Ahead of designing the hotel, Fu took multiple trips to Osaka to familiarise himself with the city’s rhythms, nuances and quirks, and to find inspiration in its architecture. “I visited art deco buildings that were built in the 1920s and 1930s,” says Fu, adding that a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Yodoko Guest House in Ashiya, 45 minutes’ drive from Osaka, inspired the trapezium lamps throughout the hotel.
Osaka is, indeed, full of surprises, and Fu wanted to make sure the hotel reflected this.
“A lot of people associate high end luxury hotels with tranquillity, but in the curation of art [for Waldorf Astoria Osaka] I focused a lot on colour. “We’ve got strong pops of indigo blue, caramel yellow and sage green,” says Fu.
One of the most prominent pieces is a sculpture in the lobby by late Japanese artist Jun Kaneko, a large ceramic orb adorned with pops of bright yellow and coral pink, with black polka dots – a contemporary holler amidst the space’s quieter, more traditional Japanese pavilion look with oak posts and bronze screens.
“I really wanted to have his work in the project because it has a bold pop of colour, that, to me, is what differentiates Osaka from other Japanese cities. It’s edgy, and it has grit,” says Fu.
Tatler tip: A personal favourite design element is the glass-encased courtyards scattered throughout the hotel’s public spaces, from the reception to its airy French brasserie, Jolie. These serve as living galleries that will transform with Japan’s seasons – Sakura in the spring, vibrant flowers in the summer, fiery hues of autumn and the tranquil, snowy white of winter.
AloJapan.com