The Art Of People

A CONVERSATION WITH, AND AN INSIGHT INTO THE MIND OF, CHINESE ARCHITECT AND INTERIOR DESIGNER STEVE LEUNG

- KELLY LEWI

A JACK OF ALL TRADES and master of many, that is the man Steve Leung has set out and achieved to be. Being an internationally renowned architect as well as a leading interior and product designer, Leung juggles it all while being the founder of the award-winning Steve Leung Design Group (SLD). SLD has helmed numerous prestigious projects, including One Shenzhen Bay, One Park Shanghai, Shangri-La the Shard, and the new Wilmar HQ right here in Singapore. SLD and Leung have successfully made a mark in the architectural world, being awarded the "World's No. 1 Residential Design Firm" on Interior Design's Top 100 Giants list from 2016 to 2020, and the "Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year Award 2015" (aka the Oscars of the design world).

Above all that, Leung is a creative that centres his work around people, be it his clients or loved ones. Drawing inspiration from people and adopting it into his philosophy thus is the creative thinking process of Steve Leung.

How has your upbringing influenced your creative choices in architecture and interior design?

I always knew I would be an architect and this epiphany came to me as early as age 10. It was my uncle, a professional architect himself, who inspired me. I adored watching him draw and sketch late into the night while I was growing up.

I would say my parents have been the biggest mentors in my life. My mother and father both taught me to pursue the quality of life, rather than chasing social status or money. Despite working in the post office, my father was keen to take us to remarkable places like The Peninsula Hotel on weekends to enjoy afternoon tea together. This important lesson stuck with me until today: all my works are pervaded by a sense of enjoyment and playfulness, which naturally led to the inception of my personal motto, "Enjoy Life, Enjoy Design".