Our distinctiveness lies not in a single style, but in the depth and diversity of our people, geographies, and expertise.
Mathew Lui, partner at HBA Hong Kong, is known for blending Western and Asian designs with carefully curated historic elements. The Hong Kong native draws on his extensive experience across his Southeast Asia and international travels to create luxurious contemporary interiors for the hospitality industry. 2025 was a stellar year for Lui with the launch of Kimpton Hong Kong, among many other projects.
Congratulations on your Kimpton project, it’s received wonderful attention. Could you walk us through your thinking process and design concept for Kimpton?
In 2018, Kwok entrusted me with this project and shared his vision, introducing the concept of “culture of time” and the historical significance of Signal Hill Tower. These became the foundations of my inspiration. I wish I had more opportunities to discuss his ideas in depth, but I relied on everything he shared during our three-project meetings, combined with my own interpretation of “culture of time” to shape the design.
My goal and design pillars were to honour Kwok’s vision while analysing modern travellers’ behaviours and preferences to create fashion-inspired interiors for a defined target segment. The design celebrates authentic Hong Kong elements – from Signal Hill Tower and typhoon signals to iconic Tsim Sha Tsui motifs and classic local craftsmanship – showcasing how a Hong Kong-born designer creates a hotel for my hometown.
Our design for Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui aligned with HBA’s signature design process that prioritises a genuine response to a client’s needs and visions over any ego or predetermined aesthetics. Our distinctiveness lies not in a single style, but in the depth and diversity of our people, geographies, and expertise.
This is unified in our “OneHBA” strategy, which is rooted in the core belief that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and is built on HBA’s three foundational pillars of integrated design, exceptional delivery, and a collective creative excellence to create transformative designs that respond sensitively to specific contexts, locations, and a client’s vision.
What’s your design philosophy?
My design philosophy centres on timelessness, attention to detail, and functional luxury brought to life through a bespoke design narrative, a principle I learned from my design hero John Morford.
Can you name a book, movie or place that has inspired you?
I love the book “Matisse: The Red Studio”, “In the Mood for Love” is my favourite movie, and Paris and Shanghai are the most inspiring cities to me.
Do you have any hobbies outside of work?
My hobbies tend to change often. Before I started designing Kimpton Hong Kong, I studied the design of classic Porsches, especially the Targa.
How did this hobby contribute to your architectural work?
As I pondered the full meaning of “culture of time”, a vivid memory of Kwok mentioning Signal Hill Tower came to mind. Soon after, I found myself thinking about the evolution of the Porsche 911 – from the first 356 model to the latest model.
I imagined that perhaps Kwok wanted me to design a modern hotel inspired by a timeless masterpiece, much like the Porsche 911. Maybe that’s just my interpretation which can never be verified, but this hobby has helped me deepen my understanding of design origins and conceptual thinking.
Any exciting projects in the pipeline?
The Swan Library we designed for The Henderson is still awaiting its grand opening, and the Andaz in Shanghai is another project I’m truly excited about.
