Latest news with #DusitThaniBangkok
Forbes
17 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Is Quiet Luxury Over? Top Designer André Fu Believes It's Here To Stay
A calming, luxurious suite at Dusit Thani Bangkok To say interior architect André Fu is in demand is quite the understatement. In the past year alone, his eponymous André Fu Studio (AFSO) had a hand in four headline projects: The Emory in London, the city's first all-suite hotel; Dusit Thani Bangkok, a reinvention of a historic flagship property; Capella Taipei, styled as a modern mansion and the eighth opening of the award-winning hospitality group; and Waldorf Astoria Osaka, the luxury brand's first foray in Japan. So while fashion has become disillusioned with the quiet luxury aesthetic, Fu's popularity is testament to the power of elegant restraint. Known for his East-meets-West aesthetic and a calming yet textured palette, his worldly approach is far from 'boring beige'—he creates spaces with warmth, character and sophistication in spades. We speak to the lauded interior architect and founder of André Fu Living, on his timely yet timeless designs, his creative process and what's next. Plume is the elevated lobby bar at Capella Taipei You often describe your style as 'relaxed luxury'. What would you say are the ingredients of the André Fu style? Perhaps it is my approach to design—it is never about capturing a particular trend of style. I would typically immerse myself in walking around the site, conducting engaging conversations with the locals and conjuring the narrative for the project. This serves as the backbone for the project to evolve and develop, but it is always about bringing everyone back to the original vision and being truthful to it. Your projects span new builds and historic spaces. Do you approach them differently? Each hotel takes years to realise so whenever I accept a new project, I need to convince myself that there is something unique that I want to tell. This mindset allows me to see each project as a way to capture a new side of my aesthetic world. Andre Fu used Jim Thompson Thai silk and handmade ceramic tiles at the Dusit Thani Bangkok For the Dusit Thani Bangkok, you were able to weave a lot of the hotel's history into the space. Walk us through the creative process: It was about paying homage to the original hotel's distinct character, while also offering something fresh and innovative. I imagined a visual journey to celebrate Thai culture and design sensibilities, art and craftsmanship throughout each destination within the property. I adopted a vast variety of local materials, including Jim Thompson Thai silk and handmade ceramic tiles to celebrate the local artisan offerings, and juxtaposed them with European fabrics and stones. Palette wise, one may notice an expansive use of exotic tropical colors to celebrate the sense of place. One of the key highlights in the project can be found in the main lobby: multiple freestanding bronze screens, designed in collaboration with Bangkok-based projecttSTUDIO. This handcrafted sculpture has intricate interwoven patterns to conjure a layered visual experience, evoking a dynamic sense of movement and ascension. The level of intricacy for the scale we have dreamt up is highly ambitious. The stunning Peacock Alley at Waldorf Astoria Osaka From post-pandemic recovery to economic uncertainty and ongoing wars, the world seems more chaotic. Do you think this has changed how many of us view hotels? I think hotels are an ultimate expression of lifestyle—it ought to elevate one's senses on a 360-degree level. Guests are also seeking for each hotel to have a point of view and a story to tell, akin to reflecting on their own personal values. On that note, it perhaps explains why I have always challenged myself with coming up with a particular vision and narrative for each project. Sometimes it is about the brand that I'm working with, sometimes it's about revolving around the context of the hotel, or everything in between. What would your dream holiday look like? My bucket list at present includes a trip to Brasilia to admire the works of Oscar Niemeyer. Every summer, I also take a few days to return to Villa La Coste—one of my favorite projects nestled in Aix-en-Provence to immerse myself in its world of art, architecture and wine culture. Lastly, can you share future plans that you're personally excited about? Other than some key addresses and hotels in the making, my next step involves taking my own brand, André Fu Living, outside of Asia.
