Looking at the multitude of skyscrapers jutting up along the harbour front, tourists and locals alike may think Hong Kong provides no lack of inspiration for builders. But architect William Lim Ooi-lee told CitySeen he looks not to the steel and concrete high-rises, but rather to the abstract Chinese concept of Zen for his design ideas. The Hong Kong-born-and-raised Lim, who is perhaps best known for his Oriental design of Nadaman Restaurant at Island Shangri-La Hotel, said he has always been fascinated by the old architecture in Suzhou and Hanzhou.
'Those old houses and trees together produce the picturesque quality of Zen, which conveys a feeling of simplicity and tranquillity,' said Lim.
Lim is putting up an exhibition titled Traces+Places at the store Andante in Central, from March 1, to show 15 black-and-white photos of different destinations he has been to.