Compact communal living is at the heart of new private student housing in a 12-storey hotel-service apartment building in Hong Kong's Tsuen Wan district, a 30-minute drive from Central. The 48 rooms spread over the three lower floors of the existing building – all designed by LYCS Architecture (opens in new tab) – cater exclusively for students at nearby universities with beds 'renting' for HK$4,000 a month (including all fees, electricity and water, and a hip 'Campus Guru' concierge service). It's revolutionary stuff for one of the world's most expensive cities.
Each 660 sq ft room sleeps up to four students within an intelligently placed built-in bunk bed layout, each with a steel access ladder, blackout curtain for privacy, electrical wall sockets and a reading light. Micro personal spaces also neatly incorporate a clothes rail, built-in shelves and lockable drawers, along with a built-in desk sporting a multi-socket USB hub.
Inside each apartment, shared facilities are kept to the minimum with a small bathroom, kitchenette and dining table. A Ferrari-red retro refrigerator is a striking addition to the pared-down neutral tones and natural timber palette.
'The aim was to create a very functional space that still provides a sense of privacy and a design edge,' says general manager Peter Pfister. 'It helps that each room has good sea views and high ceilings.'
Other facilities include a contemporary communal lounge sporting graffiti by a local artist, and the hotel's gym, waterfront swimming pool and sun terrace. A ground floor cafe is currently being redesigned by Hong Kong-based practitioner Hernan Zanghellini.
It may be the first of its kind in the city but as local and international students immediately snapped up every bed as they were unveiled this summer, it's unlikely to be the last.
The 48 rooms spread over the three lower floors of the existing building cater exclusively for students at nearby universities with beds 'renting' for HK$4,000 a month
Inside each apartment, shared facilities are kept to the minimum with a small bathroom, kitchenette and dining table
'The aim was to create a very functional space that still provides a sense of privacy and a design edge,' says general manager Peter Pfister. 'It helps that each room has good sea views and high ceilings'
Other facilities include a contemporary communal lounge sporting graffiti by a local artist, and the hotel's gym, waterfront swimming pool and sun terrace
A Ferrari-red retro refrigerator is a striking addition to the pared-down neutral tones and natural timber palette
It may be the first of its kind in the city but as local and international students immediately snapped up every bed as they were unveiled this summer, it is unlikely to be the last
ADDRESS
Campus HK
123 Castle Peak Road
Yau Kom Tau
Tsuen Wan
Hong Kong
VIEW GOOGLE MAPS (opens in new tab)
-
Glenmorangie unveils a whisky inspired by rugged Scottish forestsGlenmorangie’s A Tale of the Forest uses an ancient Highland method for drying barley to create a distinctive taste
-
Odile Mir: exploring the creative life of a self-taught polymath
Nonagenarian French artist Odile Mir is back for an encore, thanks to her granddaughter’s role in reissuing her modernist designs
-
Samuel Ross on the architectural influences behind his Acqua di Parma collaboration
Samuel Ross discusses the inspiration behind his redesign of Acqua di Parma’s iconic Colonia fragrance
-
A9a architects creates community driven timber market in Zhengzhou
Pulo Market by A9a architects injects soul into a commercial building in China's Zhengzhou
-
Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension by Neri & Hu draws on urban monuments
The Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts extension by Neri & Hu brings together culture and retail in a sculptural terracotta-coloured structure
-
Multigenerational homes for family get-togethers
Multigenerational homes make the perfect setting for extended families to come together – in daily life and for special occasions, such as the recent Lunar New Year
-
Ma Yansong on global architecture and MAD’s year ahead
We talk to MAD’s Ma Yansong about his thriving studio, global architecture and the year ahead
-
At home with Neri & Hu
Architectural super-pair Neri & Hu talk to us about what inspires them, what they are reading, and how they switch off
-
China’s Qingxi Culture and History Museum draws on its surrounding land
Qingxi Culture and History Museum by UAD is a cultural destination in China designed in harmony with its surroundings
-
HAS Design + Research, Thailand and China: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. Next up, is Thailand- and China-based HAS Design + Research
-
A multi-functional event space by Wutopia Lab celebrates daily life in the city
A Living Theatre Mount by Wutopia Lab is an exhibition, meeting and event space for developer Xuzhou Vanke in China's Jiangsu province
