Koko interior designer Pirajean Lees looked to the sultry, saturated colours of director Wong Kar Wai's films when renovating Hong Kong's Dragon-i nightclub.

Founded in 2002 by Gilbert Yeung, Dragon-i is one of Hong Kong's most famous nightlife venues.

London studio Pirajean Lees worked closely with Yeung to transform the venue's interior, which included the addition of a members' club, fitting out the spaces with bespoke furniture designed by the studio and crafted by Chinese artisans.

"Our goal from the beginning was to re-spark the sexiness and excitement, the ruggedness and roughness of the 1990s and early noughties," said studio co-founder James Lees. "For us, this was the idea of the rebirth of the romantic side of Hong Kong."

When visualising the interior, Lees and co-founder Clémence Pirajean were informed by the vivid cinematography of movies by Hong Kong filmmaker Wong, whose credits include the 2000 colour-drenched romance-drama In the Mood for Love.

The duo reconfigured the nightclub layout, which is anchored by a central marble-topped bar bejewelled with a pair of glittering glass-brick drinks cabinets.

Swirly timber panels frame the DJ booth, providing a textured backdrop for the sound system's handcrafted speakers, while banquettes were finished in silver leather.

Meticulous architectural framing features throughout the low-lit interior design, in a move the designers described as mimicking individual snapshotted "memories of amazing evenings".

"Everything was very cinematic," Pirajean told Dezeen. "We wanted to guide people's experiences."

The bathrooms are characterised by more framing, clad with purposefully disorienting floor-to-ceiling mirrored panels. Large cubicles were finished entirely in stainless steel and illuminated by singular pink lights.

"We're still working on putting a DJ in that toilet," joked Lees.

Decadent materials were selected for their intense sensory appeal, which the designers saw as fitting for a venue centred around music, including a selection of striking Chinese marbles that the duo had not worked with before.

"Some of them are pink, some of them are acid green, some of them have these amazing chunks like eggs," Pirajean said.

The members' club sits adjacent to the nightclub on the site of a former restaurant and was designed to balance the nightclub's sense of theatrics with intimate, homely touches.

This space includes a listening bar where guests can enjoy a wide selection of Yeung's personal records, which are stored in oversized shelving constructed behind the perforated DJ booth.

A central "library" was placed in the middle of the bar, defined by built-in, back-to-back sofas upholstered in plush velvet. Green-hued banquettes snake around the corners of the room, amplifying the textile-clad walls that soften the acoustics.

A games room is located next to the listening bar and was created to be as immersive as the rest of the venue, while outdoor terraces provide moments of respite.

Dragon-i is typical of the Dezeen Awards-nominated studio's "hyper-detailed", narrative-led approach.

"The spirit of the project was freedom, fun, something that is not taking itself too seriously," Pirajean said.

"It's a club where so many interesting, quirky creatives go," she added. "We didn't restrict ourselves in terms of, where does this wild character stop?"

"It's a bit of a mishmash," added Lees. "Just the bonkersness and craziness of Hong Kong city."

Known for their interior design of the members' space at north London nightclub Koko, Pirajean Lees has also worked on restaurants in the city, including central sushi spot Kioku and 20 Berkeley in Mayfair.

The photography is by Edmon Leong.

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A chair that doubles as a record player features in Editions, the debut furniture collection by London studio Pirajean Lees, which includes pieces crafted from onyx, horsehair and ebonised oak.

Known for its many-layered interior designs, Pirajean Lees has launched its first collection of furniture.

"The collection reflects our passion for design and craftsmanship without the constraints that often come with interior projects," studio co-founder Clémence Pirajean told Dezeen.

Among the pieces is the CH05 Listening Chair, a boxy, timber-framed seat upholstered in woven textile and soft moire piping. The studio reinforced the chair with bespoke coil springs and horsehair to ensure comfort.

A petite turntable was added in place of an armrest, while the furniture also has an integrated speaker and slim open shelving to store records.

