For chef and restaurateur Vicky Lau, food has never existed in isolation. A lifelong interest in art, craftsmanship and design first drew her to study graphic design in the US, and continues to inform an approach that has helped redefine fine dining in Hong Kong by treating food, architecture and hospitality as inseparable.

Her new restaurant in Sheung Wan, opening 4 August 2026 just a few steps from the original two Michelin-starred Tate Dining Room, now closed, is the clearest expression yet of that thinking. Seating just 20 guests, the two-storey, 5,500 sq ft space devotes more than 60 per cent of its footprint to the unseen rituals of hospitality: an exceptionally well-equipped kitchen, wine cellar, office, laundry and generous back-of-house spaces where the team can eat, rest and prepare for service.

Designer Chris Shao, whose studio spans New York, Shanghai and Dubai, has translated that philosophy into architecture, creating interiors that feel unmistakably Lau's own.

The arrival is treated as the first act. The façade is finished in metal printed to resemble marble, its fine vertical veining gives little indication of what lies beyond. There is no automatic door or sensor; guests press the brass ring set into it before stepping through a ceramic arch into the reception.

‘I dream of time at Tate feeling like being welcomed into an elegant private home, where only a few guests are received and every detail unfolds with quiet grace,’ Lau says.

The rooms unfold gradually in soft shades that range from warm taupe, mushroom beige and ivory to mocha brown, soft pewter and sage expressed through a remarkable level of craftsmanship with eggshell lacquer and plaster finishes, handmade ceramics, and French textiles embroidered in China. Much of the furniture and lighting has been custom designed, including chairs with a discreet drawer that slides out to form a shelf for a mobile phone. Adjustable sconces cast a gentle glow across each table through their illuminated stems.

Upstairs, via a spiral staircase that introduces a subtle art nouveau note, a private dining room for 12 centres on the chef's table. Embroidered dandelion and mushrooms shimmer across a curtain, while a carpet traces the pattern of ginkgo leaves.

The refinement of the interiors owes much to Lau's clarity of vision, Shao says. ‘She was very decisive when I would show her options for fine details. She immediately knew what she loved, or didn't.’

The same precision extends beyond the dining room into the kitchen, where Lau continues to refine her distinctive interpretation of French-Chinese cuisine. A Korean charcoal grill sits alongside a powerful gas wok, artisan bread proofer and dedicated deck oven, while guéridon service allows dishes to be completed tableside, preserving both temperature and aroma.

Among the inaugural dishes is 'Ode to Pigeon', inspired by the ancient craft of clay-baking, where the breast is wrapped in red clay before being served alongside mui choy, spiced poultry jus and a clear broth made from fig bark and pigeon bones.

‘I often think of the tasting menu as a form of kung fu, a discipline built on small, precise movements, from the selection of ingredients to the delicate balance of flavour and presentation. Every plate is custom-designed for its dish, and each sauce carries meaning, an ode to nature and to what we're given, so every meal becomes a celebration.’

Tate opens on 4 August 2026 at G/F, 68 Lok Ku Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, tate.com.hk

There are a lot of changes happening in Hong Kong’s Central district at the moment. The renovation of The Landmark, the sprawling modernist complex at the heart of the area, is taking place concurrently with huge works closer to the water to create Central Yards, a vast new complex designed to bring more flat, green space to an area renowned for its soaring glass-and-steel skyscrapers.

The latest milestone in the process has been marked by the reopening of guest rooms at Mandarin Oriental The Landmark. The 109-key hotel is a petite, discreet sibling to the grand brand flagship just a short walk away, offering a more demure atmosphere, intended to feel closer to a private Hong Kong apartment than a hotel. Its position within the footprint of The Landmark allows it to behave as much as a hub for locals as for guests, with an inconspicuous entrance tucked inside the main shopping concourse to attract shoppers to the diverse array of restaurants and bars across the seventh floor.

Wallpaper* checks in at Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong

What’s on your doorstep?

A quite astonishing array of luxury shops is scattered all across Central, with the usual international behemoths joined by local artisans like The Anthology and Prologue. For true tourists or first-time visitors, the Victoria Peak Tram and Star Ferry Terminal are both within easy walking distance. An almost entirely covered route to the Central MTR station means the whole of the island, and of Kowloon beyond, is a reasonably short travel-time away, but the wealth of excellent bars and restaurants within Central itself, as well as the proximity of sightseeing favourites like Man Mo Temple and the Tai Kwun Cultural Centre, could easily persuade you not to leave the area.

Who’s behind the design?

Hong Kong-based Joyce Wang, leader of her eponymous studio, was given the responsibility of updating the space. Her decision to draw inspiration from the colonial-era mansions that litter the Northern Territories is immediately evident in the undulating terracotta tiles of the street-level facade. These are emulated in the crimson travertine columns of the double-height main foyer, whose radiant warmth is in turn juxtaposed by ice-shaped glass blocks covering the opposing walls. A curved staircase in light beige stone transports guests up to a significantly more intimate lobby area, panelled in blond wood and liberally scattered with comfy red leather armchairs, and the grandeur of the initial reception gives way to the cosy residential aesthetic.

Local art is spread liberally throughout the entire hotel. Each lift bears a hand-painted abstraction of the Hong Kong skyline by Eliza Ling, an in-house artist at Joyce Wang Studio, which is then reinterpreted in the hand-tufted carpets running through the corridors. Stepping out of the lift, we are greeted by mesmerising small vases by locally based ceramicists Julie & Jessie, each with a tantalising flash of brilliant colour partially revealed under ‘paper’ wrappings partly torn off the surface. Every small detail like these helps to build a rich, nuanced identity for the property.

The room to book

Book the L600 Junior Suite, located at a corner of the building, giving the bathroom a double window to be enjoyed from the signature circular bathtub. The layout of the space places the shower and toilet cleverly behind the tub, completing a round area built within the main floor space, which also serves to separate the bedroom from the living and working area. Decor in light greens and rich, dark brown wood soften the atmosphere and build the feeling of a chic apartment in downtown Hong Kong. Larger L900 suites employ the same colour scheme but offer more space, including a larger bed with wrap-around polished wooden headboards.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Most of the hotel’s food and beverage venues stayed open throughout the renovation; some have been created as part of the project. The Communal, an understated artisan coffee shop just off the lobby, is a key part of the push to increase engagement with the local market. Plush booth seating and tables for two line the walls and face a marble-topped coffee bar decorated with bamboo-shaped tiles in a dark and lustrous green, allowing guests to watch baristas prepare their pour-over coffees and delicate pastries. Nearby roastery Hazel & Hershey provides freshly roasted beans each day. The space is bright and welcoming, as is the service, making it an energising place to begin a morning.

The seventh floor is where the majority of the dining takes place. Blanc de Noires is a new addition as part of the renovation, a champagne-focused snug bar with space for around 25 guests. Crisp white marble floors sparkle under the atmospheric low lighting; impossibly dark black wood panelling to the walls absorbs the sheen to ensure the room retains a secretive, seductive aura. The white dinner jackets worn by the bar team embellish a feeling that we’re drinking in a 1980s neon pastiche of a 1920s New York speakeasy. 25 champagnes by the glass, expertly paired by the sommelier to a ‘Ham Library’ – an extraordinary collection of cured meats, sliced on demand to suit each drinker’s individual palette – as well as an extensive list of champagne cocktails complete what is already one of the most stylish drinking spots in the area.

The verdict

Aside from being simply a luxurious, welcoming place to stay, this is a place to develop a relationship with one of the greatest cities in the world. The hotel presents a modern, cosmopolitan version of Hong Kong as the international hub it truly is, rather than leaning too hard on its cliches or pandering too strongly to an incoming audience. It's a place for locals to love and visitors to get to know them through, and a great reason to visit the city in itself.

Mandarin Oriental The Landmark is located at 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

It took Gilbert Yeung fourteen years to find the right designers to reimagine Dragon-i. When it opened in 2002, the nightclub became an iconic reference point for Hong Kong’s nightlife, a venue that defined a whole era. Now, with a complete redesign by London-based studio Pirajean Lees, working with Hong Kong-based studio JJA for execution, it returns as a bold statement about where the city’s after-dark scene is heading.

Tour Dragon-i 2.0, Hong Kong

The catalyst for its transformation was a visit to The House of KOKO, a private members’ live music club in London that stopped Yeung in his tracks. ‘It was such a complex, incredible concept,’ he says. ‘It is not just the design: it has a real spirit and vision.’ He went looking for the creative minds behind it, and found Pirajean Lees.

The studio founders, Clémence Pirajean and James Lees, begin every project with a period of intensive research and narrative building in order to prepare a script of feelings and intentions long before any images are developed. ‘We didn’t show Gilbert a mood board,’ says Pirajean. ‘We told him the story about the character of the space, the feeling and the emotion of it.’ For Dragon-i, that narrative drew on the cinematic world of Wong Kar-Wai, sidestepping nostalgia and focusing on its powerful atmosphere, tension, and emotional nuances.

The studio had not previously worked in Hong Kong, but says that distance was an advantage. ‘It is quite positive, because you are looking at a place with fresh eyes,’ says Lees. ‘Spend time with Gilbert, who gave us a completely different viewpoint. It was a sense of pure discovery.’ By collaborating with JJA, they gained access to regional craftspeople whose skill shows in all the details throughout the finished space.

The result is a complete reworking of the original, moving away from the established codes of nightlife to where acoustics and aesthetics carry equal weight, and a setting in which a high-spec sound and lighting system by Isometrix Lighting Design enhances a carefully considered material palette.

The stained glass ceiling, handcrafted by a 3rd generation atelier in Manila, features detailing in collage form. Each colour is precisely textured, and the sequencing carefully calculated. ‘From the very beginning, we talked about cinematography,’ says Lees, ‘how you create those snippets of memory that someone carries with them the next day. So, when you first walk into the club, you squeeze through a corridor - one tone, one colour - and that sets your mood to what is then revealed when you walk through the curtain. Everything is choreographed in a frame format.’

The redesign transforms Dragon-i into two interconnected but distinct experiences. The first, anchored by a bar, a central DJ console, mirrored ceiling installations, and silver leather banquettes, is a lounge on weeknights and a full-energy club at weekends. The materials are layered and tactile: coloured glass bricks, timber flooring, pendant lighting, and bespoke textiles, and the mobile mirrored screens mean the whole space can be reconfigured for live sets. Adjacent is the new members club, built around Yeung’s own vinyl collection and named 115, his preferred tempo - the disco groove between house music and hip hop. Turquoise velvet lines the walls, offset by stained glass and warm wooden panels.

An acoustic box within a box houses the games room and karaoke space, designed around how groups actually use them: sitting around a table, moving between games, and with someone singing alongside rather than in another room. Plans for live jazz, intimate performances, and informal talks will introduce another cultural dimension.

Dragon-i is located at LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong

There is a moment, twice a year, when, depending on which hemisphere you’re in, the sun reaches its northernmost or southernmost limit and briefly holds still before reversing course. ZS Hospitality Group – the force behind Hong Kong’s lauded Hansik Goo and Ying Jee Club – has taken this astronomical pause as the creative conceit for one of its most intriguing projects yet. Located in buzzy Lyndhurst Terrace in Central, Solstice Culinary Space spreads across two floors: a cooking studio and Sol restaurant on the fifth, and Uncle Quek restaurant on the sixth. The three interconnected concepts are bound by a single design philosophy and the conviction that gastronomy, like the natural world, is inseparable from change.

ZS had wanted to do something beyond restaurants for some time, and describes the cooking studio as ‘the next natural step, leveraging existing chef resources’.

Solstice Culinary Space, Hong Kong

The concept took more than a year to develop. For the interiors, ZS returned to Snøhetta, the Oslo-headquartered practice that designed Whey in 2021 – ZS’s Wellington Street restaurant, where chef Barry Quek built his Hong Kong reputation and which now, with Quek helming Uncle Quek upstairs, makes Solstice feel like a gastronomically seamless second act. The decision to re-engage Snøhetta, says ZS, was deliberate. ‘Their minimalistic, timeless style perfectly aligns with what we want to present.’

Ana Patricia Castaingts Gómez, Snøhetta’s lead interior architect on the project, organised the 340 sq m scheme as a journey between seasons. The cooking studio reads as winter: deep charcoal and indigo surfaces, tactile finishes, a focused atmosphere scaled to education and technique. ‘It is a moment of introspection, focus, and learning,’ she says. As guests move upward, the palette lifts – materials grow lighter, lighting warmer, the rooms more expansive.

Sol carries the arrival of summer in its muted earthy neutrals, while Uncle Quek takes the same season and turns up the energy, brighter and less ceremonial. ‘We created variations within one cohesive language,’ says Castaingts Gómez, describing the two spaces as ‘two unique interpretations of the same conceptual spectrum’. The honey-toned woodwork that recurs through both rooms – and through Whey before them – is less a signature than a thread: the same material inflected differently according to each room’s MO.

The existing low structural ceiling on both floors presented the most immediate obstacle. Castaingts Gómez’s response was to co-opt the constraint by exposing the ceiling and introducing a concave reflective surface in the main dining area. The result, she says, is ‘a poetic gesture mirroring the arc of the sun across the sky’.

The building’s existing elevator connects the floors, but an internal staircase offers a more deliberate transition between the two venues. ‘That brief moment allows guests to sense the shift in tone and temperature,’ says Emily Yan, director of Studio Hong Kong (Asia Region), ‘as though stepping between seasons.’

Meanwhile, at Sol, the menu sets Korean home-cooking traditions against French technique, with the Samgye Chicken among its more arresting dishes. One floor up at Uncle Quek, executive chef Terry Lam worked with Quek to dream up a menu rooted in Hokkien memory: lobster laksa, cereal fried chicken, and a house-made sambal built from chilli and dried shrimp that diners have taken to ordering with everything.

And for guests who like to tinker in the kitchen, the cooking studio is cheerfully democratic in opening classes to home cooks and aspiring professionals and teaching Korean, Cantonese, and Southeast Asian cuisines in glossy Gaggenau-equipped kitchens.

It is this last space that makes Solstice something more than yet another restaurant group’s expansion – the room where the project’s educational ambitions become literal. That seriousness of purpose runs through the whole scheme. Snøhetta’s design decisions feel considered precisely because they were made in dialogue with the food brief rather than around it: every material shift, every degree of light calibrated to the intention of each space.

It is worth noting that for a practice behind hulking marquee projects – not least Hong Kong’s Airside tower and the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo – Snøhetta is not an obvious choice for 340 sq m of restaurant interiors. But as Castaingts Gómez points out, scale doesn’t change the fundamental questions: what experience is being created, how do people feel in the space, and what story does the design tell? Besides, she adds, ‘interior spaces demand a heightened degree of precision because every detail is experienced at arm’s length’.

