AB Concept was founded in 1999 by Ed Ng and Terence Ngan, a designer and architect duo who together have throughout their career made a remarkable impact in the world of luxury design.
The company has become a well-respected name in hospitality, wellness, F&B, commercial and residential properties. AB Concept’s design philosophy is clear.
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“Every project we create should be a legacy for our clients. We are selective and only commit to projects that we feel passionate about, those that evoke an emotional response or spark our collective imaginations. It starts with an overarching theme that serves as the foundation. From this basis grows a story and design concept, evolving into a strong narrative”.
It is due to the passion they put in every project that AB Concept has become one of the foremost luxury design firms that will continue to inspire and surprise. According to AB Concept, people change and evolve, becoming a new person every 10 years.
So whereas they may have achieved everything they wanted yesterday, there is still a lot to dream about tomorrow. That is why they always enjoy the moment they are in, the now-experienced, the consciousness of the present instant.
“I’d like to come back to my favourite simile here: a designer is like a chef. The ingredients are important in the making but ultimately the dish has to speak for itself. We are both telling a story and sharing a first hand experience without using words.”
AB Concept describes their relationship with their audience by telling that a designer is like a chef. The ingredients are important in the making but at last, the dish has to speak for itself. It’s outstanding the way they are telling a story and a sharing a first-hand experience without using words.
Although their work has revolved around hospitality (hotels and restaurants), AB Concept is increasingly moving into retail now. The inspiration in hospitality projects usually comes from the location, but in retail, it is all about the essence, history, or reinterpretation of the brand. At the moment, they are working with KOHLER and completed their Experience Center in Shanghai.
AB Concept believes that design is always a team effort. They explain that as principals of a design team, they normally come up with the very first design direction based on a sort of gut feeling; but each of their designs, no matter if is an interior space or a single object, goes through a lengthy development process that enables them to achieve the quality they envision.
In interior design, they tend to use the company name AB Concept, but for products and artistic projects, they use a more personal touch and their names — Terence Ngan and Ed Ng.
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According to AB Concept, in the design world, the trends are constantly changing. Nowadays, with social media and ubiquitous photography, everything is overexposed instantly and the designers can’t no longer afford to “look like this or that” anymore. Currently, clients demand that you create something unique.
AB Concept doesn’t have a client type, they have projects all over the world and their client profile is very varied. Although they work for ultra-luxury hotel brands like Four Seasons and Rosewood, they also have residential projects in the heart of Manhattan, a resort in the south of China and one in Portugal.
When it comes to the future of the design, AB Concept believes that most of the changes will come from innovation in technology, from smart fabrics to new production methods. There is basically something new coming out every week.
Some will fizzle, others will have the potential to disrupt entire industries. Even interior design cannot escape the impact of technology. With an ever-expanding portfolio, AB Concept has become one of the foremost luxury design firms and will continue to inspire and surprise.
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