"It's an art piece in a home, a talking point," explained studio co-founder James Lees, who said that Pirajean and Lees sought to recreate their childhood memories of listening to music with their families.

"For a comfortable chair to house vinyl storage, a turntable and a speaker without compromising on aesthetics or comfort, we carefully considered the proportions, ergonomics and how to integrate someone's precious vinyl collection seamlessly," he added.

The modular SO02 Sofa was designed in deep blue cotton velvet and topped with tufted braid cushions, arranged in a gently curved formation.

Another piece of the seating in the Editions collection is the plump CH06 Stool. Featured as part of Pirajean Lees's interiors at Kioku sake bar in central London, the stool is characterised by ebonised oak legs and a metallic silk velvet seat.

Sleek wood burl and chrome were used to create the CB02 Bookcase, a tall unit with five shelves, accented with angora mohair and shantung silk.

Pirajean Lees also designed a similar CB03 Desk in the same materials. The three-shelf desk includes an intimate surface designed to let users work from home.

LP01 Pendant Light is an intricate hanging lamp defined by a pleated wool shade supported by antique brass and braided bronze cables.

Available in circular or rectangular shapes, the RG07 Rug was created from red and cream New Zealand wool and bamboo silk that subtly shifts in appearance depending on the lighting.

Lees explained that he and Pirajean were influenced by Chladni-visualisations of sound when conceiving the rug.

"We set out to translate a visual interpretation of rhythm and vibration into textile form," said the co-founder.

The rug was created in collaboration with Jennifer Manners studio and crafted by highly skilled artisans in India.

"Our design was the catalyst, but through the knowledge and expertise of the artisans, the rug truly came to life," reflected Lees.

"The partnership allowed us to push our design beyond what we could have achieved alone," he continued. "Each line, curve, and tonal shift in the rug is the result of not just our concept, but of the makers' hands and their intuitive feel for the craft."

"Developing the collection was a real passion project, from design workshops to fascinating atelier visits where we always watch and learn," added Pirajean.

Editions also features the low-slung TC01 Coffee Table available in four smooth timbers: limed ash, London plane, walnut or ebonised oak.

The smallest offering in the collection is ACC01, a pair of rough-hewn triangular bookends made of pure caramel-hued onyx.

Pirajean Lees created their inaugural collection to complement their "narrative-driven" interior design ethos, which they describe as rooted in specific storytelling.

"We believe our projects should be filled with objects that evoke feeling, encourage discussion, hold memories and can be passed down through generations," said Pirajean. "This sense of emotional resonance is what makes our pieces timeless."

Founded in 2017, the studio's portfolio of interiors ranges from an Arts and Crafts-style restaurant in Mayfair to an ornate Dubai eatery created to channel 1920s Japan.

The photography is courtesy of Pirajean Lees. 

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Studio Pirajean Lees paired oxblood tiles with intricate wooden joinery at the Kioku sushi restaurant and sake bar, within central London's OWO hotel, to reference the head chef 's travels.

Kioku consists of a listening bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the top floor of the hotel within the Grade II*-listed Old War Office on Whitehall, which once housed the British government's military departments.

Pirajean Lees created Kioku, meaning "memory" in Japanese, to capture sushi master Endo Kazutoshi's recollections of living and working in Japan and Spain.

Located on the ground floor of the hotel, the single-room bar is accessed via a door framed with smooth timber joinery informed by the traditional Japanese carpentry technique Sashimono.

Guests are greeted by a bespoke oak reception desk featuring embroidered floral textiles and mesh detailing as well as a light-controlled sake cellar clad with patchwork cork panels.

All of Kioku's furniture was custom-made by Pirajean Lees, explained studio co-founder James Lees.

"We share a passion for storytelling and an obsession with details, from the way your hand touches the backrest of a chair, to the height of the table," said the designer.

"From the outset, we knew that the level of attention to detail in the interior had to match that found in the food being served."