At that proximity, ZS’s long-honed instinct for building rooms worth eating in finds a new expression. With Solstice, it has also created one worth learning in too.

Solstice Culinary Space is located at 6/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Art Basel Hong Kong arrives 27-29 March as the city's annual cultural coronation – a multi-media tentpole where the globe's gallery elite, collectors with bottomless wallets, and assorted art-world camp followers descend on the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for confabs beneath multi-million-dollar paintings and argue about the future of contemporary art over champagne.

Since its 2013 debut, Art Basel Hong Kong has evolved into something far more ambitious than a mere marketplace for the ultra-rich. The fair now functions as a genuine articulation of Hong Kong's metamorphosis into what Angelle Siyang-Le, the fair's director (who gave us a local's guide to Hong Kong ahead of the event), calls ‘a leading centre for contemporary culture’. The numbers back her claim: 240 galleries from 41 countries and territories fill the fair, with the majority championing Asia-Pacific artists and galleries. Siyang-Le grounds Hong Kong's strength in its ‘free-port status, world-class logistics, and exceptional connectivity’, yet equally stresses the city's ‘openness and cultural ecosystem from institutions like M+ and Tai Kwun to an incredibly vibrant network of galleries and nonprofit spaces’.

In particular, what distinguishes 2026 is structural ambition. Thirty-two galleries are participating for the first time, while the fair debuts two significant new platforms. The first, Echoes, comprises just ten booths, each presenting works from the past five years, a focused curatorial statement about where contemporary practice is heading. The second, and equally significant, Zero 10 marks Art Basel's debut foray into dedicated digital art programming. The moniker references Malevich's 1915 show in Petrograd, the ‘0,10’ exhibition that redefined the avant-garde's relationship to abstraction. Supported by OpenSea, the initiative signals the fair's conviction that digital creativity belongs within – not adjacent to – the contemporary art economy.

Elsewhere, the curatorial shifts run deep to reflect a fair reshaping itself toward regional perspectives and experimental methodologies. Encounters, the sector for large-scale installations and performances, has been reorganised around a collective of four Asia-based curators: Mami Kataoka (Mori Art Museum), Isabella Tam (M+), Alia Swastika (Jakarta), and Hirokazu Tokuyama (Mori Art Museum). The Film Program, historically curator-led, will be directed by Ellen Pau – the first time an artist assumes this role.

Meanwhile, public programming extends beyond the convention centre. Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander's commission for the soaring façade of M+, 3 to 12 Nautical Miles, launches a few days earlier, on 23 March. Projected across the museum's exterior will be hand-painted animations that trace colonial networks and contemporary commerce flowing through the South China Sea.

With so many booths occupying the centre and overflow programming throughout the city, narrowing down what matters requires some strategic thinking. Here are half a dozen artists worth your time.

Six artists to see at Art Basel Hong Kong 2026

Woo Hanna

Korean sculptor Woo Hanna hijacks domestic textiles to reimagine the body's architecture. Her Bag With You series literally takes organic forms – lungs, stomachs, intestines – and stitches them into objects that can be worn or carried. There's dark humour here: something visceral made gentle through textile, something private made portable. By transforming biology into accessory, Woo asks uncomfortable questions about what we carry inside and what we're willing to expose.

Chan Ting

At 31, Hong Kong artist Chan Ting excavates history with an archaeologist's precision and a queer sensibility. His Abandoned Abundance (2025) layers collectibles – a Guanyin statue, Indian military chest, Shanghai doors, Japanese carved flowers – under plaster and pigment. The result looks weathered, fossilised, grown over. By treating contemporary found objects as archaeological specimens, Chan stages a conversation between geographies and time periods. His work asks: what happens when we layer histories on top of each other? What emerges from that sediment?

Neerja Kothari

In Walking erasure (2025, ongoing), 51 pages taken from two essays about wandering – Thoreau's Walking and Virginia Woolf's Street Haunting – hang at eye level, creating a walking path through Neerja Kothari's installation. The work emerged after illness stripped away her ability to walk and her therapist taught her the basics again, one step at a time. Now these books – gutted to just two pairs of homophonic words, heel/toe, and heal/tow – guide visitors through the same elementary lesson. It’s a startling new visual grammar on how to move your body through space.

Miler Lagos

In his Trees series (2025), Colombian sculptor Miler Lagos salvages discarded books – texts on botany, trade, colonial histories – and carves them into tree-like forms. The gesture is deliberately paradoxical: returning paper back to wood, knowledge back to matter. Stacked vertically, these sculptures become monuments to extraction: the forests logged for pulp, the information harvested and commodified, the ecosystems we've sacrificed to feed our hunger for documentation. Each work asks what we've surrendered in the name of progress.

Emi Kusano

Japanese artist Emi Kusano uses AI to expose what data capitalism demands of us. Ornament Survival - Recursive Heart (2026) takes the Magical Girl – a contradictory figure that promises liberation while demanding consumption – and updates her/it for the algorithmic age. Using generative AI to multiply her own image endlessly, Kusano visualises the labour hidden in our digital lives: the constant self-optimisation required to remain visible, the boundaries we dissolve to feed the networks. She doesn't critique the system so much as anatomise it from within.

Wang Qiang

Wang Qiang sculpts Soviet prefab housing – Type K-7 apartments designed in 1954 to solve housing shortages – in miniature cement and steel, each stained to look aged. The Chinese artist’s concern is what happens when utopian ideals become concrete fact. Each building is a memory of a promise: standardised design that was meant to erase class difference, frozen now in his hands. In an era of unaffordable housing and failed utopias, the work feels urgently contemporary.

Art Basel Hong Kong will be showing 27-29 March 2025 (Preview Days on 25-26 March) at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai.

Also read: A local’s guide to Hong Kong by Angelle Siyang-Le

Genso is a new dining hub situated within the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Sha Tin Racecourse, primed for feeding and entertaining guests as they enjoy live racing.

All bets on Genso, Hong Kong’s new dining spot

Genso is situated across two floors, with its design led by Joyce Wang, founder of Joyce Wang Studio (the mastermind behind The Magarigawa Club Clubhouse in Chiba, and Club Bâtard, which won a Wallpaper* 2026 Design Award). Here, she has honed in on retrofuturism and created an eccentric-urban aesthetic inside the restaurant.

Wang’s inspiration was ignited by the idea of reimagining a classic racecourse, and seeing it through the lens of Tokyo’s Golden Gai streetscapes, the dynamism of manga, and the cinematic scenes and bright neon lights seen in Blade Runner.

‘I was very much inspired by Hong Kong’s signature neon billboards and their dynamic lines, which guide the geometry of our design,’ Wang tells Wallpaper*. ‘I love the way the roads, bridges and flyovers knit a multi-dimensional web for you to view the city from different perspectives. We carried this idea through Genso to stretch the guest’s experience from the harbour to the peak.’

On the lower floor, visitors will find the Fudo Town Food Hall, which replicates the energetic nature of a Japanese market. On the second floor is the Izakaya, named after Japan's casual pub-style restaurants designed for socialising over drinks and sharing small dishes. Here, the feeling is calmer, while guests can view the hustle and bustle below. Each of the spaces is also equipped with food and drink offerings and arcade-style activities, while providing a view of the heart-pumping horse racing below.

The palette comprises teal and aqua hues, complemented by orange and peach tones. Warm timber joinery, and patterned upholstery add a midcentury flair, while the floating neon islands nod to futurism. Ceramic detailing roots the design in its city context, as it wraps around the columns and mimics building façades.

Joyce Wang Studio collaborated with Foreign Policy from Singapore on the interior graphics and branding to create Genso’s visual identity. These smaller details are at the heart of the design, from neon lighting, lanterns and ceramic tile artwork, echoing street signage and manga culture.

‘Genso was imagined as a retro dreamscape – a vibrant world that invites wonder and adventure in its guests,’ says Wang. ‘It’s a celebration of community, nostalgia and play, and we’re so excited to share this unique experience with diners.’

joycewangstudio.com

Ask Art Basel Hong Kong director Angelle Siyang-Le for local recommendations, and first, she will assess your schedule. ‘When people are short on time, I usually point them to places that are consistently reliable, easy to get to, and very much part of my own routine,’ she tells Wallpaper*.

A leading figure in the contemporary art world, Siyang-Le has directed Art Basel Hong Kong since 2022. She joined the organisation in 2012, previously leading gallery relations and business development across Asia, and helping to position Hong Kong as a key global hub connecting artists, collectors and institutions.

The 2026 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong continues to celebrate the city’s status as Asia’s international cultural hub. This year sees a new curatorial team take the lead across the Encounters, Film and Conversations sectors, alongside the introduction of the inaugural Echoes sector.

‘We want to inspire, foster learning and bring communities together. Art Basel Hong Kong is more than an art fair – it is a living ecosystem where creativity and culture sustain a vibrant, resilient art market,’ adds Siyang-Le.

Here she shares her go-to dining, cultural and nature spots to make the most out of Hong Kong during Art Basel and beyond.

What to see and do in Hong Kong, Angelle Siyang-Le’s tips

Where to eat and drink

Always Joy

‘Always Joy is my choice for a relaxed, casual night out. The service never misses, and their Japanese-inspired dishes – subtly infused with local touches – are consistently excellent. I always recommend trying the seasonal sashimi and the dry-aged threadfin.’

Always Joy is located at Shop No. 1, G/F, Nam Wo Hong Building, 148 Wing Lok St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Bound

‘Bound is a beloved neighbourhood bar with a genuine local spirit, and it’s also a hangout spot for many artists. It’s unfussy, welcoming, and always full of character – exactly the kind of place that shows Hong Kong’s creative side at street level.’

Bound is located at G/F, 32 Boundary St, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

Duddell’s

‘Duddell’s remains one of my top recommendations for anyone visiting Hong Kong. The refined Cantonese cuisine, elegant interiors, and subtle art-and-culture atmosphere make it especially fitting during fair week. Their dim sum is crafted with exceptional ingredients and attention to detail, and I always make sure to order their Chinese soups – they’re deeply comforting and beautifully made.’

Duddell’s is located at 3/F & 4/F, 1 Duddell Street, 1 Duddell St, Central, Hong Kong

NOC Coffee Co.

‘NOC Coffee Co. is my true go-to café – not just because one of their branches happens to be in my office building, but because their coffee is unfailingly excellent. The minimalist interiors offer a clean, calming pause in the middle of Hong Kong’s constant buzz, making it one of the places where I can genuinely reset. My order is always a flat white – simple, smooth, and consistently great.’

NOC Coffee Co. is located at Shop G42, G/F, Whampoa Garden Site 9 Block 1, Tak Fung St, Hung Hom, Hong Kong

Rootdown

‘Rootdown sits right below my boxing gym, which makes it the perfect pre-workout stop. The coffee is fantastic, the team is warm and friendly, and there’s a cosy neighbourhood feel that keeps me coming back. I’m often their first customer of the day, stopping in for a hot Americano before training.’

Rootdown is located at Shop 16-19 G/F, Two Artlane, 1 Chung Ching St, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong

Yardbird

‘Yardbird captures the energy, creativity, and flavour of Hong Kong like few other places can. It’s always buzzing, always delicious, and always a fun night out. Their chicken dishes are all about chicken. You need to try everything.’

Yardbird is located at Winsome House, 154-158 Wing Lok Street G/F, Shops A and B, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

What to do

Central and South Side Gallery Districts

‘When someone is short on time, I always point them to the gallery clusters in Central and Wong Chuk Hang. They offer a concentrated yet meaningful snapshot of Hong Kong’s art landscape and make for the perfect warm-up before diving into the fair.’

Sham Shui Po

‘For a different perspective on Hong Kong, Sham Shui Po is a must. The neighbourhood is full of independent art spaces – like Thy Lab – that show a more experimental side of the city. I love ending a visit there with a drink at Bound, which is where many local artists naturally gather.’

Where to detour

Hiking trails

‘Hong Kong’s outdoors are one of its greatest and most underrated surprises. If you have a free morning, there are three trails I always recommend: Jardine’s Lookout, which is close, accessible, and instantly rewarding with panoramic views of the skyline; Dragon’s Back, the iconic ridge walk with sweeping coastal vistas; and Old Peak Road, a classic ascent to The Peak – steep, invigorating, and perfect when you want a workout paired with spectacular views.’

In a city teeming with members’ clubs, how does one stand out? For Mike Wu and Randy See, the duo behind Hong Kong wine distributor and retailer The Fine Wine Experience, the answer was simply to listen to their community. It was the success of their in-store French restaurant Bâtard that shaped its evolution into a club where members can open serious bottles at retail prices with like-minded friends.

Club Bâtard is Best Social Hub in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026

The club’s location, in Hong Kong’s Grade I-listed Pedder Building, naturally informed Joyce Wang Studio’s approach to its design. Working with the bones of the 1923 Beaux-Arts structure, the team created a vertical experience across three floors, anchored by a glass-fronted cellar, through which members can access each level.

On the first floor, all-day diner Le Clos serves up a menu of global favourites ranging from char kway teow (Malaysian stir-fried rice noodles) to spaghetti alle vongole, within a space inspired by the concept of the ‘clos’, a French walled vineyard often found in monasteries. Curvilinear double-barrelled ceilings are lit by large chandeliers, while a Joan Miró-inspired mosaic floor is dotted with low-lit booths, and wines are displayed in leather slings set against textured slate.

Upstairs, fluted burl arches frame a dining room lined with Pierre Frey wallcoverings and lush greenery. Built-in marble wine coolers fill up with bottles throughout the night as diners sip on fine wines, paired with dishes such as the restaurant’s signature roast chicken served with ginger fried rice. Also housed within the space is the relocated home of the city’s esteemed Chinese restaurant Hop Sze, and elegant whisky bar OBE. With every floor humming throughout the day and members constantly drifting through the cellar with new bottles in hand, Club Bâtard has quickly become one of Hong Kong’s most convivial meeting points.

Club Bâtard is located at 1/F-3/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder St, Central, Hong Kong

This article appears in the February 2026 Design Awards Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Community and creativity are reshaping daily life in this edit of storied destinations, set to define the travel conversation for 2026. Each offers more than surface appeal – through architectural ambition, grassroots cultural energy, or a renewed sense of purpose – and rewards visitors willing to look a little deeper.

