Hong Kong has long been at the forefront of finance and technology, but now the city is making a mad dash to become a global leader in art and design. This is evident across the city from the museums being constructed in the West Kowloon Cultural District to the new Art Basel event that is showcasing local artistic talent to collectors from around the world. One new entrant onto the Hong Kong art scene is Hotel ICON.

Located in East Tsim Sha Tsui, this five-star hotel has a unique and artful goal. It was built by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which has one of the city’s top design schools and tourism management schools, and the hotel was envisioned as both a training center for hotel management students and as a living canvas for the school’s design students and alumni.
The hotel opened its doors at the end of

2011 with a black-tie gala and a design conference. Local and international artists who contributed to the hotel’s striking design were invited to attend and speakers at the event included fashion designer Barney Cheng, interior designer William Lim and landscape artist Patrick Blanc. William Lim was responsible for the hotel’s modern interior and he employed circular themes to explore the philosophy of yin and yang. Patrick Blanc, meanwhile, is the