2015's Best Interior Design: Mott 32

One of the more poetic moments in Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 film In the Mood for Love is the scene in which we follow the impeccably dressed Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) as she slips languidly like a shadow down the staircase to her favourite noodle shop. There, she waits, her profile illuminated by the gentle sway of bare hanging bulbs around her. If the film had been set in 2014 rather than 1960s Hong Kong, we would imagine that Su, descending the dramatic staircase towards the beautiful world of Mott 32, would have made for an unforgettable modern update on one of Wong’s most exquisite montages.

To describe Mott 32’s look as cinematic would be an understatement. This otherworldly restaurant is a phenomenal effort by Joyce Wang Studio in collaboration with Maximal Concepts – one where every design detail speaks with a wonderful visual fluency. Together, they have transformed the cavernous 7,500sqft underground space into one that melds imperial Chinoiserie and lofty industrial New York style in a way that’s novel, aesthetically stunning, and unfettered by clichés. Wang’s effortless narrative is based on the concept of passing time, weaving in elements from past and present, east and west – perhaps a nod to our city’s own ephemeral, dualistic character.

There is sleekness and elegance, punctuated by unexpected but unpretentious details, from the calligraphy on the exposed concrete walls to the graceful European-style floral wallpaper under the giant pendant light bulbs. It’s a dramatic tableau that showcases the caprice and whimsy of the designers, who clearly enjoy the contrast of rattan and steel, of wood and glass and hand-painted silk, and who instinctively understand how to tell a story through the curve of a vase and the angular architecture of the furniture.

Mott 32, by design, is more than just a restaurant. It’s an elaborate stage upon which the most delicious tales are told, a space where guests can lose themselves in another dimension. In this alternate universe, we imagine that Su and her near-lover Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) would enjoy a tête-à-tête ensconced in the auburn booths of the carriage-like Tangerine Room, its walls lined with lacquered calligraphy brushes in a devastatingly poignant recreation of their encounters in Café de Goldfinch. 

Mott 32, B/F, Standard Chartered Bank Building, 4-4A Des Voeux Road Central, Central; +852 2885-8688


Runner-up: Mixing street art with 1930s French art deco elegance, Substance’s work on Bibo makes a big statement on Hollywood Road through the works of luminaries ranging from Basquiat to Banksy.

See more 2015 Best Of award recipients:

Best Front of House
Best Cocktails
Best Brunch
Best Dim Sum
Best Pastry Chef
Best Wine List
Best Sommelier
Best New Chef
Best New Restaurant, Readers' Choice