Where to travel in 2026

Hiroshima, Japan

Eighty years on, Hiroshima is no longer defined by a single moment in time, but by what emerged from it: a city rebuilt through architecture. From the ruins of wartime devastation came a bold modernist vision, shaped by figures such as Kenzo Tange and Togo Murano, later extended by contemporary masters including Tadao Ando, Shigeru Ban and Jun Aoki, among others. That legacy feels newly energised today. The launch of the three-yearly Hiroshima Architecture Exhibition this year positions the city as a centre for architectural discourse, uniting Pritzker Prize winners, experimental practices and emerging voices. When the festival is not on, highlights remain plentiful: from Shigeru Ban’s Simose Art Garden Villa to Kisho Kurokawa’s restored Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art. Beyond the city, the wider prefecture unfolds as a constellation of design destinations in its own right.

Read our full feature on Hiroshima

Hong Kong

Few skylines are as instantly recognisable as Hong Kong’s, but to understand the city is to look beyond its serrated outline of glass towers and jade-green peaks. Long defined as a global financial hub and gateway between East and West, Hong Kong today reveals itself as something more layered: a place where heritage, nature and creativity reshape its identity. Icons such as I.M. Pei’s Bank of China Tower and Norman Foster’s HSBC Building anchor the skyline, while adaptive-reuse projects signal a shift in mindset. Tai Kwun, PMQ and The Mills transform former police quarters and factories into cultural engines. Beyond Central, districts such as Sham Shui Po pulse with everyday life and creative reinvention, where design studios, tofu shops and neon-lit markets coexist. Add to this more than 40 per cent protected green space, and Hong Kong emerges as a city of rare duality – resilient, evolving and deeply alive.

Read our full feature on Hong Kong

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Along the cobbled streets of San Miguel de Allende, colour seeps from every corner. Painted façades, marigold-framed doorways and sunlit courtyards set the rhythm of daily life, anchored by the city’s distinctive pink parish church rising above the rooftops. Long admired for its historic character, the highland town today is experiencing a renewed creative energy, drawing designers, artists and makers in search of light, pace and a deeper connection to craft. Once a magnet for 20th-century painters, writers and intellectuals, San Miguel is again evolving. Studios, galleries and small design-led businesses sit alongside long-established workshops specialising in textiles, ceramics and copper, encouraging close collaboration and a slower, more considered way of working.

Read our full feature on San Miguel de Allende

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Set midway between Europe and China, Tashkent rises from the Central Asian steppe as one of the Silk Road’s most layered cities. Shaped by Arab, Persian, Mongol and Russian rule, it became the capital of an independent Uzbekistan in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Few places reveal history so vividly. Ancient Islamic quarters sit beside Imperial Russian boulevards, Stalinist monuments and the boldly imaginative Soviet modernism of the 1960s and 70s. While parts of that legacy are being reshaped by new marble-clad developments, many landmarks endure: the Hotel Uzbekistan, the sculptural Chorsu Bazaar and a metro system whose chandeliers and marble halls feel closer to a palace than public transport. Emerging from decades of isolation, Tashkent remains refreshingly untouched by mass tourism, with leafy parks, open-air markets and a café culture that feels unhurried and genuine. It is a city rediscovering itself.

Read our full feature on Tashkent

Tbilisi, Georgia

The Georgian capital is defined by a fiercely independent cultural spirit forged over millennia and sharpened by adversity. While the country’s political climate is fraught, its creative life remains defiantly alive. Artists, designers, musicians and chefs continue to build, make and gather, sustaining a city where culture functions as both refuge and resistance. Today, Georgian wine, food and hospitality are legendary. New spaces reflect this momentum, including the recently opened Telegraph Hotel, which has quickly become a social anchor for the city’s creative community. From neighbourhood hotels, restaurants and nightclubs that double as communal living rooms, to studios where fashion, art and craft evolve hand-in-hand with tradition, Tbilisi is a city that has learned how to endure.

Read our full feature on Tbilisi

Hong Kong doesn't do subtlety. But at 8 Castle Road, where The Legacy's twin residential towers have just risen 198m above Mid-Levels West, ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel has delivered something unexpected: monumentality with restraint, density with breathing room.

When Citterio and Viel first visited the site in the mid-2010s, they saw fragmentation – a steep hillside scattered with looming buildings facing every which way. ‘The idea of creating two rigorously designed towers was meant to bring a sense of order,’ Citterio explains. That rigour manifests in an asymmetric composition of two glass-and-bronze volumes that rise like mismatched wings from a single stone podium, their orientation choreographed to maximise views, ventilation, and privacy.

Explore The Legacy by ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel

Viel is emphatic about the towers' dual façades. ‘We designed both the bay-facing and hill-facing façades to be distinctive, treating them both as refined frontages.’ It’s a pointed riposte to a city where buildings often present one ambitious face to the harbour and shrug at everything else.

The façades’ reflective dark grey glazing – chosen for thermal performance – reads as unexpectedly urbane. ‘It's clearly not an office building, as the balconies express its residential character,’ Viel notes, ‘yet it remains very different from any other residential tower.' Those balconies are operable elements in a climate-responsive envelope engineered to withstand typhoons while allowing natural ventilation. Corner windows, achieved through what Citterio describes as ‘a very complex structural exercise’, eliminate vertical mullions entirely, offering unobstructed panoramas.

Below, the podium is clad in Aspen white granite cut with deep articulation, a nod to the retaining walls that have historically anchored Hong Kong's bristling hillside development. ‘Over time, thanks to the effect of the local environment, the podium will take on a rock-like quality,' Citterio observes, imagining a building that ages into its context rather than against it.

Arrival sequences matter in a city where simply getting home can feel like an ordeal. Here, The Legacy’s design separates vehicular access from pedestrian entry across five distinct points on Castle Road and Seymour Road. Landscape design by Parcnouveau reinforces this urban generosity, creating what Viel calls ‘a new quality to urban context in which the towers connect with the city rather than simply landing on the ground’.

By all accounts, the developers – Henderson Land and New World Development – tapped ACPV Architects in part for its European fluency in blending hospitality sensibilities with residential programming, then still novel in Hong Kong.

Ten years on, that foresight proves prescient in its intersection of social and architectural nuances. As Citterio notes, 'These large-scale buildings are like small cities, and I hope that the shared spaces help create a sense of community and solidarity among people.'

In a metropolis as dense and, paradoxically, introverted as Hong Kong, that ambition might be The Legacy's most radical proposition.

acpvarchitects.com

thelegacy.com.hk

High above Hong Kong’s skyline, where The Henderson tower rises with its fluted glass façade, Toronto- and Milan-based Studio Paolo Ferrari unveils a new bar on level 38. Named for the green gemstone, Peridot is both abstract and strangely familiar, a space that feels as if you’ve stumbled into a room from a film you can’t quite place. Even more remarkable is that the design easily holds its own against Zaha Hadid’s otherworldly sculptural design.

The eponymous gem’s hue runs throughout. A soft green plastered surface wraps walls and ceilings in one seamless gesture, punctuated by a matrix of frosted acrylic cylinders capped in steel. The effect is enveloping – plush mohair seating tucked into carved alcoves, high-gloss lacquered furnishings catching the light, all of it orbiting the green marble bar with its swirling, veined mass. Behind it, a private room reveals a bespoke stainless steel and marble bottle display, each cantilevered holder engineered as much as sculpted.

The design draws on the intimacy of old-world smoking rooms without leaning on nostalgia. ‘In all of us, there’s a yearning for the past, which brings us comfort, and the excitement, energy, and awe sparked by the new,’ Ferrari explains.

The clients, Cathy Chui Lee and her husband Lee Ka Shing – chairman and managing director of Henderson Land Development, the tower’s developer – shared Ferrari’s vision from the start. ‘Working with Paolo was nothing short of revelatory,’ Chui Lee notes. ‘At Peridot, there isn’t a single straight line; every curve honours the building’s fluid form. We began by deconstructing a disco ball – not for glamour, but to capture its essence: light, refraction, intimacy.’

Joining the drinks is an equally imaginative snacks menu. Chef Lisandro Illa, whose background spans Noma and his own Madrid-based culinary art gallery Morfo, concocts an entirely plant-based menu that includes nut-based cheeses and charcuterie, watermelon ‘tuna’, and fermented creations using koji and natto. The quarterly rotations transform the madly creative nibbles into something more akin to collectable gastro-journeys than simple drinking.

There’s live music most evenings – saxophonist, pianist, and DJ for the musically indecisive – and at 38 floors up, getting high has never felt more literal.

Peridot is located at Summit 38, 38/F, The Henderson, 2 Murray Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Code-named Mountain Residence, Nelson Chow's latest residential project in Hong Kong sits on Mount Beacon in Kowloon, where a sprawling 4,500 sq ft apartment has been transformed into something far more considered than its contemporary condominium setting might suggest. The three-bedroom home, complete with a study and games room, was designed for a client who wanted a serene family sanctuary to share with elderly parents – a brief that shaped every decision from the ground up.

Discover the Mountain Residence by Nelson Chow

The location offers views across Hong Kong's fabled skyline, but Chow was more interested in creating an interior landscape that could hold its own. His approach centred on what he calls ‘a harmonious blend of functionality, nature-inspired serenity, and bespoke luxury’, though the reality is more nuanced than that description suggests. ‘We eliminated sharp corners to ensure safety for the elderly, while muted, warm tones foster a profoundly calming atmosphere,' he explains, revealing how practical concerns often drive the most elegant solutions.

Italian travertine anchors the material palette, appearing on tables, walls, columns, and even door handles with a level of consistency that might read as effortless, but required considerable coordination. ‘By committing to a singular stone throughout the public spaces, we needed to have meticulous customisation at every turn,’ Chow notes, adding that warm teak wood cabinetry provides textural contrast.

The most complex element in the whole home proved to be the kimono-inspired TV cabinet-slash-fireplace whose intricate, three-dimensional organic screens glide apart seamlessly, a feat of precision engineering resolved through close collaboration with specialised fabricators. When closed, the screens create a warm, gallery-like atmosphere that the client prefers for entertaining. ‘This centrepiece reflects the family's cultural interests while solving, quite poetically, I feel, the perennial problem of concealing technology,’ Chow says.

The client's aversion to visible metal mullions, ubiquitous in modern construction, especially in Hong Kong, led to another intervention: all vertical elements are wrapped in rounded teak or travertine, creating what Chow describes as ‘a soft, inviting tactility’.

Meanwhile, the furniture selection reads like an address book of international design, including a coffee table from May Galerie in Paris, sculptural lighting by Achille Salvagni Atelier’s London outpost, wall sconces from Holly Hunt in Chicago, and seating from Cassina in Milan. Each piece was chosen to create what Chow calls ‘a pristine, thoughtfully assembled ensemble’.

Sustainability considerations run deeper than surface gestures, a feature enhanced by a design aesthetic inspired by wabi-sabi principles of imperfection and longevity. Bamboo fibre carpet replaces silk, while the bespoke paint comprises over 95 per cent travertine stone, providing durability against mountain humidity. 'Sustainability is a cornerstone of our practice,' Chow says. ‘We express it through considered material selection as we prioritise natural, durable elements like travertine and bamboo that will age gracefully while minimising environmental impact.’

For Chow, the living room encapsulates the project's success. ‘It’s my favourite space, especially because of the fireplace and TV cabinet. It's the heart of the home. I really feel its graceful lines allow the panoramic skyline views to also share centerstage.’ The design serves as a visual stamp that reflects the broader philosophy of his studio, which he describes as ‘a blend of understated elegance, meticulous materiality, and narrative-driven functionality’.

In every sense, Mountain Residence represents Chow’s commitment to creating spaces that feel ‘timeless, personal, and deeply connected to their context’.

Clearly, it’s a commitment that resonates, as his practice, which the University of Waterloo alum set up in 2011, continues expanding. The next six months will see the completion of the new Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hangzhou, a luxury residential renovation in Hong Kong, and a flagship mall in Dubai, each project reinforcing his commitment to immersive harmony – spaces, like the Mountain Residence, where architecture, furnishings, lighting, and art dovetail with such pleasing results.

It’s been an eventful first week of the month for the Rosewood Hotel Group, as it has opened the doors to its highly anticipated all-suite property, The Chancery Rosewood, in London’s Mayfair and introduced a high-touch mentorship programme aimed at addressing the gender gap in the food and beverage sector.

The Rosewood Foundation introduces new mentorship programme

Designed by the Rosewood Foundation to nurture and empower the next generation of women leaders, ‘Rise to the Table’ is a fully sponsored global initiative set to become an annual occurrence. ‘We aim to foster equity, innovation, and leadership in an industry that inspires and unites,’ shares Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group.

Despite gradual progress, women remain underrepresented in restaurant leadership, with fewer than seven per cent of the world’s top restaurants being led by women. A 2022 study found that for every female-led Michelin-starred establishment, there are 16 run by men. Rise to the Table invites female cooks, sommeliers, bartenders, and service managers with a minimum of five years’ experience to participate and benefit from coaching by a group of Rosewood leaders and mentors.

The programme will select ten candidates and bring them together for a week-long educational experience at Rosewood Hong Kong in early March 2026, which will include coaching and strategy workshops focusing on personal branding, financial literacy, and sustainability-driven innovation. The team also promises research and networking opportunities via wine tastings, visits to local markets and farms, and group dining at restaurants and bars led by the city’s most exciting talent.

Following the residency, each individual will undertake a one-year mentorship journey tailored to career growth, with each being paired with a senior Rosewood leader. ‘With the official launch of Rise to the Table, we are proud to empower women with the tools, expertise, and opportunities they need to thrive, fostering a more inclusive future in hospitality and beyond,’ shares Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed, vice president of impact and sustainability at Rosewood Hotel Group.

Applications for the Rise to the Table programme are now open and will close on 13 October 2025. You can apply by following this link.

Few skylines are as instantly recognisable as Hong Kong’s. With its serrated silhouette of glass towers pressed up against jade-coloured peaks, it’s a city built on drama and contrast. But beneath this indelible cityscape lies a complex, multilayered metropolis, where colonial legacy, Cantonese tradition, entrepreneurial spirit and everyday street life intersect in one of the most densely populated environments on earth. From its landmark hotels and soaring luxury malls to the bustling street markets, Hong Kong has long been defined by its appetite for both the refined and the real. But to see only the surface is to miss what truly drives it.

The Trip to Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s golden age, in an economic sense, may have peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, when it was crowned the world’s gateway to China. Back then, it was the place where East met West, where deals were inked over long lunches, and the Star Ferry was both a symbol and a commute. Distinctive structures such as IM Pei’s Bank of China Tower, Norman Foster’s HSBC Building, and the Lippo Centre came to define the city’s vertical ambition.

But there’s far more to Hong Kong than serving as a global financial centre and a shopping paradise. Geographically, it borders Shenzhen to the north, with the South China Sea unfurling to its south. It’s made up of more than 260 islands and a swathe of peninsulas and bays, giving it a surprisingly vast spread of green space. In fact, more than 40 per cent of the land is protected country park, laced with hiking trails and secret beaches. Lantau is home to Big Buddha and under-the-radar beaches like Pui O. While on Hong Kong Island, you can hike Dragon’s Back in the morning and have Michelin-starred dim sum for lunch.

