Internationally acclaimed architect Adam D. Tihany has created some of the world's best-known restaurant and hotel interiors. He explains in his own words about merging ambience and architecture.
WHEN I STARTED studying architecture in Italy in the 1970s, there was no real work in the field. So architects did everything else, like lighting and furniture, and great talent was applied to fine details and small objects. In a way, graduating as an Italian designer at the time meant I was a variety of things.
Later that decade I arrived in America. I would be caught by surprise when people asked me, 'What do you design?' I'd simply say, 'I design. You give me a problem, I'll give you a solution.'
I soon learnt that if you don't specialise in something, people are confused, because they are scared of someone who does more than just one thing, someone without a fixed definition.
This went on for three years, until one day I was asked to design a restaurant. With restaurant projects, I can do architecture, design furniture, interiors, graphics and use all the disciplines I am capable in. So I bought a sign that read, 'Restaurant Designer' and that was the birth of the term.
I don't go for trendy projects. I prefer to create designs that last and have a strong sense of place. Look at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. The minute you step into the lobby, you know you are in Hong Kong. You feel the familiarity of the Mandarin Oriental brand, yet everything is totally new or custom made for the hotel. And it will look just as good in 10 years' time. I respect the fact that my clients are investing their money in the project, so it should be built to last.