The bar's floor plan was subtly stepped to provide "elevated views" for each of its intimate seating areas, rather than relegate guests to hidden corners of the room, said Lees.

A wide selection of sake is served at an oversized and curved central bar designed with knobbly timber cladding.

Handcrafted tiles and a gridded carpet finished in oxblood red were used to create the flooring, while deep red dado and natural clay walls also nod to the space's Spanish influence.

In one corner, a bespoke turntable is positioned for guests to play a selection of Japanese records from Endo's personal collection.

The Kioku restaurant is contained within a long room on the north side of the hotel's rooftop, with panoramic views of central London. Entered through timber double doors, the eatery features similar design accents to the bar.

Wooden frames and boxy mirrored "portals" were used to delineate spaces within the main dining area, which includes L-shaped banquettes and oak dining chairs upholstered with Japanese embroidered silk.

Bow details were carved into the chairs to emulate the seating at Endo's favourite hotel in the city of Yokohama. Subtle versions of the bow motif are echoed downstairs on the bar's wooden tables.

Pirajean Lees constructed a private dining room with a chef's table at one end of the restaurant, built above an intimate outdoor cigar terrace that overlooks The OWO's central courtyard.

Encased by a curved glass roof, the extension was positioned opposite the open kitchen to allow guests to watch their dishes being prepared. Retractable mesh screens were also fitted for privacy.

The main terrace includes timber dining tables and chairs with Mediterranean-style terracotta and mustard upholstery surrounded by lush plants.

At the end of the terrace, a historic turret overlooking St James' Park and Horse Guards Parade features another eight-seat private dining room with soft linen curtains and an oak table illuminated by an oversized rice paper pendant light.

Pirajean Lees chose a striking yellow rug for the circular floor to reference the sun, while the round ceiling was hand-painted with an inky indigo mural by British artist Tess Newall in an ode to the contrasting moon – recognisable motifs found in Japanese mythology.

"We design to create emotional spaces grounded in their story, rather than interiors purely driven by aesthetics," reflected studio co-founder Clémence Pirajean.

Founded in 2017 by Pirajean and Lees, the studio has applied its eclectic style to various other London projects – from the "timeless" interiors of music venue Koko's members' club to a Mayfair restaurant with an Arts and Crafts-style design.

The photography is by Polly Tootal.

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London design studio Pirajean Lees referenced Mayfair's pastoral past and created a series of spaces that nod to the idea of a Georgian manor house when designing restaurant 20 Berkeley.

Pirajean Lees aimed to build a story around the space and its sequence of many small rooms, while tapping into the restaurant's British produce-led culinary approach.

"The restaurant is situated in the heart of Mayfair, a place once on the cusp of the city and countryside," Pirajean Lees told Dezeen.

"The farming history of the area and its connection to the surrounding rural lands is prevalent throughout the project and paramount to the dining experience."

Pirajean Lees wanted to put nature and craft at the heart of this design project to align it with the ethos of Creative Restaurant Group, the restaurant's founders.

"This led us to build on the strong connection of an imagined Mayfair Georgian manor house and its rural lands, which would have been used to grow produce," the studio said.

"A central staircase leads to rooms usually found in a traditional family home, such as the drawing room, music room, pantry, orangery and salon. Each room has its own character whilst belonging to the one property."

On the upper-ground floor are the richly designed reception and main dining rooms.

The lower-ground level houses a 14-seat private room with its own exclusive lounge and dining area, alongside the kitchen, wine cellar and main bar, The Nipperkin.

The design of the interiors references the arts and crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

"At 20 Berkeley, we have developed a layered story of handmade details and tactile finishes that exude elegance," said Pirajean Lees.

"The project's expression is rooted in the traditions of craftsmanship and how the process of making decorative objects and furniture should showcase the beauty of both its materials and construction."

The resulting aesthetic is detailed, with a palette of rich, warm tones including ambers, ochres and dark reds, used across upholstery and textural wallcoverings. Floor tiles have been hand-crafted in Wales and feature clay embedded with fossils.