Colonised by the British in 1841, the city evolved from a fishing village into a global powerhouse, propelled by its strategic location and deep-water port. The 1997 handover to China marked a new chapter, one defined by a complex balancing act. Fast forward to 2019 and Hong Kong found itself back in the headlines when widespread protests erupted in response to a proposed extradition bill, which many feared would erode the city’s legal autonomy. These demonstrations, followed closely by the pandemic, painted a picture of instability and, for many outsiders, it left an impression that Hong Kong had changed.

The truth is that Hong Kong has always been about resilience and, despite the headlines, the city is still as electric as always. For locals, daily life never stopped. Restaurants remained full, creativity never faltered, and the city quietly redefined itself yet again. As Arthur Bray of Yeti Out, a music collective and creative agency, puts it, ‘We created our own nine-to-five: from 9pm to 5am. The act of resistance became a career.’

And much of this creative energy is flowing into projects reclaiming the city’s past. A place that bulldozed history in favour of high-rise progress, Hong Kong is not known for heritage preservation. But that tide is turning. Tai Kwun, once the Central Police Station Compound, has been reimagined by Herzog & de Meuron into a contemporary arts and culture complex. Nearby, Central Market, one of Hong Kong’s oldest wet markets and a Bauhaus landmark, has found new life as a hub filled with coffee shops, local design stores and community workshops. At PMQ, the former Police Married Quarters have been transformed into a creative space, housing indie boutiques and design studios, while in Tsuen Wan, The Mills has given a former textile factory a second life as a centre for innovation and cultural experimentation. More than just smart repurposing, these are thoughtful interventions – spaces that reflect a shifting mindset and honour the past while looking to the future.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Sham Shui Po, a neighbourhood in Kowloon that sits just north of the more polished enclaves of Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon. A world away from the gloss of Central, it’s a district defined by grit, character and grassroots charm. Ground zero of Hong Kong’s public housing history, it’s where post war migrants settled, where markets buzz and neon still flickers. The buildings are aged, the community is tight-knit, and it’s one of the few districts where snake soup restaurants thrive alongside traditional tofu shops. Kung Wo Beancurd Factory, for example, has been in Sham Shui Po since 1960 and evokes nostalgia for many Hong Kongers with its retro interiors. Listed in the 2020 Michelin Guide, the shop makes fresh tofu daily and serves everything from delicious beancurd puffs to the signature silky smooth tofu puddings.

Once the city’s textile hub, Sham Shui Po has evolved but not erased its past, and today, creative forces are breathing new life into this vibrant neighbourhood. Tai Nan Street, in particular, has become a magnet for local design studios and alternative retail, where you’ll find everything from Savon, a minimalist workshop crafting handmade soaps, and Alri Star, a leather studio that offers workshops and shares its space with an upstairs art gallery, to Whatever Coffee, which describes itself as ‘Coffee. Sometimes gallery. Experimental.’ Gentrification here remains a point of debate, but the creative influx hasn’t smoothed over the area’s edges and, if anything, it fits right into Sham Shui Po’s textured character.

One person actively preserving that past is sound artist Ka Yan Sze. Her work focuses on the dying Hakka villages in the New Territories, specifically those in and around Sha Tau Kok. Driven by conflict and land shortages in northern China, the Hakka (a Han Chinese subgroup) settled in the remote, hilly parts of the New Territories – a large region that runs from the northern edge of Kowloon to the border with mainland China – building rural villages that thrived with farming communities and family clans. But as younger generations left for urban opportunities, many of these villages were gradually abandoned, and the traditions tied to them have quietly begun to fade. From Sha Tau Kok, a restricted town on the border of mainland China, where residents need special permits to live and visitors require approval to enter, Sze works for the Association for Sha Tau Kok Culture and Ecology and runs her own cultural initiative, Fragrant Village. Through this, she’s building an art hub with plans to host artists-in-residence to work with the community and help document its fading traditions. 

Sze has based herself at the end of a row of historic Cantonese shophouses, the two storey buildings with ground-floor shops and living quarters above that are emblematic of old Hong Kong street life. The longest row of shophouses to still exist in Hong Kong, it’s this atmospheric location that gives her easy access to the surrounding Hakka villages, where she travels to record former pupils of all ages singing their village school anthems. ‘These songs are the DNA of the villages,’ she says. ‘The lyrics describe the land, the beauty, the people. They connect generations.’ Sze has collected more than 30 of these anthems and is working on publishing a sound book as a kind of audio archive to ensure the stories of villages like Kuk Po – abandoned but not forgotten – are passed down.

This rooted creativity is what has brought many of the city’s emerging talents back to Hong Kong. Alex Po and Derek Cheng of Ponder.er, for example, returned after seven years in London to launch their gender-fluid label that is gaining global recognition for its conceptual yet wearable approach. ‘We both loved our experiences in London, but we always feel like we want to do something that represents where we come from,’ says Po. ‘There’s so much potential and resources in Hong Kong, alongside a wave of young creatives, who are bringing a new energy to the city and challenging what it means to be creative.’

For Derek Chan of Demo, being based here is intentional. ‘Hong Kong constantly inspires me. It’s a place where different cultures, histories and aesthetics coexist, creating endless creative possibilities.’ His fashion brand frequently references literature, art and philosophy and is designed to reframe outdated perceptions of how men dress and express themselves. ‘What I love most about Hong Kong is its duality; it’s both fast-paced and deeply rooted in tradition. You can walk through towering skyscrapers and suddenly find yourself in an old temple,’ he says. ‘That mix makes it an endlessly inspiring place.’

Others, like Nana Chan of Plantation, are gently reviving heritage through ritual. Born in Taiwan and raised in Hong Kong, Chan spent years abroad in the UK and France before returning to the city to carve out something meaningful. Through Plantation, she’s on a mission to challenge traditional perceptions of tea drinking, and to transform it into a vibrant, evolving experience that resonates with a new generation. It’s a quiet but powerful form of cultural preservation, one that is on the rise. ‘It was hard for us for many years,’ she says. ‘But I think there is a quiet revival. We are seeing more tea shops and tea-related businesses popping up in Hong Kong, and more young people are picking up the profession of tea masters.’

That same desire to shift perceptions also drives Sara Mossman, the founder of Brilliance Bay. After growing up in Canada, she returned to Hong Kong to open the city’s first piercing-only private studio. ‘The body modification scene here was underdeveloped,’ she explains. Seeing this gap in high-quality service and jewellery, she says, ‘There was a genuine need for someone with authentic skills and background to bring proper standards to the city.’ Brilliance Bay has since become a trusted local fixture and proof that niche creativity can thrive.

And it’s not just returnees making waves. Some, like Simon Wilson, have chosen to base themselves in Hong Kong for its unique creative potential. Originally from Ireland, Wilson moved here in 2015 and never left. His latest project, Fork Lore, celebrates the personalities shaping the city’s dynamic food scene. ‘There’s a vibrancy here that never quite goes away,’ he says. ‘The food scene needed a lift, and storytelling can do that.’ It began as a passion project, but it has grown into a content platform profiling everyone from chefs to bartenders. Wilson believes Hong Kong’s scene is shifting away from over-polished hotel dining to more personal, chef-driven spaces. ‘There’s still magic here. It’s just being expressed in new ways.’

Others, like Kieran Ho and Gavin Yeung, are pushing creativity forward through the community. Ho describes Hong Kong as a kind of airport terminal – transient, in motion, and full of people coming and going – but believes that’s what gives it a creative possibility. ‘There’s constant movement, and that makes space for new ideas,’ he says. A third-culture kid himself, Ho is part of a generation of creatives with hybrid identities and big ideas, intent on building something meaningful in a city that’s constantly in flux.

Yeung, through his bar Kinsman, is crafting cocktails that pay homage to the city’s under-represented culinary stories, using indigenous Cantonese spirits. For Yeung, it was about creating something that felt true to the city’s roots. ‘Kinsman is the first cocktail bar built from the ground up to celebrate Hong Kong culture and its liquid heritage,’ he says. ‘This means that everything from the name of the bar to the music, uniforms, interiors and branding all pay tribute to the unique colour of the city.’ Kinsman isn’t just a bar but a love letter to Hong Kong served in a glass. And, like many of the city’s new generation of creatives, Yeung is less concerned with prestige, and more focused on authenticity, accessibility and building community.

Together, this chorus of voices offers a counter-narrative to the doubt often projected onto the city by those looking in from the outside. Hong Kong may no longer be Asia’s undisputed capital of commerce, but it’s morphing into something just as compelling: a capital of culture.

Ambitious infrastructure projects, such as West Kowloon Cultural District, signal a city looking forward. Anchored by West Kowloon’s M+, a museum of visual culture that rivals global heavyweights, the city’s future is also unfolding at Kai Tak, where a vast venue will host everything from sporting events to concerts on the site of the city’s former airport, while The Henderson, a swirling 36-storey glass tower by Zaha Hadid Architects, is redefining Central’s skyline.

Still, the best of Hong Kong might be in the unexpected: sunrise over Cape D’Aguilar, a trek along the rugged MacLehose Trail, or a boat trip to Sharp Island – where volcanic rock formations, a disappearing tombolo, and clear waters make it feel worlds away from the city. For a city known for speed, its slower, greener side is just as thrilling.

Often misunderstood and frequently underestimated, Hong Kong continues to surprise. The city still pulses with life – you just have to look beyond the headlines.  

A version of this article appears in the June 2025 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Is it still possible to travel and experience the element of surprise? Enchantment maybe, amazement even. But pure, unalloyed surprise? Stay on the breadcrumb trail of today’s legion of itinerant influencers, and likely not. Everything, it seems, has been seen, posted and liked by thousands before us, rendering the whole notion of self-discovery, if not redundant, then sorely undermined. What chance now a trip’s ability to hit the ‘big reveal’?

Well, stay tuned, as our June 2025 Travel Issue makes good on its mission to hit the pleasure points that only moving around our planet can provide.

Our travel director, Lauren Ho, reports from Hong Kong, a city teeming with next-gen talent, while this month’s fashion story sees our fashion and creative director Jason Hughes paint the town red in Las Vegas. And travel editor Sofia de la Cruz challenged some of our network of photographers to send examples of mementoes collected while globetrotting, throwing up an intriguing array of items from the priceless to the prosaic.

But still, that niggle; surprise – how to generate the feeling that we haven’t all been here before, albeit via the lens of some raw-dogging pseudo-adventurer’s smartphone? We found the answer in a treatise by Yolanda Edwards (the creative director and founder of Yolo Journal) on tackling the lack of spontaneity in travel these days, plotting a path to rediscovering serendipity while on the road that an over-reliance on time-saving, surprise-sapping technology too often denies us.

And as a finale, for our new End Paper series, acting global design director Hugo Macdonald explores the beauty of jet lag, that draining, liminal state we all experience at some point in our travelling lives, yet one that can deliver surprising benefits to our own mind’s eye. As he writes: ‘[Its] sense of cosmic isolation can be harnessed into taking a good look at one’s life choices and questioning what’s working and what’s not… Outside the passive humdrum of daily life, the opportunity for frank clarity abounds.’ Much like travel itself, unsurprisingly enough.

Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief

On the newsstand cover: Dress, £6,100, by Loewe. Shoes, £1,090, by Ferragamo. Earrings, $245, by Alexis Bittar. Tights, £32, by Wolford

On the limited-edition cover: Bicycle, £16,464, by Colnago. Sunglasses, £435, by Balenciaga. Swimming briefs, £95, by Vilebrequin. Necklace, £204, by Crystal Haze. Bag (across chest), £955, by Montblanc. Bag (on shoulder), £500, by Pierre Hardy

The June 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands from 8 May 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

With 240 exhibitors, Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 (28-30 March) easily packs anyone’s schedule to the brim. But, for those wishing to take some time to experience the city like a local, the following guide by photographer Lean Lui might come in handy. Born in China and raised in Hong Kong, Lui has always found herself surrounded by neon lights, a dramatic skyline, and general urban chaos. Her dreamy body of work serves as a counter-response to this environment, providing an intimate escape that still retains cultural significance. This is reflected in her recommendations, which include places and activities that afford moments of calm and introspection.

At just 21, Lui became the first Asian photographer to collaborate with Dior on a global campaign. Her debut photography book, 19.29, serves as a private diary of sorts, while her latest title, Aseptic Field, published by Setanta Books, presents a nostalgic coming-of-age narrative that straddles seduction and intimacy. While continuing to develop her own photography, she is also a guest lecturer at Hong Kong University’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE).

What to see and do in Hong Kong: a local’s guide

Where to eat

Australia Dairy Co

You know you’ve found a gem when you walk into a restaurant filled with locals. A prime example is Australia Dairy Co, one of the city’s most popular cha chaan teng, a Hong Kong-style café or diner. The restaurant specialises in steamed milk pudding and custard dishes, but their way of preparing eggs – especially scrambled – is also worth queuing for.

Australia Dairy Co. is located at G/F, 47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan, Hong Kong

What to do

Asia Art Archive

Dedicated to building communities through accessible culture, Asia Art Archive is a nonprofit organisation documenting the recent history of contemporary art in Asia and placing it within a broader international context. Open to the public, it’s a place for locals and tourists alike, frequently hosting exhibitions and events. ‘I really like this place for reading; there are lots of old photography magazines,’ says Liu. A piece of her work now resides on the shelves, as the library section has added her photography book, Aseptic Field, to its collection.

Asia Art Archive is located at 11/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; aaa.org.hk

Boogie Woogie Photography

Founded in 2016 to promote photography in Asia, Liu describes Boogie Woogie Photography gallery as a photographer’s dream, solely centred around promoting photographic works and the artists behind them. Currently on view is ‘The Flowers of Evil’, a group exhibition featuring Nobuyoshi Araki, Makiko Morange, Pierre Molinier and Takeshi Shikama. The exhibition is inspired by French poet Charles Baudelaire’s work, which created ripples in the Symbolism and Modernism movements.

Boogie Woogie Photography is located at 8F, E. Wah Factory Building, 56-60 Wong Chuk Hang Rd, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong; boogiewoogiephotography.com

A walk around Central

The frenetic heart of Hong Kong, where finance, retail, entertainment and hospitality collide, Central is the place for those looking to be culturally stimulated and experience a genuine immersion into the city’s dynamic lifestyle. Liu finds the area’s energy and colonial style captivating, often taking long walks to appreciate the mix of Eastern and Western influences.

