Sean Dix On Reimagining Asia’s Dining Design Culture

The founder of dix design + architecture has been designing contemporary furniture and iconic luxury spaces for over 20 years. His projects range from archetypal chairs and high-concept Michelin-starred restaurants to Moschino and Furla flagship boutiques. Sean’s Dix’s clients span the globe, and his latest commissions see the studio creating new projects in Hong Kong, Manila, Shenzhen, Southern California, Ho Chi Minh City, Sardinia and Bangkok.

Coming from Hong Kong, I’m amazed to realise that many of the beautiful spaces, particularly dining spaces, I’ve visited have been designed by Dix. Having trained under the tutelage of 20^th Century Italian architect Ettore Sottsass, founder of the Memphis Group, Dix set up his own studio in Milan and now splits his time between Italy and Hong Kong. Originally hailing from Missouri, the hometown of notable American designer Charles Eames, more famously known for his construction of the Eames chair, Dix studied sculpture, woodworking, and anthropology, thinking he would grow up to be a cultural anthropologist, but found himself foraying into the world of designing furniture. After a slew of night classes and focus on furniture making, Dix put together a portfolio and got accepted to the Art Institute of Chicago, completing a dual major in interior architecture and sculpture. Following this, he worked under industrial designer Tom Dixon. Fast forward many years and Dix certainly has made his mark on Hong Kong.

Working with a close-knit and agile team of experienced, long-term collaborators, Sean Dix delivers design concepts that originate from a highly informed historical knowledge coupled with a maestro’s touch for the cinematic, rather than what might be trending. He makes use of an extensive reference library containing many hundreds of vintage and rare books on design and the arts from around the world, prized materials, as well as a collection of iconic design objects and curiosities.

Take Haku, for example, a reimagined piece of Japanese Brutalist architecture from the 1970’s on the rooftop podium of Hong Kong’s landmark IFC building. With guests wrapped around his dynamic open kitchen, chef Rob Drennan and his team are the focus, with a spectacular view of Victoria Harbour as the backdrop. The sunken kitchen floor allows guests to dine comfortably at chair height and have eye level engagement with the chef and his team, allowing seated diners and standing chef more intimacy. The colours and materials are minimal and essential – from textured granite counters, wide-plank oak on the floors and walls, a concrete volume inside the space containing an exclusive private dining room, a minimalist restroom, and a closed kitchen. The sculptural mohair-upholstered armchairs are bespoke, designed to envelope the guest and keep them comfortable for the entire omakase experience.

Most recently, Dix has designed BaseHall 2, located in Hong Kong Land’s historic Jardine House, which has been the rave of the corporate community – their collective cheer as a result of finally having an exciting place to have lunch could be heard across town. Reimagining the vernacular architecture and design of traditional gastronomic neighbourhoods across Asia, such as the fast-disappearing dai pai dongs of Hong Kong, the street food markets in every soi of Bangkok, the Shinjuku Golden Gai in Tokyo, and the “I’ve got to try everything” Cisheng Temple area of Taipei, Dix has managed to use vibrant colours and materials to reinforce BaseHall 2’s deep connection to old-school Asia.

Given his wealth of experience, Dix has worked closely with highly decorated chefs such as Matt Abergel, Antimo Merone, Shane Osborn, Vicky Lau, David Lai, Daniel Calvert, Mario Carbone and Margarita Forés. Visit Hong Kong and chances are you’ll find yourself in a restaurant that he’s designed.