A retail space that looks like your living room: how British studio is transforming interiors
Tina Norden, the London-based director of Conran and Partners, explains why the design studio chose Hong Kong for its first office outside Britain
How does your training as an architect inform your approach to interior design? “Too often architecture and interiors are kept separate or even pitched against one another, which is a shame as one cannot be without the other. We place great importance on connecting the inside and the outside of projects to ensure that there is a strong link between all components. A multidisciplinary approach allows engagement at all levels, understanding all sides of the story.”
Why did Conran and Partners choose to open its first office outside Britain in Hong Kong? “Hong Kong is a central point in the region, allowing us to be close to countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. It is so international and open for business, plus the legal systems are similar, allowing us to concentrate on being creative.”
And why in PMQ? “We love the creative energy of the place. It is the perfect size for a start-up and provides a ready-made community of like-minded people. PMQ has six long-stay hotel rooms for artists and collaborators, three of which were designed by us.”
Where else can we see your work in Hong Kong? “We were responsible for the renovation of the Mandarin Grill, the dining spaces at Hotel Icon and, most recently, KEF Music Gallery, a technology-focused and design-led brand with a British heritage.”
Tell us about the KEF music lounge. “KEF is a retail environment that feels like a private home or a hospitality space. Inspiration was taken from the way people live and how they might integrate hi-fi into their lives and living spaces. We developed this into a beautiful, aspirational space with a dedicated listening room that looks and feels like a living room to test speaker systems with perfect acoustic proportions.”
You have talked about blurring the boundary between work and leisure buildings. How has this influenced your design? “It means considering different uses for spaces we design, thinking about how someone might use a laptop, relax or eat in the same environment and what that means ergonomically and spatially. It makes spaces work harder than just being an office, store or a restaurant – who needs an old-fashioned business centre when we can take our office with us in a handbag? The KEF Music Gallery, for example, is a retail environment but there is no cash desk or retail shelving in sight.”
What are you working on now? “Projects including Park Hyatt hotels in Jakarta and Auckland, the renovation of a boutique hotel in Prague, and a new fitness studio concept we are working on with British athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill.”
