AB Concept book explores timeless spaces, from Hong Kong malls to Algarve hotels

(Image credit: Courtesy of AB Concept)

Navigating this new normal is the precise, insightful prose of Henrietta Thompson, our former Design & Arts Editor and editor-at-large here at Wallpaper*, who first encountered AB Concept’s work in Hong Kong, notably the monumental K11 Musea. ‘Ed and Terence have a real sensitivity and appreciation of art, nature and the changing seasons, and this – paired with genuine consideration for the human in every detail and decision – is what brings an unmistakable warmth and joy to every project. I hope the book goes some way to conveying this.’

Of the 23 projects that made the final cut of The Art of Timeless Spaces, it’s difficult to pick favourites. Each is striking and memorable in its own way, but the following stand out, perhaps, a little bit more.

(Image credit: Courtesy of Itsu Sho Sha)

(Image credit: Courtesy of AB Concept)

Billed as the world’s first cultural-retail destination, K11 Musea is a sprawling complex is mesmerising in its interlocking layers of colours, textures and patterns. So much so that the grand stores of the actual tenants – Loewe, Delvaux, MoMA, among them, no slouches – feel almost like an afterthought.

k11musea.com

(Image credit: Brandon Barré)

AB Concept’s first hotel project mines local colours, materials and traditions to create an otherworldly space, whether the intricate patterns of mosaic floors, entire walls clad with plates, or a head-turning mass of multi-hued handblown glass lanterns cascading from the ceiling.

marriot.com

(Image credit: Poltrona Frau)

For Poltrona Frau, Ng and Ngan created a chair that artfully blends Frassino Mika wood with 60 strands of the design house’s signature Belle Frau leather, each hand-stitched into the frame. The result is a sleek, low-slung piece of furniture designed for long meals in a soigné restaurant or just sitting pretty at home.

poltronafrau.com

(Image credit: Courtesy of AB Concept)

Theatrical barely begins to describe Kohler’s first flagship store in China, every inch of its 44,000 sqft, four storeys and roof terrace sheathed with tactility and aspirational set pieces. The theme of water is gently semaphored. Ceramic dishes form the shape of a splash. The façade features handblown glass modules created in collaboration with Lasvit, whilst the bathroom fixtures themselves are set in a veritable Eden of hanging green walls.

artisteditions.kohler.com