This book features the design details of the largest and most innovative examples from such cutting-edge firms as Archi-Tectonics, ARO, Escher GuneWardena, and Office dA, among others. Its pages offer ...
Hello, Dalí: Who needs reality? Gardens grow out of the walls and lava-like floors broil underfoot in the surreal interiors of this bar and lounge in The Luxe Manor.
| Tweet |
By Mary Scoviak
Theatrical design has been out of the limelight for several decades, thanks in no small part to the heavy-handed theming that caricatured Rainforest Cafés, Planet Hollywoods and generations of Las Vegas hotels. But reworked intellectually and aesthetically, it's making a comeback in the form of inventive star turns such as Dada Bar + Lounge in The Luxe Manor in Hong Kong.
Marcus Lee, president of The Luxe Manor's owning company, GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd., and his in-house design team used fully realized environments, not just decoration, to immerse guests in an off-kilter world infused with irony and challenging contrasts of patterns, fabrics and shapes. They manipulated the current mania for authenticity and sense of place by making Dada the real deal in a surreal way. Everything in this 80-seat night spot is consistent within the framework of the rule-breaking tenets of Dadaism—from using avant-garde art to destroy preconceptions (as in human-scale candles that work as sculptures to invite guests to question the ideas of proportion, lighting, even human purpose) to provocative details like the tree-shaped chandeliers that branch out over the dance floor.
But it's the private function rooms, Heaven, Hell and Eden, that show off the marketable upside of good theater. GR8's designers say something new about luxury by sidestepping traditional ideas about materials and layout. In these otherworldly venues, it's the freedom of expression that makes the high-end statement.
In Eden, the flower-lined walls and ceilings create a literal garden feel. Feather curtains flutter at the windows and a green-hued carpet simulates a grassy lawn.
A clear shaft of light welcomes guests into the afterlife of Heaven. Lush, white curtains meant to symbolize angel wings cascade down two of its walls. The focal point is a long table that conveys the idea that the joys of dining extend into infinity.
Hell's not such a bad place either. Dark and sensual, it contrasts with the softness of Heaven and Eden. Its mirrors are irregular and its fiery Italian-made “liquid floor” appears to smolder beneath guests' feet.
The spirit of Dadaism was as much at work behind the scenes as in front, says Wang. Like Dada art, many of the individual elements are one-of-a-kind or fresh takes on what's expected in a luxury club. Custom-made “imitated antique timber flooring” for the bar area; the handcrafted timber and mirror feature panel on the front door; the sparkling, patterned carpet in the lounge and the handmade metal plate pendant in the main lounge area accent the spaces with a wry but clearly bespoke elegance.
Staying within budget given all the custom work required both broad connections in the manufacturing community and close coordination. “It helped that the contractor has offices in mainland China and a big network for sourcing products. So the company could comparison-shop among factories to find the best option for customizing pieces based on our original designs,” says Wang. Detailed drawings sped up the production process and eliminated the need for do-overs. On-site “guidance” in the factories and at the hotel played a key role in keeping the project on time and on budget, Wang adds.
It took seven months of work to transform what was once concepted as a traditional Italian restaurant into an environment where nothing is as it seems. “I think we were the biggest challenges in getting this done-—we're perfectionists,” says Wang. “But in the end, we accomplished what we set out to do, which was to create a living example of how imagination and contrast can exist in harmony.”
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS:
OWNER
GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd.
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
JB Architects & Designers Ltd.
E/M ENGINEER
Thomas Anderson & Partners Consulting Engineers Ltd.
PROJECT MANAGER
Samson Wong & Associates Property Consultancy Ltd.
AUDIO/VISUAL
Audio Base HK.com A/V Systems & Solutions
CEILINGS (HEAVEN ROOM)
Eurasia Architectural Products Ltd.
FLOORING
Carpet Associates Co. Ltd.
FURNITURE
Full Art & Co. Ltd.
LIGHTING
RTOL Ltd.
NAPERY
Brilliance World Co. Ltd.
TABLES
Fuil Arts & Company Ltd.
TABLETOP
GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd.
SIGNAGE/GRAPHICS
Sigh House Co. Ltd.
WALLCOVERINGS AND MATERIALS
Goodrich Global Ltd.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