Happiness Photography Classroom

Happiness Photography Classroom offers short courses for those interested in expanding their knowledge of both practical and theoretical aspects of photography. Liu is often part of the cohort, having hosted sessions about the history of women’s photography and the contemporary scene. She says: ‘The most valuable aspect of schools is their ability to provide a platform for open discussion.’ Classes can be booked through the group’s Instagram page.

@littlefilm_hk

Where to shop

Sham Shui Po

Located in one of the city’s oldest and most densely populated districts, Sham Shui Po is home to numerous open-air markets that cater to a variety of tastes – each street featuring a theme of its own. Fashion can be found on Cheung Sha Wan Road, toys on Fuk Wing Street, and electronic gadgets at Apliu Street. For fresh food and snacks, Pei Ho Street is the place to be. Liu assures ‘all prices are always negotiable.’

At Art Basel Hong Kong, there’s enough artistic firepower to make even jaded collectors sit up and pay attention. The numbers don't lie: 240 exhibitors from 42 countries and territories will be on show. More than half hail from Asia-Pacific, proving this isn't just a Western art showcase, but a genuine platform for regional talent.

If nothing else, the fair is bona fide feather in the cap of Hong Kong’s artistic ambitions. As Suhanya Raffel, museum director at M+ points out, ‘With major art fairs like Art Basel playing a central and crucial role in the local art scene, alongside auction houses, galleries and public institutions, the city's cultural landscape has expanded and transformed dramatically over the past ten years.’

This year's edition bursts with immersive large-scale installations and curated presentations. Fourteen were created specifically for the fair, including British artist and Turner Prize-nominee Monster Chetwynd's Lanternfly Ballet which will spill beyond the main venue into Pacific Place, ensuring even luxury mall shoppers can't escape an accidental brush with contemporary art.

But don't mistake Art Basel for just another playground for the ultra-rich. The fair has strategically scattered its DNA across the island with a week-long cultural takeover that includes free public programmes accessible to all. Para Site, a leading Hong Kong independent art institution, is curating seven film screenings featuring 30 artists under the deliciously cryptic title In Space, It's Always Night. For the visually insatiable, collaborations with cultural video channel Nowness Asia and Videotage—one of the region's premier non-profit organisations dedicated to video art—will provide additional cinematic perspectives.

If it’s not already clear, Art Basel and its current four-city constellation in Basel, Miami Beach, Paris, and Hong Kong has transformed its humble 1970s Swiss beginnings into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. In Hong Kong especially, the fair seems to have mastered the art of creative cross-pollination with elegant precision to create an egalitarian art ecosystem where champagne flows freely and Instagram opportunities multiply infinitely.

With hundreds of booths vying for attention and enough visual stimulation to induce art fatigue in even the most seasoned gallery-hopper, we've curated a shortlist of must-see highlights to kick-start your Basel adventure.

All you need to do is juice up your credit card limit.

Ho Tzu Nyen

In a dazzling collision of AI wizardry and cinematic nostalgia, Singaporean artist, Ho Tzu Nyen transforms M+'s facade into a fever dream of Hong Kong's golden screen era. Commissioned by Art Basel and M+, Night Charades remixes the island’s stars and directors into a spectacular mash-up that channels everything from Wong Kar-wai's hyper-romanticism to Wong Jing's fearless farce. It's baroque, dreamlike, and utterly now – a digital séance summoning Hong Kong's celluloid ghosts.

Betty Muffler

Aboriginal healer turned art-world sensation, Betty Muffler channels atomic apocalypse into sublime monochromatic masterpieces. The 81-year-old healer, who came to art late but has been furiously catching up, survived the late 1950s British nuclear tests that decimated her family. Her art transforms trauma into transcendence through Ngangkari Ngura (Healing Country), which conjures sophisticated landscapes that whisper of ancestral connections while screaming environmental reckoning – her delicate palette belying the radioactive history pulsing beneath every brushstroke.

Lu Yang

Lu Yang's piece crashes Art Basel with a fake store that's actually a sneaky installation art. The provocateur crams LED walls, flexible screens, digital displays, and collectible blind boxes into a shopping experience where DOKU –Lu's digital mini-me since 2020 – plays artist-turned-entrepreneur. This tech-heavy set-up weaponises retail therapy to mess with art's sacred cows: authorship, value, and who gets to call themselves an artist. It's critique disguised as commerce, complete with comfy sofa for bewildered fairgoers questioning everything they've just purchased.

Christopher K Ho

Christopher K Ho's ensemble piece hijacks American architect John Hejduk's 1950s design exercise involving a nine-square grid and transforms it into sly brass and aluminium trophies. The Hong Kong artist's sculptures – first shown at his 2024 show, I am a 70-Year-Old British Sculptor – pack architectural inside jokes beneath sleek surfaces. Pei Cobb Freed (2023) winks at the Fountain Place building, IM Pei's Dallas landmark, whilst other pieces morph into giraffe necks and tail fins. Displayed on pedestals at deliberately uneven heights, these polished puzzles double as Ho's take on colonial power plays – intellectual heat disguised as metallic eye candy.

Gemma Smith

Gemma Smith's suspended oil canvases turn artistic second-guessing into her signature move. The Australian painter's Shadow Paintings – built through months of ruthless layering and erasing – capture the primal tug-of-war between what she wants and what the paint demands. Each massive panel archives twenty years of Smith's obsession with process, forcing viewers to physically orbit their domineering presence. Every surface holds evidence of creative U-turns and artistic dead ends, like a juicy visual diary that only rewards those willing to spend quality time with its hulking, three-dimensional attitude.

Art Basel Hong Kong will be showing 28-30 March 2025 at Hong Kong’s Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, artbasel.com

Also read: A local's guide to Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s hotel scene is as dynamic as the city itself: towering icons of luxury, intimate design-led hideaways, and heritage-infused retreats. Whether you’re after Michelin-starred dining or skyline infinity pools, Hong Kong has some of the world’s best hotels, elevated, of course, by its legendary hospitality. From The Ritz-Carlton’s high-altitude spectacle to The Upper House’s zen-like calm, here’s where to stay in the city.

Explore the best hotels in Hong Kong

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

Sitting on the edge of Victoria Harbour, the Four Seasons Hong Kong is as much a power player as the financial towers that surround it. The 399-room hotel is anchored in the International Finance Centre (IFC) – an easy glide from Central’s high-octane business district – but inside, it’s all about polished calm with its creamy marble, crisp neutral tones, and floor-to-ceiling windows framing ferries skimming across the harbour. Rooms, like with all Four Seasons hotels, are tailored for comfort with soft linens, plush furnishings, and tech-savvy details that make everything feel seamless. The real scene stealers, though, are the restaurants.

Caprice is a three Michelin-star restaurant that serves up fine French dishes, like the Alaskan King Crab with crustacean jelly and Osciètre Prestige caviar. There is also Sushi Saito, an omakase experience and Lung King Heen, which holds the title of the world’s first three-Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant. Then there’s the pool- four of them, to be precise. The star is the infinity-edge showpiece, a heated expanse with views sweeping from Kowloon’s neon skyline to the peaks of Lantau Island. Private cabanas line the deck, while an outdoor whirlpool and cold plunge pool – alongside a terrace restaurant – add to the appeal. Just inside, the spa’s facilities and menu of east-meets-west treatments – like the stress-melting Tui Na massage – tops off the perfect pamper day. Service is precise, polished, and seamless, making this a sharp contender for the city’s top stay.

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is located at 8 Finance St, Central, Hong Kong; fourseasons.com

Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Tucked between the hills and the harbour in Admiralty, Island Shangri-La has long been a Hong Kong favourite, but it stayed smart by keeping ahead. Recent updates include a series of themed family rooms – space, safari, underwater – complete with bunk beds and hidden surprises, like starry ceilings, which keep small travellers wide-eyed. YUN Wellness is now a destination in its own right. Located adjacent to the pool terrace, it combines movement, recovery and treatments with proper intent that is beautifully executed, while the pool has had its own glow-up too.

Surrounded by lush greenery and the buzz of the city beyond, it’s intimate, low-key and lined with striped umbrellas and deep, cushioned loungers that make it easy to lose track of time. Of course, the food scene still holds strong. The Lobster Bar remains a firm favourite for its rich and creamy bisque, panko-crusted crab cakes and stiff martinis. Restaurant Petrus, meanwhile, continues to fly the flag for old-school fine dining with polished silver, panoramic views and service that doesn’t miss a beat. Upstairs, the newly renovated Shangri-La Suite pulls it all together: 2,500 square feet of calm, with hand-painted walls, floor-to-ceiling views, champagne fridges and a dining room built for long dinners with friends.

Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong is located at Supreme Ct Rd, Admiralty, Hong Kong; shangri-la.com

Lanson Place Causeway Bay

Fresh from a top-to-toe overhaul by Pierre-Yves Rochon, Lanson Place has re-emerged as one of the city’s best-kept secrets. Located in Causeway Bay, the retail heart of Hong Kong, the hotel is a serene escape from the energy outside, the new interiors blending understated French elegance with delicate craftsmanship. This is revealed through pastel hues, bronze and marble accents, and a collection of standout artwork, such as the bas-relief in the lobby by artist Michele Létaing that depicts a graceful trajectory of storks in flight.

On the first floor, Salon Lanson is a chic all-day dining spot that serves a crowd-pleasing menu of dishes, like the wagyu beef burger or the spaghetti alla carbonara. This sets the scene for the 188 rooms, suites and penthouses – some with kitchenettes for longer stays – whose floor-to-ceiling windows shed light onto the sumptuous interiors and frame views of either the city, Victoria Park or the lush mountains of Hong Kong. To boot, the hotel has teamed up with a number of partners for exclusive experiences, such as the Rimowa luggage cleaning service and a personal shopping experience at Dior’s concept store in the neighbouring Lee Garden One.

Lanson Place Causeway Bay is located at 133 Leighton Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; lansonplace.com

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

Opened in 1963, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong – the group’s flagship – was the city’s first true luxury hotel and is as legendary as the city itself. Sitting in the heart of Central, it has watched Hong Kong evolve from a colonial outpost to a global powerhouse, all while maintaining its own impeccable standards. It’s no surprise then that it continues to attract many return guests alongside a kaleidoscope of dignitaries, royalty and celebrities, thanks to its seamless and intuitive service. This flawlessness permeates throughout the hotel, including the nine drinking and dining establishments.

A must is a martini in The Captain’s Bar, followed by a meal either at Man Wah, the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant and a city institution, or The Mandarin Grill, which delivers European classics with quiet confidence. As for the 500 or so rooms and suites, they channel old-world elegance with warm wood panelling, subtle Asian flecks, and crisp linens. The oldest – and once the tallest – building to make up the city’s iconic skyline, some rooms don’t have epic views, but those that do look out to either the city or the harbour. Of course, don’t miss out on the spa, where treatments are complemented by facilities such as the Chinese herbal steam room and heated tepidariums.

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is located at 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong; mandarinoriental.com

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

Few hotels reach the literal and figurative heights of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. Spanning floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, it’s one of the highest hotels in the world, offering panoramic views of the city, Victoria Harbour and beyond. The 312 rooms lean into classic Ritz-Carlton luxury with dark woods, plush fabrics, and marble finishes in warm, muted tones that don't detract from the skyline. After a day on the frenetic streets below, wind down with a treatment at the spa on the 116th floor or a dip in the indoor infinity pool on the 118th floor, where wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows and daybeds invite lingering.

Food-wise, opt for a room with Club Lounge access, an inviting, high-altitude space with a revolving buffet that keeps things interesting from morning to night. There is also Tin Lung Heen, the two-Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, while. Tosca di Angelo serves Southern Italian dishes like red prawn tagliolini in a soaring, light-filled space. End the night at Ozone, where the cocktails match the high-energy theatrical setting.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is located at No.1 Austin Road West International Commerce Center, Kowloon, Hong Kong; ritzcarlton.com

Rosewood Hong Kong

There’s no better spot to view Hong Kong’s iconic skyline than from Rosewood, thanks to its front-row location on the Kowloon harbourfront. Occupying 43 floors of the Rosewood Tower – which also houses the Rosewood Residences, K11 Musea, and K11 Atelier Art Mall – within the Victoria arts and design district, the hotel dazzles with Michelin-star restaurants and 413 rooms and suites. The interiors, by New York-based designer Tony Chi, are quietly indulgent, a muted colour palette accented with lacquered doors and silver stag’s head handles, plaid fabrics, textured walls, plush carpets, hand-stitched leather details, and curated libraries that give the rooms a residential feel.

With no less than eight restaurants and bars, Rosewood is a dining destination in itself that draws in fans from all over the city. If there’s one spot to head to, make sure it’s CHAAT. One of the hardest tables to get in town, the Michelin-starred restaurant focuses on elevated Indian favourites such as Old Delhi Butter Chicken. For those looking to indulge, the sprawling 174 square-metre Manor Suite, with its kitchenette and dining room, includes a personal butler and access to The Manor Club, a discreet and personal space with a rotating food and beverage service that means you will never go hungry.

Rosewood Hong Kong is located at 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; rosewoodhotels.com

The St. Regis Hong Kong

With interiors by André Fu, The St. Regis Hong Kong brings the designer’s signature serene minimalism to Wan Chai, a neighbourhood alive with nostalgic trams and old-school pawn shops. Inspired by the brand’s original New York property, Fu subtly weaves in childhood memories of his hometown without resorting to obvious east-meets-west tropes. Public spaces feature soaring brushed bronze screens modelled on traditional Hong Kong windows and vintage-style gas lamps like those on Duddell Street, while the 129 rooms are layered with plush purple veined marble, lacquered surfaces and soft leather accents.

Dining is led by the two Michelin-starred L’Envol, where chef Olivier Elzer turns out elegant French plates such as the onion tart with black truffle, Rùn’s refined Cantonese menu is served in a dining room inspired by traditional teahouses, and The St. Regis Bar puts a local spin on the Bloody Mary with dried tangerine peel. Service is seamless, thanks to the brand’s signature butlers, who handle everything from morning coffee to unpacking. Facilities include a spa, a heated outdoor pool, and a fitness centre at The Athletics Club, while its location – just minutes from the Convention Centre with easy access to Central – makes it as slick for business as it is for leisure.

The St. Regis Hong Kong is located at 1 Harbour Dr, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; marriott.com

The Upper House

Hong Kong isn’t exactly short on luxury hotels, but The Upper House isn’t just another five-star high-rise – it’s a true home. Perched above Pacific Place in Admiralty, it offers front-row seats to Victoria Harbour and the city’s lush greenery. The interiors, by André Fu, strip away the bustle outside, replacing it with oak, limestone and an almost monastic sense of calm. There are no unnecessary frills here, just impeccable details from the seamless, light-filled spaces, and warm neutral tones to large picture windows that frame sweeping views without distraction.

