What was the inspiration behind the redesign?
We wanted the interior of the bar to be of an extension of a beautiful day in Hong Kong. You get these gorgeous greens and blues from the sky, Victoria Harbour and surrounding nature, which give Sugar this surreal resort feel. To complement that and all the natural light flooding in, we chose greenish and blue furniture, and wood flooring and ceramic detailing to capture more of that inviting warmth.
How do you think the space has improved with the redesign?
The previous design was a bit too night club-ish and that's just not the customer that EAST hotel ended up attracting, which are more office workers in the community and people that just want to have a more relaxing time. So the initial idea was like designing a sports car for a family of eight, which doesn’t work. I think in the original brief, they imagined that guests would want a sexier, naughty time.
But now, the design of the interior space complements the exterior with a bar that’s 2.5 times larger than it was before. Also if you want to host events, conferences or even a wedding, it’s easier to rearrange the space to fit your needs now.
Was there anything you had to be mindful of with this project?
The space is clean with nice proportions, so it wasn’t particularly challenging. It was more about twisting the original design by a fraction to better suit the customers who are already going to Sugar.
You’ve helped develop and revitalise a lot of Swire restaurants. What are these partnerships like?
I enjoy doing what we do (most of the time!), and working with Swire is always fun. From the initial meetings it’s exciting to understand the vision. Then the seeds germinate quickly. They have a very professional team and lots of knowledgeable people with good taste.
Find special offers for EAST hotel and Sugar (Bar.Deck.Lounge)
here.