CL3
CL3 is a Hong Kong-based architecture and interior design studio founded in 1992, delivering hospitality, commercial, residential, art installation, and corporate design services across Asia for enterprise clients including InterContinental, Marriott, CapitaLand, and NIKE.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersHong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CL3 does
CL3 (CL3 Architects Ltd., 思聯) is a Hong Kong-headquartered architecture and interior design studio founded in 1992 by William Lim. The firm delivers five integrated service lines: Hospitality Design, Architecture, Art Installation, Residential, and Corporate Design, with a stated philosophy of bridging architecture and art and giving Eastern aesthetics a modern interpretation. Notable landmark projects include the 24-storey vertical gallery H Queen's, Raffles City Chongqing (in collaboration with Moshe Safdie and CapitaLand), Gaysorn Plaza and Gaysorn 2 in Bangkok, H Code in Sheung Wan, The Quayside in Kowloon East, H Zentre in Tsim Sha Tsui, and the Crowne Plaza Shenzhen Futian (completed 2024).
The studio operates as a project-based professional services practice, generating revenue through commissioned architecture and interior design fees rather than through any proprietary technology platform or productized offering. Pricing is negotiated per engagement, and projects are secured primarily via reputation, awards, and direct relationships with enterprise clients. Distribution is entirely direct: CL3 engages with property developers, hotel operators, and corporate clients on commissioned projects, supported by a website portfolio, social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, WeChat), and earned media from international design awards.
CL3 employs 55-60 direct staff across offices in Hong Kong (headquarters, Wong Chuk Hang), Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, with completed projects spanning Hong Kong, mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Korea. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors or parent company, and ownership is concentrated with founder and Managing Director William Lim. Customer base is anchored by enterprise hospitality brands (InterContinental, Marriott/Renaissance, Hyatt, Millennium) and major Asian real estate developers (CapitaLand, Yanlord Land, Vanke, Gaysorn Group), supplemented by corporate clients such as NIKE and cultural institutions including David Zwirner, Pace, and Tang Contemporary Art. The firm has accumulated hundreds of international design awards from bodies including AIA Hong Kong, Interior Design USA, iF Design, IAI, and MIPIM Asia, and holds a Certificate of Utility Model Patent from the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China.
CL3 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CL3
- Legal name
- CL3 Architects Ltd.
- Website
- https://cl3.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CL3 is a Hong Kong-based architecture and interior design studio founded in 1992, delivering hospitality, commercial, residential, art installation, and corporate design services across Asia for enterprise clients including InterContinental, Marriott, CapitaLand, and NIKE.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CL3 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural and Interior Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK), Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)
Keywords
Where CL3 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hong Kong
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
CL3 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Interior Design Services: CL3 generates revenue through commissioned design services for architecture and interior design projects. Revenue is project-based, derived from design fees for commercial buildings, hotels, residential, and corporate projects throughout Asia.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
CL3 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CL3 Architects Ltd. (CL3, 思聯) is a Hong Kong-based architecture and interior design studio that delivers commissioned design services for hotels, hospitality venues, restaurants, retail, corporate offices, residential developments, and art installations throughout Asia. Founded in 1992 by William Lim, the firm operates with 55–60 direct staff across Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, serving enterprise clients such as InterContinental, Marriott, Hyatt, CapitaLand, Yanlord, and Nike. The studio's signature approach integrates architecture and art, giving Eastern aesthetics a modern interpretation.
Product overview
CL3 (思联) is an innovative architecture and interior design studio based in Hong Kong with regional offices in Beijing, Shanghai & Shenzhen. Founded in 1992, the firm offers a unified portfolio of design services spanning Hospitality Design, Architecture, Art Installation Design, Residential Design, and Corporate Design. The company specializes in architectural and interior projects for hotels, hospitality venues, restaurants, retail spaces, corporate offices, and art installations throughout Asia. Notable projects include H Queen's (a 24-storey vertical gallery building), Raffles City Chongqing (mixed-use development), Gaysorn Plaza/Gaysorn 2 (Bangkok retail), H Code (Soho lifestyle building), The Quayside (Kowloon green oasis), and H Zentre (wellness tower). The studio bridges architecture and art elements, giving Eastern aesthetics a modern interpretation. The firm employs approximately 55-60 direct staff and is led by Managing Director William Lim.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hospitality Design Architecture and interior design services for hotels, resorts, hospitality venues, restaurants, and F&B spaces throughout Asia, targeted at hotel operators, asset owners, and developers seeking distinctive guest experiences and brand-distinctive environments.