The House might not have a spa, but its innovative approach to wellness means guests don’t miss out. Alongside a bijoux gym, the hotel’s Wellness Residency teams up with local partners like chiropractic sessions with UP!Health, and 10x Longevity, which offers treatments like hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Most take place in the neighbouring residences, while in-room treatments transform your space into a private retreat. All 117 rooms include a generous Maxi Bar stocked with organic treats, while the design stays understated, with clean lines and warm bespoke furnishings. Meanwhile, Salisterra on the 49th floor delivers bold Mediterranean flavours like smoked sardines, or meloso rice with roasted veal sweetbread, served with a side of Hong Kong skyline.

The Upper House is located at 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong; thehousecollective.com

Art has been a cornerstone of The Peninsula Hotels’ identity since the luxury group’s inception, weaving a rich cultural tapestry across its 12 properties. From The Peninsula New York, showcasing works by icons like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, to The Peninsula Tokyo, home to 1,000 pieces by nearly 60 Japanese artists, art is a unifying thread.

Building on this legacy, the group launched its Art in Resonance series in 2019, spotlighting emerging and mid-career artists. By offering funding, curatorial expertise, and exhibition space, the programme empowers creators to produce engaging public art while delivering something new for guests.

The Peninsula and Victoria and Albert Museum announce partnership

Now, The Peninsula Hotels embarks on a new chapter with a landmark partnership with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). The collaboration will feature co-curated exhibitions, beginning with a showcase at The Peninsula Hong Kong – the group’s Grande Dame – during Art Basel Hong Kong 2025.

The first iteration of the partnership will unveil a commissioned work curated by Dr Xiaoxin Li, the V&A’s Asia Department Curator, prominently displayed in the hotel’s lobby. Two additional commissions by Art in Resonance creators will round out the exhibition, reimagining the hotel’s storied façade and interiors in a rather different light.

This partnership isn’t the first cultural bridge between The Peninsula Hong Kong and the UK; a previous collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts brought works by luminaries such as Tracey Emin and Michael Craig-Martin to the hotel.

‘Working with The Peninsula to create a greater reach for these works reflects the V&A’s mission to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere,’ says Tim Reeve, deputy director and chief operating officer of the V&A.

peninsula.com, vam.ac.uk

In a city teeming with members’ clubs, the question is: how do you stand out from the crowd? For Hong Kong duo Mike Wu and Randy See, the answer is wine, food and location. The pair are founders of The Fine Wine Experience, the city's leading wine importer, distributor and retailer, and it was the success of Bâtard, their French restaurant within the shop, that prompted them to evolve their passion and set up Club Bâtard.

Like the original restaurant – now relocated to the new space –the concept here builds on what Wu and See identified as a gap in the market, and also smartly sells diners fine wines without restaurant mark-ups. ‘We wanted to build a community of wine lovers,’ says See. ‘The idea was to make it as exclusive as possible and for members to be able to come together to share wine with friends at retail prices.’

Club Bâtard, Hong Kong

On first impression, the result is certainly exclusive, its impact further boosted by its home within Central Hong Kong’s Grade I-listed Pedder building – the last pre-Second World War pile on the street – alongside its design and branding by Joyce Wang, whose challenge was to work around the existing bones, which, like a wedding cake, are tiered over three floors.

Briefed to create a vertical experience and prioritise the 5,000 or so bottles of wine, Wang smartly anchored the trio of spaces by installing a showstopping glass-fronted cellar – with an internal staircase – that diners can enter and exit from each floor and wander through, to select their wines.

Comprising three different restaurants, alongside a whisky bar, Club Bâtard is classic Wang, layered with plush materials and precise attention to detail. On the first floor, Le Clos, the buzzing all-day dining space, serves up a menu of international favourites, from ‘char kway teow’ (Malaysian stir-fried rice noodles) to spaghetti alle vongole, within a space inspired by the concept of the ‘Clos’, a French walled vineyard often found within a monastery.

As such, curvilinear double-barrelled ceilings are finished with raw materials that lend an industrial backdrop for cathedral chandeliers, a custom playful mosaic-tiled floor, inspired by artist Joan Miró, and a series of cosy, low-lit booths, and comfortable upholstered banquettes, sofas and chairs. The wines in the cellar are displayed in leather slings against textured slate and – like the rest of the space – highlighted with considered and concealed lighting.

Upstairs, towards the relocated Bâtard, the French restaurant on the second floor, the wines are set against hammered copper panelling, which adds a warming glow, further enhanced by light refracted by faceted mirrors. The dining room itself is revealed through fluted burl wood arches and red-wine and petrol-blue tones; lined with woven Pierre Frey wall coverings alongside a tropical display of palm plants and greenery, the space is a mixture of sisal carpeting, marble dining tables, upholstered seating and burgundy leather banquettes.

Here, built-in marble wine coolers fill up with empty bottles throughout the night as diners sip on fine wines and champagne, accompanied by a menu of dishes like the signature roast chicken served with ginger fried rice, a not-to-be-missed Iberico pork and caramelised onion sando, and an outstanding cheese trolley to finish off.

The smaller, third-floor space is airy and light-filled, with mirrored walls and light oak wood interlocking trees that display Club Bâtard’s selection of champagnes. The new home for Hop Sze, an iconic Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong, the space has been smartly arranged so that fabric panels can be closed to create a series of private dining rooms. Minimal and modern with delicate Chinese references, a light oak and terracotta palette is layered with contrasting pleated indigo wall coverings, lantern-like light fixtures and abstracted Chinese joinery that echoes the original Hop Sze restaurant – in other words, a new chapter for a restaurant that still serves its much-loved menu, with dishes like the baked pork chop rice.

The aim of Club Bâtard was to build a community of wine lovers, promoted by a roster of events from wine tastings to talks. With a limited membership and the buzzing camaraderie of diners wandering through the cellar, it seems Wu and See have achieved their goal of creating a members’ club with a difference.

After an evening spent wining and dining, don’t miss out on the karaoke room behind Le Clos; or for something a little more sedate, OBE (which stands for Old Bottle Effect), with its curved whisky-bottle ceiling and cigar room, is the perfect refuge for a late-night tipple.

Club Bâtard is located at 1/F-3/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder St, Central, Hong Kong, clubbatard.com

‘I never expected Hong Kong's architecture to be so fascinating and meaningful, especially without the typical influence of capitalism,‘ says Bob Pang, a Hong Kong Chinese architect, who founded the Brutalism Hong Kong Research Group in 2021. Over the past four years, the team of 20 researchers has uncovered and documented over 40 examples of brutalist architecture in the city, both standing and demolished. They have curated two exhibitions, authored a key publication, and contributed to numerous talks and lectures across China and Asia.

Their latest project, the bilingual Brutalist Hong Kong Map, advocates for the city's hidden architectural heritage, linking it to the global brutalist narrative and engaging the global network of devoted followers.

Join our architecture tour of Hong Kong brutalism

The research, supported by Design Trust, a non-profit funding platform, and Leigh & Orange Architects, with roots in Hong Kong since 1874, has uncovered the missing pieces of the city’s architectural history from the 1950s to the 1970s, piecing together a picture that had never been fully formed. Unsurprisingly, Hong Kong’s brutalist architecture was heavily influenced by the British brutalist movement, with many key figures having studied in the UK or collaborated with renowned British architects like Denys Lasdun and John Bonnington.

A wave of designs with a strong sense of geometry began to shape Hong Kong’s architectural landscape in the mid-1960s, including the expressive Chinese Methodist Church North Point (Szeto Wai, 1965) and the Mies van der Rohe-influenced Chun Hom Kok Architect’s Residence (Jackson Wong, 1966).

By the 1970s, as local brutalism reached its peak, several iconic structures emerged, each contributing something unique to the movement: the bold, line-crossing Diocesan Youth Retreat Hostel and Chapel (Samn Lim, 1971); the interlocking forms of Chung Chi Hall Student Centre (Dennis Lau, 1972); and the UFO-shaped Stewards Pooi Tun Secondary School (Ronald Poon, 1975).

The findings evidently revealed how these structures adapted to Hong Kong's rapid urban growth, hilly terrain and subtropical climate. Designed with vertical integration, they maximised compact spaces for multiple uses, including workshops, offices, canteens, leisure areas, and parking. The Eastern Sea Industrial Building (Peter Pun, 1975), a cargo-sized, ‘pre-cast pre-stressed’ structure, exemplifies this approach by combining various uses in a single high-rise.

Transparent facades, such as climate-responsive brise soleil and ventilation blocks, seen in St Stephen's College Special Room Block (Tao Ho, 1981), offered natural cooling before air conditioning became widely affordable. The swift construction of buildings like the Shaw Brothers Studio Production Unit (Peter Pun, 1968), completed in just five months, reflects the era's rapid urban development, where longevity was perhaps not a primary concern.

‘The post-war architects tackled social issues with designs of exceptional spatial and construction quality, producing brutalist buildings that are both deeply connected to the local context and uniquely reflective of their time,’ Pang says. Since the economic boom of the 1980s, many iconic buildings have been demolished to make way for larger, more luxurious curtain wall structures, while others have been extensively renovated.

Only a few remain in their original, well-preserved state. The Brutalist Hong Kong Map seeks to document these surviving gems, while also encouraging a rediscovery of their charm and a rethinking of the city's evolving urban landscape.

‘For a day trip exploring Hong Kong's Brutalist architecture, start at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in the New Territories, where you can easily walk between over twenty brutalist buildings, all conveniently close together.’ Pang said, ‘Then move to the Hong Kong Island, begin at the Chinese Methodist Church in North Point, then take the metro to St Joseph’s Primary School in Wan Chai.'

'From there, hop on a tram to Happy Valley to see Smiley Court apartments. End your day with a minibus ride to Island South to visit the Residence of Jackson Wong in Chung Hom Kok, and enjoy a sunset at the nearby beach to cap off the experience.’

bluecrowmedia.com

Anyone who’s ever been to Hong Kong will tell you that the island isn’t short of skyscrapers, especially in the bristling concrete canyons along the shorelines of Victoria Harbour. It says something, then, that ZHA's (Zaha Hadid Architects) new tower on Murray Road for the Henderson Land Group has made even jaded locals sit up and pay attention.

For starters, as addresses go, The Henderson is in good company – IM Pei’s monumental Bank of China, Norman Foster’s HSBC tower and Paul Rudolph’s Lippo Centre are practically an arm’s length away. But what makes the 190m-high, 36-storey tower stand apart is its unusual fluted façade of curved, glass columns, a design, say the architects, that ‘reinterprets the structural forms and layering of a Bauhinia bud – which appears on Hong Kong’s flag – about to blossom’.

Explore The Henderson by ZHA

‘It felt wrong to create a four-cornered building in this urban context,’ says project director Sara Klomps. ‘We wanted a building that flows, almost like a polished stone. That’s how the soft form came about.’

The tower is built on the site of the old Murray Road multistorey car park, a relatively small 31,000 sq ft plot that presented its own challenges, not least the integration of the design with the adjoining Chater Garden and Lambeth Walk Rest Garden, and a network of pre-existing public footbridges. ‘We wanted the building to enhance and repair the urban fabric,’ says Klomps, referring to the abrupt disconnect between the Admiralty and Central districts caused by the heavy volume of the old car park.

The solution was to suspend the building over the streetscape and insert expansive, sheltered walkways and gardens along the public piazza, whilst plunging a five-storey car park below ground. ‘Everyone focuses on the upstairs portion of a building,’ Klomps quips, ‘but creating the basement was very challenging especially as it sat on top of the subway.’

For the quotidian occupants of The Henderson – auction house Christie’s and Audemars Piguet have moved in – the experience is literally a lofty one with views to match from the 22nd- and 23rd-floor sky garden, and the double-volumed penthouse ballroom – the latter, a sprawling conservatory encased in glass walls and ceiling, and which Christie’s has already earmarked for its seasonal exhibitions and auctions.

The brief from the client, Henderson Land Group, was to create a new landmark for Hong Kong. On every metric, The Henderson delivers, Klomps pointing out that its organic architectural language responds to the city by integrating public gardens and public pathways, linking long disconnected neighbourhoods, while ensconcing its occupants in 21st-century tech and comforts.

So, whilst it may be hyperbolic to say that it’s a groundbreaking building, it’s fair to acknowledge that it’s remarkable in its singularity.

zaha-hadid.com

thehenderson.com.hk

Remembered as one of his era's greats, IM Pei (Ieoh Ming Pei, 1917-2019) designed over 60 buildings across the world during a career spanning seven decades. The leading architect, whose work is characterised by sculptural and geometric visual expression, won every significant award in his field, including the 1983 Pritzker Architecture Prize and the prestigious 2010 RIBA gold medal.

IM Pei’s landmark projects read like a wish list of prestigious commissions. His designs for the National Gallery of Art East Building in Washington, DC, the Grand Louvre extension – which has become a beloved symbol of Paris – the Bank of China tower in Hong Kong’s central district, and Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, firmly established Pei as one of the most iconic figures in architecture.

'IM Pei: Life is Architecture': the exhibition

Hong Kong’s museum of visual art, design and architecture, M+, has opened the first ever retrospective of the architect’s work. ‘IM Pei: Life is Architecture’ animates the life of the influential figure through film, original drawings, commissioned architectural models, photographs, and archival documentation, ranging from magazine covers and newspaper clippings to personal letters. It is fitting that the institution based in West Kowloon, the city’s cultural quarters, looks out across the waters of Victoria Harbour to the Bank of China’s blade-like tower – an exceptional example of Pei’s technical expertise.

The show's curators – architectural historian Shirley Surya and the artistic director of Rotterdam’s Nieuwe Instituut (and sometime Wallpaper* contributor) Aric Chen – were keen to challenge assumptions about an individual Surya describes as 'famous but understudied.'

'Pei’s practice is defined by principles that are consistent across different projects, but not a style,' Surya explains in response to the presupposition that he was a corporate architect or was governed by a predilection for geometric design. She points to his mastery of the classic architectural goal of creating a seamless movement through space, his engaged intervention on site, and his influence in shaping the surrounding environment – a recurrent theme explored throughout the show.

‘It's all about capturing views – capturing what is the strength of the site, and then bringing it into the building,' Surya says.

The exhibition takes a close look at Pei’s life and work through six areas of focus beginning with his transcultural foundations. Archive video footage contextualises the China of Pei’s youth, showing scenes of metropolitan Shanghai and Hong Kong in the 1920s and 1930s, and the landscaped walled gardens of Suzhou.

