JJ Acuna on hospitality design in Asia-Pac

January 6th, 2022

Tags: Asia Pacific, bespoke studio, hong kong, Indesign #84, jj acuna

In our recent issue of Indesign magazine, #84, we caught up with the Hong Kong-based designer JJ Acuna of Bespoke Studio. Writer Sandra Tan asked him four simple – yet loaded – questions about the changing face of hospitality and design across the Asia Pacific. Here is what he had to say.

What are the origins of Bespoke Studio?

JJ Acuna: I was a director at a Hong Kong architecture firm, and after a decade of corporate projects in mainland China, took a year’s sabbatical. In that time, I designed three restaurants for friends and found it a very soulful experience. It was so cathartic to see people enjoying smaller, more personal spaces I’d made – and each made it into international magazines! So then I began my studio in 2015.

The Elephant Grounds, Manila, photography by Aldwin Aspillera. JJ Acuna Bespoke Studio — *The Elephant Grounds, Manila, photography by Aldwin Aspillera.*

What keeps you busy these days?

JJ Acuna: Aside from some great new restaurants opening in Tokyo, Macau and Manila, we’re seeing a boom in residential work. Since no one’s travelling, people are reassessing their space. I think those who enjoy our restaurants become curious about how that lifestyle perspective might translate at home. It’s a real fusion of design programming for this generation of clientele.

How has COVID-19 impacted local design and hospitality?

JJ Acuna: The food scene is still going strong. In Hong Kong, no matter how dangerous COVID-19 is, or protests are, people will forever be sociable. We can’t invite friends home to our tiny flats, so bars and restaurants are here to stay. Design-wise, we’re moving away from fixed features like booths, providing loose seating options instead so venues can observe proper social distancing.

Hansik Goo, designed by Bespoke Studio, photography by XU Liang Leon. — *Hansik Goo, Hong Kong, photography by XU Liang Leon.*

How have you navigated the pandemic pause of 2020 and 2021?

JJ Acuna: Well we’ve just finished a hotel for Four Seasons Macau entirely through conference calls! I used to fly once a month for work whereas now I question, is this travel necessary? Working remotely is kinder to the environment, but there’s no substitute for experiencing context in person. Designers rely on serendipity to create.

*Schmatz Beer Stand at Tokyo World Gate, Tokyo, photography by Daisuke Shima.*

JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio
jjabespoke.com

This interview was published in July 2021, in Indesign #84. Purchase your copy of the issue in print, or download the digital issue.

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