- Architecture Full-service architectural design spanning commercial buildings, mixed-use developments, and residential towers for property developers, corporate occupiers, and investors across Asia.
- Art Installation Design Curated art installations and exhibition space design, including gallery interiors, museum environments, and site-specific art commissions, targeted at galleries, cultural institutions, and developers of art-led buildings.
- Residential Design Interior design services for private residences, residential clubs, and housing developments, targeted at high-end homeowners and residential developers.
- Corporate Design Office and commercial interior design for corporate environments and business facilities, targeted at corporate occupiers and brand-led organizations seeking workspace and retail environments that express brand identity.
Companies that use CL3
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CL3 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CL3 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Moshe Safdie (Architect)coreCL3 collaborated with architect Moshe Safdie on the Intercontinental Chongqing Raffles City project. This marked their second collaboration following the success of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
- CapitaLandcoreMajor development partner for Raffles City Chongqing and other projects. CapitaLand is one of Asia's largest real estate companies.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CL3 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Gensler: Gensler is a global architecture and design firm with extensive corporate interior design work. Comparable to CL3 in delivering commercial, hospitality, and corporate design, but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- Conran and Partners: Conran and Partners is an architecture and interior design practice with strong hospitality expertise. Comparable to CL3 in delivering hospitality and residential projects across Asia with a design-led, award-winning approach.
- Yabu Pushelberg: Yabu Pushelberg is a leading hospitality and residential interior design studio. Comparable to CL3 in hospitality focus, high-end project delivery, and reputation-driven business model across global hotel and residential projects.
- Aedas: Aedas is a global architecture practice with deep Asia-Pacific presence. Comparable to CL3 as a regionally rooted, award-winning architecture and design firm serving commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use developments across Greater China and SE Asia.
- Benoy: Benoy is an international architecture and interior design firm. Comparable to CL3 in offering integrated architecture and interior design services for commercial, retail, and mixed-use projects across Asia.
- CCD (Cheng Chung Design): CCD is a leading China-based hospitality interior design firm. Directly comparable to CL3 as a regional competitor focused on hotel interior design, sharing mainland China and Hong Kong luxury hospitality clients.
- Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): HBA is a global hospitality interior design firm specializing in luxury hotel and resort design. Directly comparable to CL3 in target market (luxury hospitality), service offering (interior design for hotels), and prestige positioning.
- Wilson Associates: Wilson Associates is an international interior architecture firm specializing in luxury hospitality. Directly comparable to CL3 in delivering branded hotel interiors, with overlapping client base among major hotel operators in Asia.
Regional players
- KKS International / Kanko Kikaku Sekkei: KKS is a Japan-based architecture and interior design firm serving hospitality and mixed-use developments. Comparable to CL3 as a regional design practice that has executed landmark hospitality projects in Asia.
- P&T Group (Palmer & Turner): P&T Group is a Hong Kong-headquartered architecture, engineering, and interior design practice. Comparable to CL3 as a long-established Hong Kong design firm serving commercial and hospitality clients in Asia.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CL3 social profiles
Digital presenceCL3 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
CL3 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CL3 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
CL3 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CL3 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CL3
What does CL3 do?
CL3 Architects Ltd. (CL3, 思聯) is a Hong Kong-based architecture and interior design studio that delivers commissioned design services for hotels, hospitality venues, restaurants, retail, corporate offices, residential developments, and art installations throughout Asia. Founded in 1992 by William Lim, the firm operates with 55–60 direct staff across Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, serving enterprise clients such as InterContinental, Marriott, Hyatt, CapitaLand, Yanlord, and Nike. The studio's signature approach integrates architecture and art, giving Eastern aesthetics a modern interpretation.
Is CL3 a public or private company?
CL3 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CL3 founded?
CL3 was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CL3 based?
CL3 is headquartered in Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does CL3 make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Interior Design Services.
Who are CL3's main competitors?
Gensler is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Conran and Partners, Yabu Pushelberg, Aedas, Benoy, CCD (Cheng Chung Design), Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) and Wilson Associates. Regional players are KKS International / Kanko Kikaku Sekkei and P&T Group (Palmer & Turner).
Does CL3 have an API?
No public API is recorded for CL3.
What industry is CL3 in?
CL3's product category is Architectural and Interior Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAB, Interior Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAK, Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54131 and its SIC code is 8700.