A World Well-Designed

Four superstar designers in their own right reveal their secrets to creativity and design.

THE BUSINESS OF CREATIVITY

Superstar hotel designer Jean-Michel Gathy explains how he keeps churning out hit after hit – even after close to four decades in this business.

The world might have come to an economic standstill, but Jean-Michel Gathy informs me that he’s still as busy as ever despite being holed up at home. The effortlessly charming 65-year-old Belgian national shares what it took to produce for a presentation he had concluded the night before: “I spent 14 hours a day on it for 30 days straight.”

It is this tireless work ethic that has placed the principal designer and his firm, Denniston Architects, behind more than 25 of the most breathtaking luxury hotels and resorts around the world. His extensive portfolio, which comprises some of the biggest names in the industry, includes hospitality heavyweights such as Aman Resorts, One&Only Resorts and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation for which he designed the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands.

And there’s more to come. Gathy tells me that he is neck-deep in three new projects. He has signed nondisclosure agreements but can share that they are located in Korea, Saudi Arabia and an undisclosed Middle Eastern country. With so much on his plate, one wonders how he manages to churn out hit after award-winning hit without missing a beat. According to the man, the secret to great design is surprisingly simple – logic.

“You need to have an analytical mind,” says the Kuala Lumpur native. It’s a characteristic that runs contrary to what most people perceive as the building blocks of creativity, but Gathy explains that design is the successful marriage of creativity and business.