholarship to London's St Paul’s Boys School. He then went on to read architecture at Cambridge, leaving upon the completion of his Masters. Empowered by and unshackled from such distinguished halls of learning, he established AFSO and plunged headlong into creating distinctive visual worlds for select clients.

Fu returned to Hong Kong in 2004 to design two restaurants at one of the first boutique hotels in Hong Kong — Jia Hotel. Thus began a series of design adventures in Asia. Brought up in the East and educated in Europe, Fu possesses an inimitable ‘stereoscopic’ vision that enables him to do more than merely fuse the two cultures. His trademark style exhibits an intimate understanding of proportion, light and space in conjunction with the use of tactile materials such as solid timber, stone and lush textiles, applied in ways that are at once precise, yet sumptuous.

Taking influence from artists such as Brancusi, Rothko and Urwin; and architects such as Gio Ponti and Carlos Scarpa, the references of modernistic shapes, blocks of colours and strong sculptural forms are apparent in his work. “I regard myself as an approach-driven architect,” he explains. “I believe my role is to interpret my clients’ vision into a special experience and to introduce an element of narrative into the space.” Fu has also challenged himself with projects beyond the world of hospitality - notable commissions include Urban Landscape installation for COS, a pop-up L’Appartement for Louis Vuitton, Galerie Perrotin in Hong Kong. The emphasis of Fu’s work in hotels, restaurants, retail and exhibition spaces has been to create luxurious interiors that elevate the essence of the space, and in turn heighten the spirits of those who enter it.

Fu has contributed to many of the world’s architectural landmarks. In recent years, Fu has been entrusted with key commissions in London - the Gong Bar at the Shangri-La, located in the iconic Shard building bears Fu’s modern realisation of the mythical lost horizons, as conjured up in the fabled world of James Hilton’s Shangri-La. Subtle brush strokes of Oriental exoticism suspend harmoniously amidst modern elegance on the 52nd storey of The Shard, while one gazes across the vast London cityscape, the River Thames at the foreground. Meanwhile, his design for Opus Suite at London’s Berkeley Hotel strikes a special chord in Fu’s heart. It is a space that he is particularly fond of and says it is a new generation of ‘reluxed luxury’, space full of depth, character, and comfort.

For now, he regards his work at the Upper House Hotel as the commission that comes closest to his ideal of ‘hospitality going forward’. It is a sentiment echoed by the design literati as its caused ripples of excitement worldwide when it first opened in 2009. Located in Hong Kong’s Pacific Place, an area already peppered with luxurious 5-star hotels, the Upper House Hotel stands out for the poetry that is its design. Today, it remains a benchmark of architectural excellence, frequently referenced by fellow designers.

The AFSO team work as an atelier, and several of Fu’s colleagues have been with him for many years. Their projects range from heritage buildings in need of a dynamic rejuvenation, to new developments designed from the ground up to offer the ultimate guest experience. Fu is known for his attention to detail, meticulously applying his design sensibilities to every aspect: the space, the uniforms, the graphics, the music and the choice of art; making each of these elements come together to create the desired ambience. His artisanal ability to marry elements outside the immediate sphere of architecture or interior design into a unified whole is one of his unique fortes.

As such, expanding into product design is a natural progression for him. Fu has already designed a collection for the carpet company, Tai Ping, but with the establishment of André Fu Living, the next phase of his career is about to take off in new and exciting directions. Fu is relishing the opportunity to embody his design philosophy within tangible objects, alongside the launch of Andréfuliving.com.

The first product under the AFL brand name is a perfume named Fargesia. Created in collaboration with cult perfumer Julian Bedel of Fueguia, Patagonia1833, the unisex scent will be launched in December 2015. There are plans to follow up with more collaborations in due course. Having had a taste of what Fu and his team can conjure up, it is with bated breath, that we await the release of more product collections from AFL.