The show does not shy away from Pei’s early career as a commercial architect at New York-based property development firm Webb and Knapp, despite the field's historical disdain for such profit-driven collaborations. It highlights how the commissions provided a training ground, shaping Pei’s outlook on what buildings should mean for the landscape of a city and the architect’s commitment to strengthening the community through design.

Seven years in the making, the exhibition is an expansive take on the international figure that includes small and almost forgotten projects, such as the groundbreaking Sunning Plaza development in Hong Kong. Completed in 1982, it became a ‘prototype’ for the city’s office buildings in the 1980s.

The team at M+ realised that most texts on Pei were by European and American historians and writers. 'We thought that projects that were in Asia were not so much on their radar,' Surya says. 'We wanted to find projects that are by Pei in this part of the world that may not seem as important as the Louvre but were important to the cities here.'

Despite this, the high-profile Grand Louvre project unsurprisingly takes centre stage with the print media surrounding the project, alongside material documenting its conception and construction. Despite his fame, Pei existed on the margins due to his underrepresentation in academia.

Instead of producing theoretical research and writing, he chose his enduring passion – to build. The curators at M+ sought to reorient how he is evaluated by foregrounding the vibrant discussion commissions like the Louvre scheme generated – shifting the focus to his far-reaching cultural influence and the impact of the built work as architecture of public interest.

mplus.org.hk

In partnership with Lanson Place

Hong Kong is a buzzy, high-energy metropolis, a city that never seems to sleep. There can be something to discover around every corner, and it can be exhausting to explore, so a tranquil escape in which to unwind after a busy day is essential. Lanson Place, located in the heart of the city at Causeway Bay, makes for a very serene sanctuary. Originally opened in 2005, this luxury hotel has just undergone an extensive renovation, courtesy of renowned designer Pierre-Yves Rochon and his studio PYR, famed for its interiors at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, St Regis Rome and George V, Paris.

The new-look property now offers an elegant home-from-home feel across its 188 rooms and suites and six penthouses. The refined interiors, inspired by the colours of the Côte d’Azur, employ a palette of soft tones. ‘The renovation respects the DNA of this institution, which is both a private and personal hotel and a sanctuary amid Hong Kong’s hustle and bustle,’ says Rochon. ‘The key principle has been to respect the property’s soul, creating a timeless address with a character inspired by nature, the allure of France’s southern coast, and the richness of the art deco period.’

In the lobby, designed as a transitional retreat from the city, there’s a bas-relief artwork by Michèle Létang depicting the graceful trajectory of a bird in flight, a richly textured rug by Galerie Chevalier Parsua and a resplendent Murano glass chandelier. Leading on from the lobby, visitors encounter the winter garden, adorned with lush green foliage and bathed in natural light from its floor-to-ceiling windows. Here, contemporary wicker furniture and brass-framed, mirrored ceilings accentuate the feeling of being outdoors, while orange trees fill the air with citrus scents that evoke the south of France.

The first floor unfolds into a series of welcoming living spaces, each with its own unique charm. Custom-built 1950s-inspired furniture in ivory, pastel blue and light oak hues are arranged in a series of three ‘rooms’ for guests to gather in small groups or individually. Light oak parquet runs the length of the floor, and original artworks punctuate the spaces. In the newly configured guest rooms, natural walnut tones and whitewashed wood feature prominently, with accents from one of three colour themes: pastel blue, celadon green or pale yellow. Meanwhile, one- and two-bedroom penthouses occupy the top two floors and are intended for guests seeking a longer stay. Delicate ivory and beige tones and plush fabrics adorn every surface, all carefully curated to create an oasis of unparalleled sophistication.

Lanson Place Causeway Bay, Hong Kong is located at 133 Leighton Rd

lansonplace.com

When Gavin Yeung, a food writer and journalist, started dabbling in the world of mixology, he didn’t envision that one day he would be a fully-fledged bar owner. Following guest stints at Hong Kong favourites like The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental and Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour, Yeung came to the realise that Cantonese spirits, once a thriving industry, were notably absent from the menus at many of the city’s cocktail bars. And so Kinsman was born (and is a worthy stop for those seeking revival after a day at Art Basel Hong Kong 2024).

Kinsman cocktail bar in Hong Kong’s Soho

The latest to join the growing portfolio of local hospitality group Singular Concepts, Kinsman takes its name from the family-run nature of many of Hong Kong’s original distilleries and serves as a nostalgic reminder of the city’s glory days as a major hub for spirits-distilling. Alongside local craft beers, home, and natural and biodynamic wines from small-scale producers across Asia, the concise cocktail menu is innovative yet familiar, primarily anchored by Cantonese and Chinese spirits.

For example, Kowloon Dairy – a Hong Kong interpretation of the milk punch – blends and clarifies roselle and magnolia amaros, by local brand Magnolia Lab, with ma yun (hemp seed) syrup and pu’er tea, while the Satsuma Snow shakes together jiuniang –a half-fermented Chinese rice drink – with its rice grains, sweet potato shochu, coffee shochu and Okinawan black sugar, resulting in a savoury tipple unexpectedly reminiscent of ramen noodles.

Like the drinks, the food menu is also a novel and tasty tribute to Hong Kong’s culinary traditions with a small selection of elevated favourites, including the perfectly crisp shrimp toast, wagyu ox tongue baked rice, and the lap cheong platter – a charcuterie board featuring a seasonal selection of Chinese sausages – with housemade pickles.

All this comes together in an intimate 50-seat space designed by Atelier Shan, which took its cues from the forgotten world depicted in the movie In the Mood for Love. The result is romantic and evocative with accents like the shophouse-inspired chequered flooring, the colourful mural behind the bar by illustrator Mally Cheung, which features former landmarks in the city, and wistful menu illustrations, which are also hung on the walls, by local artist, Stella the Dreamatcher.

And while Hong Kong’s Soho is not short of a trendy bar, Kinsman is certainly stealing the march with its distinct approach to celebrating the tradition of Cantonese spirits.

kinsman.hk

Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 (28-30 March) sees the fair’s return to the city, bigger and better than ever with 242 international galleries – 65 more than the 2023 event – alongside 23 newcomers, who are joining the fair for the first time. As the cultural hub in Asia and Asia Pacific, Hong Kong neatly ties together the region’s evolving art landscape and, as Angelle Siyang-Le, the show’s director, says, ‘connects guests from all around the world by offering possibilities of collaboration and innovation inspired by art and artists’.

With the fair spanning a programme of films and talks to curated sections that go far beyond individual galleries, navigating the event is easier said than done, so we’ve put together this guide to the exhibitions and shows – both on-site and off-site – that we’re most excited about during Art Basel Hong Kong 2024.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 highlights

Encounters

First introduced in 2013, Encounters is, this year, curated by Alexie Glass-Cantor, the executive director of Artspace Sydney. It will feature 16 large-scale projects from global artists from Australia’s Namimapu Maymuru-White to India’s Jitish Kallat, whose piece Wind  Study comprises a suite of intricate drawings realised with fire, wind, smoke and ink. There are 11 works made especially for the fair, including Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy by Hong Kong-based artist Mak2, which takes over two fair booths connected top-to-top and explores ideas of duplication, evolution, and simulation. 

We, however, have our eye on South Korean artist Haegue Yang’s Contingent Spheres. Presented together with Galerie Chantal Crousel (Paris), Kukje Gallery (Seoul, Busan) and Kurimanzutto (Mexico City, New York), the super-sized installation comprises two colourful rattan sculptures that reference 1960s Op Art and binakol, a motif used in traditional Filipino textiles that together create a dizzying effect. 

Kabinett

From Busan’s Johyun Gallery to A Thousand Plateaus Art  Space in Chengdu, this year’s Kabinett sector, staged within galleries’ main booths, will feature a record 33 galleries. There is a strong focus on solo projects from the Asia Pacific region, featuring artists such as Thailand’s Pinaree Sanpitak – represented by Singapore and  Sydney’s Yavuz Gallery – whose new works illustrate her longstanding exploration of organic structures and materials. 

Make sure to stop by London’s Herald St, whose exhibition of acrylic and ink paintings by Hong Kong-born, London-based Cary Kwok showcases his cinematic exploration of Queer interaction, domesticity, and art history. 

Film

Freely accessible to the public and located on-site at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the film programme (27-30 March) has this year been curated by multimedia artist and film producer Li Zhenhua, and features collaborations with cultural video channel Nowness Asia, as well as Videotage, one of the region’s leading non-profit organisations dedicated to video art. Highlights include A New Old Play (2021) by Chinese filmmaker Qiu Jiongjion, and Sorry for the Late Reply, a single-channel animation created by Hong Kong artist Wong Ping.

Don’t miss out on German artist Anne Imhof’s Sex (2021). Presented by Sprüth Magers, the film is composed of footage created during the first chapter of Imhof’s eponymous performance cycle at Tate Modern in 2019, and is characterised by her dark, visual language.  

Conversations

A platform for dynamic dialogues between some of the best in the art world, Conversations features a programme of 11 panels and speakers from over 15 countries and territories, put together by Stephanie Bailey, writer, editor, and Art Basel’s Asia content advisor and editor. Unfolding in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre’s auditorium, Conversations (27-30 March) is also freely accessible to the public with highlights including: a panel moderated by Tai Kwun’s head of art, Pi Li, where collectors including Uli Sigg will share their approaches to building era-defining collections of contemporary Chinese art; a roundtable discussion on decolonising cultural institutions in the 21st century with the likes of Zeitz Mocaa chief curator and executive director Koyo Kouoh and M+ Museum director Suhanya Raffel; and a discussion between legendary Japanese artists Shinro Ohtake and Takashi Murakami, organised with Art Week Tokyo, where the duo will reflect on their relationships with Japan’s shape-shifting capital city.

What's new

Not only have 69 galleries returned for Art Basel Hong Kong 2024, but 23 newcomers are joining the fair for the first time. From the Tim Van Laere Gallery, based in Antwerp and Rome, to Los Angeles’ Nonaka-Hill and a bunch from Taipei including PTT Space, Each Modern, and Chini Gallery, there’s lots to get excited about. Shenzhen’s Mangrove Gallery, for example, is presenting a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Tan Jong. Called ‘Nook of a Hazy Dream’, the show comprises several pieces of work focusing on the Chinese diaspora in Thailand and envisioning a return to an imagined homeland through the perspective of a fictional character, using materials such as spices, fabrics, glass, and floor tiles, resulting in an immersive experience through visual, auditory and olfactory elements. 

Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 runs 28-30 March

artbasel.com

In the decade or so since Robert Cheng founded Brewin Design Office in Singapore, the Rhode Island School of Design and Harvard alum has become something of the architect of choice for elegant, thoughtful spaces – whether a cloistered library for a private collection of rare medieval books, a modern public lobby, or a luxury boutique hotel. 

A Hong Kong family headquarters by Brewin Design Office

His latest project – a sleek new 8,000 sq ft HQ for a family office on the 11th floor of the Hong Kong Club Building – is no exception. 

The client’s brief began with a space that reflected the values and culture of the founding generation, but which would leave room for the next generation to evolve, especially as the business segues into investments and private equity.

For Cheng, this required the insertion of boardrooms, sound-proofed meeting rooms and a trading floor in a way that balanced a familial mood with buttoned down professionalism. It certainly helped that the bones of the building – designed by the Australian architect Harry Siedler in the early 1980s – provided him with a vast, blank canvas formed by a column-free interior and mullion-free windows that open out to bracing views over Victoria Harbour and the Cenotaph. 

Inspiration for the visual cues came from various sources, not least the elongated planed lines of Siedler’s modernist granite facade; and subliminal nods to the family’s original shipping business by way of midnight-blue lacquered walls, curves that echo the lines of ship hulls, long torpedo-shaped ceiling coves, and, in the boardroom, a customised walnut table in the shape of an anchor. 

Elsewhere, floors of dark-stained French oak and walls clad in American walnut are paired with bespoke furniture and classic pieces, among them, a ‘Marquesa’ bench by Oscar Niemeyer, and a ‘Croisillon’ lamp by Jean-Michel Frank. 

For Cheng, designing family offices offers the opportunity to step away from the strictures of a standard workplace. ‘We have the leeway of making it a little more exciting, and being able to customise explicitly to the private owner’s requirements. Often, this allows for a larger front-of-house space as we’ve done here, as compared to a more traditional office, which typically would have more back-of-house spaces.’  

If nothing else, these are busy times, the architect now skidding between working with David Chipperfield on a hotel in Nanjing, and another hotel in Kyoto with Kengo Kuma. 

brewindesignoffice.com

When the world’s most Michelin-starred female chef opens a new restaurant, everyone sits up and takes notice. And the opening of Cristal Room, chef Anne-Sophie Pic’s debut in Hong Kong, is certainly turning heads (she also has restaurants from Paris to London, Megève, Dubai and beyond).

Cristal Room by chef Anne-Sophie Pic in Hong Kong

Cristal Room is the fifth restaurant to join Forty-Five, Hong Kong’s newest dining destination within Landmark’s Gloucester Tower. The restaurant, part of the local hospitality group Leading Nation, bears all of Pic’s winning hallmarks, boosted further by its collaboration with the historic French fine crystal maison Baccarat.

Against sweeping 44th-floor views over Victoria Harbour, the interiors by Paris-based Gilles & Boissier are refreshingly feminine, featuring a graceful marble-fluted curvilinear banquette that snakes through the centre of the room, organically shaped furnishings, and plush carpets underfoot in a palette of neutral mushroom tones and dusty pinks.

The decor is embellished with ceiling mirrors and, of course, Baccarat chandeliers, such as Philippe Starck’s ‘Zénith Flou, Je te Vois Flou’ in the private salon. Meanwhile, objects like Baccarat’s signature ‘Octagon’ vases nod to the pendants of the brand’s chandeliers, while glassware includes pieces from the exquisitely bevelled ‘Harcourt 1841’ collection, the oldest in the archive.

The interior sets an elegant tone is set for Pic’s food, an innovative take on French gastronomy, which emerges from a kitchen that sits like a stage within the dining room and from which a brigade of chefs quietly produces expertly executed dishes in a graceful ballet-like performance.

The succinct tasting menus are deeply French in their roots but are flecked with Asian influences and ingredients, reflecting Pic’s love of the region, in particular, Hong Kong, where she studied three decades ago.

Expect innovative dishes – guided by her philosophy of impregnation, where flavours and aromas intertwine through techniques like smoking, steeping, marination and infusion – like her signature Les Berlingots ASP, where sobacha (buckwheat tea) has been used to make pasta in the shape of the classic French hard candy (berlingots), filled with liquid 24-month-aged comté cheese and served with a mushroom consommé infused with tonka beans.