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Andre Fu reimagines Bangkok's Dusit Thani, blending modernity and heritage in reborn landmark
In the heart of Bangkok, overlooking Lumpini Park, stands the reborn Dusit Thani hotel – razed in 2019 after a blockbuster half-century run and now completely rebuilt under the direction of Hong Kong's André Fu . On every metric, it's a remarkable second act, not least because the Cambridge University-trained, Royal Institute of British Architects-qualified architect has breathed new life into this legendary property without succumbing to nostalgia or sterile modernity. Advertisement In a city flooded with luxury hotels, Fu's reimagining stands apart with singular clarity, the new incarnation, which opened last September, arguably representing his most sophisticated achievement since The Upper House in Hong Kong catapulted him to design stardom 16 years ago. The lotus leaf-inspired hexagonal ceiling of the lobby at Dusit Thani Bangkok. Photo: courtesy Dusit Thani Forget the usual hotel revival playbook, where designers cling to the past or erase it entirely. Step into Fu's lobby, with its lotus leaf-inspired hexagonal ceiling – an arresting three-dimensional construct that echoes the original – and you experience something more nuanced: a space that nods to Thai heritage without becoming a cultural museum. It's Thai design with the dust blown off. When the original Dusit Thani opened, in 1970, it dominated Bangkok's skyline as Thailand's tallest building. For five decades, it thrummed as the city's social heartbeat, hosting royal events, global leaders and celebrities in its restaurants, bars and ballrooms. The hotel's golden spire, inspired by Wat Arun , became a distinctive silhouette on the Bangkok horizon. A pillar from the old Dusit Thani Bangkok's Benjarong restaurant now stands in the lobby of the new, Fu-designed hotel. Photo: courtesy Dusit Thani But time had taken its toll. Low ceilings and outdated facilities no longer met the standards of modern hospitality. Rather than settle for another renovation, the third-generation owners, the Donavanik family, made the difficult decision to demolish the original structure for something new, tapping Architects 49 and OMA Asia for the glossy new 39-storey tower. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
This week in PostMag: from André Fu's designs to stem cell therapy
Occasionally, there is one thing in the magazine that I just can't stop thinking about. This issue, it's the photo of Jason Li in My Life. Everything about that image is unexpected. How is he suspended in mid-air, completely horizontal and almost a metre from the ground? The pieces of a deconstructed taxi cab in the garage behind him just add to the improbability of the photograph. A great part of this job is these Easter eggs that land on my desk and leave me in awe – both of the subject and the people telling the story, whether photographers or writers. Check out the story and you'll see what I'm talking about. Advertisement At a party last weekend, a man told me his favourite part of PostMag every week is our long-running column My Life. It's one of my favourites, too. We're all a nosy bunch, aren't we? It's such a privilege when anyone, famous or not, opens up to tell us about how they got to where they are – the twists and turns of their journey, the entertaining anecdotes. I always find there's some existential relief in just hearing all the different ways a life can be lived. Li, a professional stunt double, tells Kate Whitehead about going from flips in a squash court to working on Transformers. In this week's main feature, Daven Wu looks at one of the most recent projects by The Upper House designer and architect André Fu. The new Dusit Thani Bangkok is Fu's 'confident mid-career masterwork', he writes, detailing how the architect strove to balance a desire for authenticity with the need for a contemporary feel and relevance. Fu's not slowing down either, ploughing ahead with a spate of openings across Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taipei and Osaka. Elsewhere in Bangkok, Tim Noonan dives into the world of regenerative medicine as he recounts taking a chance (twice) on stem cell therapy. It's an approach I've never personally had to consider, thankfully, and it was enlightening to read a first-person account. Beyond Thailand, this issue travels around Asia with two features that share a commonality: fishermen and fishing nets. In Tokyo, Manami Okazaki joins the Sanja Matsuri, a festival that started as an homage to the fishermen who founded the city's oldest temple, Sensoji. It's a lively, raucous affair, complete with taiko drumming that often runs into the early hours. In Kerala, large cantilevered fishing nets led Vincent Chow down a rabbit hole as he explores both the historical and modern influence of the Chinese on India's southwestern state – a long, winding tale to spend some time with. Advertisement
