While researching the futuristic tier-one megacity, he found out that in 1980, it had a population of 20,000. Today, it has burgeoned to 25 million. “That’s the speed at which the city has grown. What is interesting is to integrate its blue-chip, big-tech-company positioning, with the backdrop of how Shenzhen used to be a fishing village. We also want to think a little bit more about the Ling Nan people from the region.” How that manifests could be a carpet woven with Ling Nan-inspired motifs, set within an interior environment shaped by Norman Foster’s architecture. While still three years away from completion, Cheng is clearly fired up about the project: “Whether its evolution is a narrative or starting point, I think it is a basis for the design of this hotel.” Listening to Cheng sheds light on his creative instincts. The peripatetic nature of his pre-Brewin years provided a strong foundation – from boarding school in the UK to moving between the US and European cities like Paris and Rome for university and, later, work. …