Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia — May 2017

IT TOOK 15 YEARS FOR INTERIOR DESIGNER

Alberto Chan to return home to Macau, and

less than 12 months for him to make a mark on

the gaming center. His understated creative

voice is rising above the bellow of the mega

casinos, the whisper everyone leans in to hear.

Chan spent almost two decades in New

York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hong

Kong, and he’s bringing some of the low-key

cool of the urban centers to Macau with his

brand-new concept store Quarter Square

(89 Largo Maia de Magalhães, Taipa; 853/2857-

6914; quartersquare.co). As it has since

opening, the store is shaking up Taipa’s village

scene, blooming in the middle of decades-old

local diners and shops selling overpriced

tourist knickknacks.

Soft-spoken and cheerful Chan says he is

striving to “bring delightful, well-crafted

design to everyone in Macau, one step at a

time.” He curates a selection of contemporary

home décor from Europe, the U.S., Japan and

Scandinavia and he’s also developing his own

collection of cushion covers. Customers can

leisurely browse or sip Quarter Square’s

custom coffee blend at the espresso bar, part of

Chan’s vision of offering Macau locals “a

platform for exchanging designs and ideas.”

The New York Parsons’s Golden Portfolio

Award–winner goes for timeless elegance in

every project by combining craftsmanship,

comfort and functionality. Chan’s past work at

renowned design firms like Jonathan Adler

and Tony Chi shines through in tasteful looks

that reflect his love of nature, art and

technology. You can also spot his signature

style at restaurants across Macau like

Papermoon, where he was commissioned to

lead the interior design.

Chan is a strong supporter of local

businesses and here he shares his favorite

spots to eat, drink and hang out, choices

influenced by both his upbringing in Macau

and his international education in design.

C ool Q ua r t er

Alberto Chan, owner of a new concept store in Macau,

is bringing the art of subtlety to the city’s budding

creative scene, but he’s got an appetite for

more than just great design. BY JULIANA LOH

Interior designer and owner of Quarter Square

Alberto Chan. BELOW FROM LEFT: Ritz-Carlton Bar &

Lounge; a veggie-packed pita at Blissful Carrot;

window-shopping at Quarter Square concept store.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY OF ALBERTO CHAN; COURTESY OF BLISSFUL CARROT; COURTESY OF QUARTER SQUARE; COURTESY OF RITZ-CARLTON

BAR & LOUNGE

TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / MAY 2017 15

/ beyond/TRENDING