Bespoke joinery work was utilised throughout the space, including for the wall panelling, dowelled ceilings and an English oak staircase.

The project also features bespoke elements that were added to bring a sense of opulence to the various spaces.

These include a pantry, in painted timber, that provides a strong focal point of the upper floor. Here, chefs prepare dishes on the pantry island, "inviting guests to witness the chefs' craft, as one would do in one's home, whilst hosting guests for dinner," said Pirajean Lees.

In the orangery, a bespoke pickling cupboard, made from sapele wood and marble, serves as "a pleasing curiosity", used by the chefs to store jars of vegetables for their recipes.

The bespoke dining tables and chairs were made of oak, while the chairs have been traditionally upholstered for maximum comfort.

"The bespoke and craft elements bring depth to the project, anchoring it in its strong narrative and creating timeless interiors," said Pirajean Lees.

Bespoke stained glass, handcrafted in a North London studio, is another of the restaurant's features.

Used in the reception and drawing room, the stained glass has been strategically positioned, backing onto the busy central bar to give a sense of movement and energy.

In front of the windows, it warms the light coming into the rooms to create an immersive atmosphere.

"The stained glass introduces shadows and reflections, which change throughout the day and are different in each room," said Pirajean Lees.

"As per each of our projects, the tailored finishes, joinery and surfaces here, have been carefully created to ensure optimum use of the space by the restaurateur and their guests."

Other hospitality projects from the studio include an ornate sushi restaurant in Dubai with interiors informed by 1920s Japan and a members club in London, housed inside the iconic music venue Koko.

The photography is by Polly Tootal.

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Low-lit bathrooms informed by dressing rooms and a stage-kitchen-like restaurant feature in a members' club at iconic music venue Koko, which pays homage to its theatrical past. 

Local studio Pirajean Lees and owner and creative director of Koko Olly Bengough collaborated with Archer Humphryes Architects to create a members' club within the London venue.

The club forms part of a major expansion and renovation to the venue over the past three years that was led by Archer Humphryes Architects.

Named The House of Koko, the members' club consists of numerous bars, dining areas, lounges and a speakeasy arranged over several floors in a space alongside the public areas of the venue.

The members' club is directly connected to the refurbished 122-year-old, Grade II-listed theatre.

"The heart of the whole project is the theatre," Bengough told Dezeen.

Pirajean Lees and Bengough took cues from Koko's history as a music venue when designing the members' club interiors, which intend to playfully reflect how traditional theatres used to run.

On the first floor, The Batten's Bar is a cocktail lounge that features a central banquette with punk-era red leather trim and a ceiling canopy crafted from cloth by Richmond Design Inc that has previously only been used to make speakers.

Next to this space, there is a minimalist restaurant featuring Japandi interiors and an open-plan kitchen and dining area that was informed by the simplicity and community of old stage kitchens.

Another bar is Ellen's – an intimate 1940s-style speakeasy named after actor Ellen Terry, who opened Koko when it officially started as The Camden Theatre in 1900.

The space is defined by soft furnishings that control its acoustics and a one-of-a-kind carpet with quirky illustrations of cigarettes.

A private dining room with a geometric glass chandelier has panelled walls that hint at the main theatre located next to it, while dedicated vinyl-listening rooms with under-seat record storage give occupants the feeling of being in a vintage train carriage.

"Because we inherited such a rich history of Koko, I don't think anything contemporary or very modern would've allowed everything to carry on as if it had never closed and as if we had always been here," explained Pirajean Lees co-founder Clémence Pirajean.

Also included in the members' club is a piano room and library that are designed in the same eclectic material palette as the rest of its spaces.

There is also a penthouse with a recording studio and a lounge with numerous hidden microphones to allow artists to record music all over the room.

An airy roof terrace and restaurant lead to The House of Koko's final space, an attic-like bar hidden in the venue's famous dome, which was restored after a fire in 2020 destroyed it and extended Koko's closure.

