From the editor

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re living in the future. Remember those post-apocalyptic movies we (of my generation) watched as children; the ones about a global pandemic or some kind of environmental disaster? Well, that’s what it feels like we’re experiencing (minus the zombies). Late last year, during the height of the protests here in Hong Kong, I actually remarked — rather foolishly, in hindsight — that our generation is lucky because we’ve never experienced great hardship. I was wrong. We may not have lived through a global war or economic depression, but this is the first time in most of our memories that we’ve been so indiscriminately and globally impacted.

I know that many people around the world are still coming to grips with the ‘new normal’ and are grappling with the widespread effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. So, it may seem insensitive of us to be publishing what’s normally our favourite issue of the year, but we always look forward to the Summer Issue for its collection of homes in tropical climes and its wanderlust-inducing locations. And since none of us will be travelling any time soon, we felt we could all do with a break from looking at the same four walls of our homes and enjoy for a moment the fantasy that armchair travel provides.

Aside from the welcome distraction we hope this issue presents, our aim remains to showcase and celebrate the immense talent working in this part of the world. The design industry has taken a severe knock over the last few months, and we hope that when some semblance of normality resumes, those of you who have the means to engage an architect or interior designer, or to buy new furniture or accessories for your home, will consider spending locally. Invest in design, in quality and in individuals and small studios that consistently pour their heart and soul into whatever they design or produce — the world would be a rather boring and unappealing place without them. 

Stay healthy and well.

Inside the issue

Dossier

Openings
New store openings in Hong Kong and Manila

Products
New collections and collaborations

Read
Upcoming and new books on design, art, interiors and architecture from some of the world’s best publishers

Creative Space, Hong Kong
We take a look inside the characteristically refined new office of André Fu’s Hong Kong-based studio AFSO

Profile
Textile designer Liam Lee’s handcrafted throws are more like artworks than functional objects

Design Studio, Jakarta
Newly launched studio and workshop Surrounding Objects creates locally inspired furniture in collaboration with Indonesian artists, designers and craftspeople

Creative Space, Bangkok
Design in Motion’s studio space showcases the firm’s fresh approach to architectural features

Wanderlust

Villa, Sri Lanka
On Sri Lanka’s southern coast, The Kip is a four-room villa dedicated to slowing down

Cruise Boat, Bangkok
Namthip, a converted Thai rice barge, offers a luxurious way to experience Bangkok from the Chao Phraya river

Openings
The best of the new boutique and luxury designer hotels from around the world

Vernissage

Knot Art
Learning a vocabulary of knots enabled artist Windy Chien to express herself using a linear language that transforms the functional into the decorative

South Asian Artists
We profile five South Asian artists to watch, from a Magnum photographer to an architect-turned-artist

Home

Goa
Self-taught architect Nikhil Padgaonkar’s voluminous home is an intuitive blend of the industrial and the traditional

Bangkok
The home of boutique design firm ANONYM’s founders is a calming retreat from the city’s fast pace

Bali
Designed by architect Maximilian Jencquel, Rumah Purnama evokes the bohemian spirit of Ubud popularised by artist Walter Spies

Yogyakarta
Contrasts define this waterside home, designed by AEDI to reflect its owner’s personality and passions

Architectonics

Studio Profile
Studio Lotus’s ingenious approach to adaptive reuse, which extends from buildings and materials to traditional craft forms, presents a new, resilient model of urbanism for India

The Flâneur

In-Between Days
A flâneur is an urban explorer — a connoisseur of the street. In our rotating column, guests share their musings, observations and critiques of the urban environment in cities around the world. In this issue, former Istanbul resident Shonquis Moreno reflects on the city’s poetic relationship with the water