Sands Corporation have been shortlist in 2 Categories in The International Hotel and Property Awards 2021.

Name: Malcolm Tsang
Company: Peter Silling & Associates Hotel Interior Design Limited
Position within company: Managing Partner
Website: www.petersillingassociates.com

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)
Since I graduated from The University of Hong Kong with a MSc in construction management, I was focusing more on the building construction side. From 2000 onwards ever since I have joined Peter Silling & Associates, I was fortunate to work closely with Peter Silling and excel my design skills under his guidance. In 2006 I became the managing partner of the company and am primarily responsible for all projects in Asia and America.

How would you describe your personal interior design style?
Our design always carries a “sense of place”. Every design should have a strong design narrative, it’s always about delivering a design that tells a good story.

Where does your design inspiration come from?
Ideas and inspiration come from everywhere: travel, books, architecture, and dialogue with people of different cultures and backgrounds. And communication is so important. We always work closely with our clients because their thoughts give us inspiration too.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
Regarding hotels, I believe they will start breaking away from trends and forging their own paths in terms of their style and design with a focus on communities and the stories they want to tell.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2020 and beyond.
The environment is top of mind; in terms of materials, I believe clients and designers will embrace more handcrafts and use of natural materials. The hospitality industry is moving toward creating grounding, holistic experiences for guests, providing them with mindfulness and elements of self-care. Integrated technology may be another big one with less physical contact with more emphasis placed on the self-check-in experience.

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to interior design schemes, what would it be?
Draw a mind map and denote all the important design elements in a sequence. This will then become the journey of your design and the spatial experience that you want to curate for people.

How important are The International Hotel & Property Awards as recognition of talent and achievement?
Indeed, it is very important as it’s a great honour to us and it represents an appreciation of our efforts. It’s also a motivation for us to deliver better design.

What projects are you currently working on? The Marina Bay Sands Guestroom Renovations in Singapore and The 525 South Andrews Residence in Miami.  

What was your favourite project to work on and why? Waldhaus Flims Wellness Resort Switzerland, Autograph Collection. it’s the complexity of the project that makes it so much fun and rewarding when it’s completed.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why? Waldhaus Flims Wellness Resort Switzerland, Autograph Collection. Because it involved renovation of a historical building, there’s a lot of challenges and many restrictions given by the local authority. It’s a miracle that we managed to complete the total services from space planning, design, construction and purchasing management all within a 12-month time period.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing? I guess it’s the internet, it’s to stay connected for the research and communication.  

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months? Our company is designing an interactive software that can facilitate clients to visualize our design in 3D modelling and apply changes as they wish. We plan to launch it ourselves to enhance our customer’s experience.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:
Your most treasured possession? My family and friends
Your favourite holiday destination? Japan
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?  In Hong Kong – Mizunara: The Library, Ando and Caprice.
Your favourite book, film & song? I love all kind of comedies
Your favourite food and drink? Coffee, Whiskey and any Cantonese dish
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?  Running, hiking   

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? A furniture designer
Anything else interesting? Be a hotelier