Woods Bagot launched April with a strong leadership presence across China’s most influential architecture and interior design platforms, contributing to critical conversations on hospitality, urban regeneration, and the evolving role of commercial spaces. From expos to thought-leadership forums in Shanghai, leaders from the practice shared how design can create meaning, spark connection and shape cities that resonate long after they are built.
The firm’s April engagements began in the hospitality sector, where Director and Hub Executive Chair – Shanghai & Beijing, Pearl Huang, was invited by Interior Design China to deliver a keynote at the Co-Creation Journey Hotel Design Forum during the 2026 Shanghai Hotel & Shop Plus Expo. In her address, “From Place to Memory: Crafting Narrative Experiences in Hotel Space,” Huang explored a shift in hospitality design from “experience design” to “memory design.”
Pearl Huang speaking at the Co-Creation to Journey Hotel Design Forum
Zhenmeihui Hongqiao
The Londoner
“Experience is momentary, but stories and memories endure. Through storytelling and multi-sensory design – engaging sight, sound, and scent—hotels can become emotional triggers and true creators of memory.”
Extending this thinking beyond hospitality, Pearl continued the conversation at the Shanghai International Architecture Festival (SIAF). Speaking on urban futures and city-making, she addressed how design can respond to rapid transformation while preserving identity and fostering belonging. Her contribution reframed regeneration not just as physical renewal, but as a cultural process shaped by memory, participation, and time.
“Cities evolve constantly,” Huang noted, “but meaningful urban regeneration requires long‑term, integrated thinking. Through the 7C Network, and the combined expertise of ERA‑co, Impact Futures and Customs Bureau, Woods Bagot’s design approach aims to honour a city’s existing memory while strategically preparing it for future growth.”
Pearl Huang at the Shanghai International Architecture Festival (SIAF)
Pearl Huang on urban futures and city-making
Rounding out Woods Bagot’s leadership presence, Christopher Lye, Principal and Hub Executive Chair – Hong Kong, Shenzhen & Singapore, delivered a keynote at SIAF on 2 April titled “Retail Streets as Urban Regenerators.” His presentation challenged conventional commercial design models, proposing retail streets as civic spaces capable of reinvigorating neighbourhoods and social life.
Drawing on award-winning projects including Suzhou Yanlord Cangjie and on-going Wuhan Liantou Huashanhe mixed use development, Christopher illustrated how retail streets can act as catalysts for social interaction, economic vitality, and long-term urban relevance.
A Central Garden forms one of the hearts of the site, offering a tailor-made journey of discovery interwoven with nature.
The complex harmoniously integrates nature and offers a one-of-a-kind micro-vacation experience, making it a landmark in Wuhan once completed.
“Commercial spaces shouldn’t merely follow consumption patterns. When commercial streets are conceived as connectors within the city, they can drive regeneration, support community life, and remain relevant over time.”
Together, these engagements mark a confident start to April for Woods Bagot China, one defined by leadership, cross-disciplinary exchange, and a shared belief that design at every scale can shape cities that are meaningful, resilient, and deeply human.
Media enquiries Shirley Hao Content and Communications Leader – China
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