Deep olive doors informed by those that were located backstage throughout Koko in the 1920s run through the entire building and feature bespoke handles designed by Pirajean Lees.

Bathrooms with illuminated, angular mirrors intend to give visitors the feeling of getting ready for a performance backstage in a hair and make-up room.

Wooden joinery in various rooms also intends to reference the main theatre's fly tower, which is a 360-degree stage and shaft formerly used to store props and scenery that was discovered during Koko's renovation.

"The thinking was let's really go back to the past and get the past right, which sets you up to do the future in quite an interesting way," said Bengough, describing the designers' process.

"Because if you make it beautiful, and timeless, and classic and all connected, then you're like, wow, part two is as interesting and as beautiful as part one," added Pirajean Lees co-founder James Michael Lees.

As well as the members' club, Pirajean Lees and Bengough also designed the interiors for two public spaces at the music venue.

These are Cafe Koko, a pizzeria featuring a bar that doubles as a small stage for live performances and a shop selling Koko merchandise.

Koko will officially reopen to the public on 30 April, with live streaming capabilities installed throughout the venue so that artists can reach audiences all over the world.

Previously, Pirajean Lees also created the interiors for a jazz-age-style restaurant in a converted Dubai nightclub.

The photography is by Lesley Lau. 

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London practice Pirajean Lees has converted a nightclub in Dubai into a restaurant informed by Japan's jazz age and the grandiose parties of silent film actor Sessue Hayakwa.

The restaurant, which serves modern twists on Japanese classics, is named Mimi Kakushi after the distinctive bob haircut worn by the young Japanese Moga, or modern girls, who adopted western fashions in the period after the first world war.

This jazz age aesthetic is also reflected in the interior of the eatery, which is layered with rich textures and materials including traditional joinery, hand-painted walls, beaded curtains and bespoke stained glass windows.

"Mimi Kakushi embodies Japan when jazz was swinging into 1920s Osaka, bringing modern art and western fashions to it," explained Clémence Pirajean and James Michael Lees, who founded Pirajean Lees in 2007.

In particular, the duo looked to the larger-than-life persona of Sessue Hayakwa, Japan's first silver screen star to find success in Hollywood.

"Hayakwa perfectly personified this era," said the studio. "Known for his lavish parties, gold-plated car and castle-style mansion, Hayakwa's story became the foundation for the design."

The existing architectural features of the nightclub, such as the level changes in the ceiling and structural columns, guided the spatial layout of the restaurant.

In the reception, diners are welcomed by hand-painted walls before making their way past a Japanese colonial-style bar with views across the sushi counter to the tables beyond.

An open kitchen, visible throughout the space, creates a sense of theatre in the restaurant.

All electrical and mechanical equipment, as well as the ventilation system, is hidden behind a straw ceiling grid to preserve a "residential feel" within the commercial space.

Throughout the project, Pirajean Lees was careful to filter the strong Dubai sun, which penetrates into Mimi Kakushi from two different directions.

To the east, a bespoke stained glass window was installed on the existing facade, bathing the space in warm, amber light. To the south, a wooden bead curtain is used alongside mirrored tables and walls to refract the light.

"Mimi Kakushi is on the top floor of the building, with dual exposure on the east and west with fully glazed elevations," the studio explained.

"It gets direct, strong sunlight all day long, which can be very uncomfortable when dining. We understood that instead, we could use it as an advantage, as a design element in itself to transform the space throughout the day as the light changes."

Sliding lattice screens made from dark timber can be used to divide the open-plan restaurant into a sequence of smaller spaces for privacy and special events.

All lighting, as well as the scalloped-edged tables and a selection of the seating, were designed in-house by Pirajean Lees.

Other Japanese restaurant interiors include Kotori in São Paulo, which incorporates traditional joinery techniques, and London's Maido sushi restaurant with its 1960s-style glass block wall and dark cherry wood panelling.

Photography is by Maha Nasra Eddé.

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