CLAD people
Joyce Wang
Founder Joyce Wang Studio
Hong Kong’s Landmark Mandarin Oriental hotel has opened its newest and largest suite, designed as the “ultimate retreat for socialising” by Joyce Wang and her studio.
The 2,250sq ft (209,000sq m) Entertainment Suite has been conceived as “a welcome respite from Hong Kong’s hectic streets”, with a subtle, nature-inspired colour palette and soft custom-designed furnishings created by Wang – including hand-chiselled cabinet doors adorned with hand-painted art and a chandelier composed of individual glass-moulded LED squares resembling frozen cubes.
The suite, commissioned as a space “for extravagant entertaining”, includes a master bedroom; a kitchen and dining area for private banquets; a master bathroom built round a free-standing one piece marble Palissadro bathtub; and a high-tech audiovisual lounge.
The latter features a 160-inch TV screen with a laser projector, an advanced sound system and a custom-designed coffee table containing interlocking compartments, crafted from gouged timber, for storing virtual reality headsets and gaming equipment.
“As with every project, we considered how users would interact with the space,” Wang told CLAD. “We wanted to create multiple layers so guests could discover something new every time. This sense of discovery is also reflected in the choice of materials and contrasting textures. Our aim was for the space to feel like a home but for guests to appreciate the tactility of the materials.
“One of the main challenges was to create something flexible enough to cater to different kinds of events and parties while still maintaining a certain level of intimacy for private dinners or smaller gatherings.”
Guests enter the suite via a main living area featuring a sculptural ‘Cabinet of Delights’ that spans the length of the room. This comprises several individual cupboards that are crafted in liquid metal and intricately engraved with tree branch silhouettes. Each contains “a thoughtful amenity, an individual surprise or a personalised service”, including a mixologist dispensary, a crystal vitrine stocked with delicacies, and a movie-style popcorn machine.
Wang has previously redesigned 120 suites at the hotel, with “an understated but sophisticated luxury”.
She was recently commissioned to lead a multi-million-pound restoration of 181 rooms, suites and public areas at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London – the hotel’s European flagship.
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