HOT SPOTB
ehind the new look
of China’s Grand Bay
View Hotel in Zhuhai
is designer James Lee,
who founded L’Avventura
& Associates in 2014. The
collaborative creative group
brings together designers
from around the world to
work on hospitality and
residential projects.
With over 20 years of
experience in the Asia-Pacific
region’s hotel design industry
and an approach focused oncreating authentic spaces with
a soul, Lee – who was born
in Jiangnan and received a
master’s degree in interior
design at the Chelsea College
of Arts in London – was
immediately identified as the
perfect match to give new life
to the 21-year-old hotel, which
is located in the southern
province of Guangdong.
The concept that Lee puts
at the heart of every project
is serendipity, attributing the
success of projects to “thechance outcome, the happy
accident that comes from
always engaging the right
creative mindset”. He says:
“We believe it is by bringing
together complementary
creative energies that we
achieve the exceptional.”
Honouring that idea,
the Grand Bay View Hotel
Zhuhai was inspired by cross-
cultural Western and Eastern
references, geometric patterns
and traditional Chinese motifs,
and it features nautical touches
(as it is a waterfront hotel)
exemplified by details like
pearl-like metal facades and
blue fabrics and carpets.
To welcome guests, Lee and
partner Craig Nealy recreated
an underwater setting in the
intimate lobby. “I wanted to
create something that was
fun, that created the feeling of
living really within the sea,”
says Lee.GRAND BAY
VIEW HOTELZHUHAI
This project exudes
contemporary Asian luxury
with a touch of playfulness.
good to
knowAt 55km, the bridge
connecting Hong
Kong, Macau and
Zhuhai is the world’s
longest sea bridge.
It is 20 times longer
than the Golden
Gate Bridge in
San Francisco.ABOVE
An East-meets-
West approach
was taken for
the design of
the public areas.