The concept of impregnation is also underscored by the drinks pairings, courtesy of chief executive sommelier Paz Levinson, who has also created an alcohol-free menu that includes concoctions such as the refreshing Clear Tonka, made with milk-washed oolong tea and tonka beans, which pairs excellently with the seabass caviar.

All this comes perfectly together to showcase Pic’s brilliance at a restaurant set to become a star in Hong Kong’s culinary scene.

cristalroombyasp.com

New Hong Kong restaurant Leela sees restaurateur Yenn Wong, founder of local hospitality group JIA, triumph once again in this city that is not exactly short of a great place to eat. Behind existing favourites such as Duddell’s, Louise and Estro, amid a diverse portfolio that covers international fare from traditional French to southern Italian, JIA has teamed up with chef Manav Tuli for the launch of his first solo project.

Formerly of Michelin-starred Chaat at Rosewood Hong Kong, Tuli has channelled his heritage with a concept that nods to the Mauryan Empire, which dates back to 322 BC and spanned from modern-day Afghanistan to Bangladesh. Reinventing classics such as Kandhari gosht and Chukandar gosht – historically significant dishes in the region at the time – but with an innovative twist, Tuli has elevated his menu using top-notch ingredients from local sustainable suppliers and spices that are certified GMO- and pesticide-free.

André Fu interiors at Leela, Hong Kong

Following the food concept, the luxurious and understated interiors are the work of long-time JIA collaborator Andé Fu, who took his cues from the grandeur of traditional places in Jodhpur, India. ‘My vision was to create a mystical journey that aligns with the chef’s culinary philosophy,’ says Fu. ‘Eschewing clichés, it offers a personal interpretation of Indian history whilst striking a balance between the artful and the avant-garde. It is a poetic dreamscape that evokes an abstract re-telling of my personal memories exploring the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.’

Leela is set within Lee Garden Three, a luxury shopping  and dining destination in Causeway Bay, and its design unfolds through modern versions of traditional Indian architectural details, like decorative scalloped arches, latticed jali screens, jharokha windows, a 3.6m-high billowing ceiling – which mimics palatial roof contours – and intricate lamp posts inspired by the shape of a white lotus flower. The space is embellished by textured wall panels in a marquetry pattern and understated bamboo furnishings, all in a rich palette of mustard sand, ivory, deep aubergine, and mineral blue that come together to create an evocative setting that aligns with Tali’s equally expressive menu. 

We suggest sampling dishes like the tasty bone marrow biryani, the Lucknowi tokri chaat, or Leela’s rendition of the classic chicken baida roti, an aromatic dish of succulent chicken wrapped in flaky roti, which originated on the streets of Mumbai, where Tuli grew up. 

Derived from the Sanskrit word, līlā, which means ‘play’, Leela and its chef have certainly boosted the Indian food scene in Hong Kong with this lighthearted and inventive approach to this much-loved cuisine.

leela.hk

Architect Antony Chan’s newest project, La Maison Blanche, is an apartment transformation tailor made for the scheme's location and long vistas – as it sits nestled high above the rooftops in the mid-level area of Hong Kong. At the same time, Chan's locally based interior architecture studio, Cream, blends a nod to the city's colonial history with a contemporary sensibility and the founder's knack for creating elegant, glamorously bespoke environs.

La Maison Blanche by Cream

The home's interiors feature tonal shades of cream and brown, accented by the shimmer of gold and bronze. A custom-made, wave-patterned panel cladding wraps the living space, with its lush sofa and dining area, creating texture and a subtle backdrop for both entertaining and relaxing. 

A nature-inspired theme continues throughout, supported by carefully selected handpicked furniture, and a series of bespoke marble and timber screens reminiscent of plant paintings. 

Interior pieces include the ‘Adam’ sofa and the ‘All Round’ armchair, both by Giorgetti, as well as Hervé van der Straeten marble and metal coffee tables and a lamp by Emmanuel Levet Stenne. 

Cream's own designs are featured in La Maison Blanche too, such as the bespoke dining table and bedroom side board. A Japanese silk-screen painting hanging by the dining area adds a touch of modern art sophistication. 

Contrasting materials, from polished metals to rich, textured fabrics, help craft an interior that looks luxurious – but also welcoming and thoughtfully layered. Timber, hand-hammered metal, and velvet fabric are just a few of the constellation of surfaces that bring together this contemporary, harmonious whole. 

cream.hk

In a bid to enhance the pre-flight passenger experience at Hong Kong International Airport, local hospitality company Plaza Premium Group has unveiled Intervals, just in time for its 25th anniversary.

Located on the Sky Bridge, which spans a taxiway 28m above the ground between Terminal 1 and T1 Satellite Concourse, the new cocktail and dining spot offers elevated views of the runway from floor-to-ceiling windows that shed natural light onto a space designed by Australian architect Mitchel Squires.

Intervals Bar brings the ultimate pre-flight cocktail experience to global travellers

Taking his cues from the bar’s concept of the ‘interval’ – a space between two points – Squires’ design is revealed through the infinite form of a circle and the idea that in an airport, you are neither here nor there. And so, in shades of moss-green with brass and marble accents, organically shaped custom-made furnishings and curved motifs feature throughout – from the oval bar at the entrance to the light fittings such as Luceplan’s ‘Amisol’ disc-shaped pendant lights, which are suspended above the central dining area, located along one side of the L-shaped space.

Seating lines the expansive windows, but for more privacy, the cocooning semicircular booths that face the runway are the best spot to experience this immersive and interactive concept.

The drinks menu features a series of alcoholic and alcohol-free options curated to suit whatever ‘interval’ you have before boarding. Each selection is inspired by the passing of time, such as the 30-minute ‘Fruiting’, which is based on the life of a plant and features four beautifully presented mini cocktails starting from the Grappa-based ‘Green’ and ending with the coconut-flavoured bourbon-based ‘Fallen’.

These are paired with a food menu also suited to the amount of time you have, from breakfast dishes like the salmon eggs benedict to main course meals such as the lobster and prawn spaghetti. For some variety, there is a pinchos menu with delicious bites such as prawn toast with XO mayo; Turkish meatballs with pickled japaleño; and caramelised banana and peanut butter waffle made from croissant pastry.

Love or hate them, airports are a part of modern-day life, and the arrival of Intervals is a place to slow down and enjoy the journey before the destination.

intervalsbar.com

Garden Crescent, a new tower with a green twist, has been rising in Hong Kong's Waterloo Road in Ho Man Tin. Its architects, locally based studio Ronald Lu & Partners, have been developing biophilic designs for years and this latest completion exemplifies their philosophy and aim to 'bring nature on every doorstep'. 

Garden Crescent: an urban green haven

'The design of this building draws inspiration from nature, utilising curved architectural lines that imitate natural patterns. This biophilic approach enhances the flow of circulation and living experience of the residents, ultimately raising their overall quality of life,' explained Bryant Lu, vice chairman of Ronald Lu & Partners. 

'The building’s form is generated by creating a forest building within the dense urban fabric, where multi-layers of courtyards are thoughtfully planned to establish a micro-climate that harmonises with the surrounding neighbourhood. The courtyards also serve as gardens where residents can witness the gradual growth of trees over time. This will not only shield the building from the noise of busy traffic but will also encourage residents to embrace an active outdoor lifestyle.' 

Focusing on creating a design that doesn't feel flat and linear, but rather, 'three-dimensional', the studio crafted a structure where a verdant landscape of trees found on the ground-floor plinth is carried upwards through open-air balconies ready to be planted by residents. 

This seemingly simple move offers an important, constant connection with nature that can transform lives – especially when living in a metropolis such as Hong Kong, Lu said: '[The best way to make an urban high rise more friendly is] to design the building with a human-centric approach; enhancing the senses and designing from the perspective of users can greatly contribute to a more inviting and liveable environment.

'The multi-level courtyards integrate greenery throughout the building and provide a connection to nature, improve air quality, and offer visually appealing spaces for relaxation. The outdoor staircase at the clubhouse encourages walkability and creates opportunity for social interaction amongst the residents.' 

Materials such as natural stone, wood, plants and vegetation, and the use of reflective surfaces – such as metal and mirrored glass on ceilings, and glass finishes elsewhere – help create an environment that feels natural, light and spacious. 

rlp.asia 

Complementing the gentle, low density of its context, 2 Lucca Avenue at Hong Kong's Villa Lucca, is a residential haven anchored in subtle, contemporary luxury. The space, conceived by architecture and interiors studio Conran and Partners, sits within the high-end residential development commissioned by Hysan Development and HKR International and located in Hong Kong’s north-east New Territories region, overlooking Plover Cove Reservoir. 

2 Lucca Avenue at Villa Lucca

The home spans some over 5,341 sq ft, and features four en-suite bedrooms and a series of lavish living spaces, including a roof terrace that overlooks the water. Residents also have access to Villa Lucca's private club, and its indoor and outdoor swimming pools, humidor and tasting lounges, gym studio, dance studio and spa room. 

Conran and Partners responded to the calming surroundings and abundant space by wrapping interiors in quality materials, and punctuating them with a series of bespoke elements and signature pieces. One of these is a large tapestry by Tamar Samplonius, which creates a focal point in the 7.2m-high foyer. 

Elsewhere, Vincent Van Duysen’s ‘Octave‘ sofa for Molteni, Minotti’s ‘Jensen’ armchair and a vintage ‘Metaphor’ coffee table by Martinelli are paired with artwork by India-born artist Srinjoy Gangopadhyay and a custom-made Modulnova kitchen. 

2 Lucca Avenue was designed to embody contemporary luxury, bringing together design, art and architecture in a single home – with the help of UK-based procurement specialist Dodds & Shute. 

Tina Norden, principal and partner at Conran and Partners said: 'For this unique villa, our concept aimed to create an authentic experience that departs from traditional luxury. We embraced the beauty of the surrounding reservoir and the harbour to elevate the concept of contemporary luxury, combining European design with the beauty of nature and curated treasures. Villa Lucca is a unique development, at once connected to the city yet far away from its hectic pace. Our aim was to offer the future owner a tranquil, considered oasis for a life well lived.'

conranandpartners.com 

The Peninsula London has finally opened its doors, as the group follows the recent launch of its opening in Istanbul, making this the 12th property in its growing portfolio. From its flagship in Hong Kong, the almost century-year old Peninsula hotel brand has become synonymous with the best of Asian hospitality – and the British outpost is no exception.

Stepping inside The Peninsula London

Perched on Hyde Park corner overlooking Wellington Arch and the grounds of nearby Buckingham Palace, the hotel slots neatly into the area’s heritage architecture in an understated new-build designed by local firm Hopkins Architects. From the outside, its Portland Stone façade – a material used for much of the city’s historic landmarks – creates a sense of place, while forming a solid framework for distinct features such as the discreet off-street courtyard. Here, the hotel’s fleet of vintage cars, which includes a restored 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom Sedanca de Ville, sit within a cobblestone forecourt that has been landscaped by designer Enzo Enea to feature two 120-year-old Japanese maples alongside climbing wisteria and jasmine vines. 

The brand’s signature characteristics continue with the two stone lions that guard the entrance which leads to an elegant triple-height lobby designed by American architect Peter Marino, who is also behind the hotel’s 190 rooms and suites. ‘My goal was to create something that felt like it could have always been there,’ he notes. ‘I wanted to pull the landscape inside, to have a warm, friendly environment that makes you feel comfy. I wanted to create something with a bit of English style, with a touch of The Peninsula's Asian world in there too.’ As such, in the lobby, an all-day menu alongside afternoon tea is served against intricately moulded ceilings, hand-blown crystal chandeliers and hand-painted de Gournay murals that mirror the greenery from the courtyard and surrounding Royal Parks. 

Meanwhile, raising the bar for luxury accommodation in the city, all of the rooms –some with views over Wellington Arch – have a similar residential feel, their floor-to-ceiling windows shedding natural light onto bespoke furnishings and textiles, mahogany-panelled walk-in wardrobes, and spacious honey onyx bathrooms that reflect Marino’s intention to create a home away from home. 

On the food front, Canton Blue serves a Cantonese menu of dishes like the wagyu beef fried rice and the Peking duck with its perfectly crisp skin within a space designed by Hong Kong-based studio CAP Atelier, who took its cues from the historic Keying junk, which set off from Canton to London. The result references the porcelain, silk and tea transported by the Chinese sailing ship, with rich details like the coffered ceiling inspired by the ship’s ancient timbers, intimate softly lit booths lined with colourful porcelain plates, and a modern ceramic art wall, which lines the staircase that leads down to Little Blue, a bar with its own curbside entrance that serves cocktails inspired by the different ports the ship stopped at. 

On the eighth floor, Brooklands, the rooftop restaurant and bar is inspired by the former motor racing circuit and aerodrome of the same name. Here, against views over Belgravia, British firm Archer Humphryes has layered the sprawling collection of 13 spaces with rich design details,  such as the chandelier in the bar, which uses glass from the Rolls Royce’s Silver Phantom turbine engine. In the main dining room, the hotel has tapped chef Claude Bosi who delivers a fine dining modern English menu beneath an 18m Concorde model on the ceiling. 

And then there are the staff uniforms. In a first for British fashion designer Jenny Packham, she says: ‘This was an exciting design project for me, I hadn’t worked on a collection like this before. I was inspired by the Peninsula’s unique interior style, its sophistication and luxurious attention to detail.’ Taking her cues from each of the hotel’s destinations, Packham put a playful twist on the outfits from Concorde-inspired buckles and sharp suits in aviation blue for Brooklands to the rich red and deep gold shirt dresses inspired by Marino’s design in The Lobby. Meanwhile, for Canton Blue, Packham who says she took her cues from Ang Lee’s 2008 thriller, Lust, created suave and seductive tapered dresses with ‘Bacall’ shoulders alongside men’s suiting in cobalt blue velvet that complement the intense hues of the restaurant’s interior design.  

A much-awaited opening, The Peninsula London blends the brand’s heritage and tradition with innovative design details, offering travellers and Londoners a distinct experience in the heart of the city. 

peninsula.com 

Collective is a young and dynamic architecture studio based in Hong Kong and Spain. The practice works on a wealth of art, commercial and residential projects, including this apartment in Hong Kong (above); the Art Collector's House; and exhibitions for M+ Museum and Taipei Art Biennial 2020. Now, Collective has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. 

Who: Collective

Collective was founded by architect Betty Ng in 2015 – Chi Yan Chan, Juan Minguez and Katja Lam have since joined her as co-directors. While the studio is 'globally oriented and strongly rooted in Asia', the team explains, it remains headquartered in two continents, with offices in both Hong Kong and Madrid. With the directors combining experience at some of the world's most influential practices, such as the studios of Pritzker Prize-winning architects Rem Koolhaas/OMA and Herzog & de Meuron, Collective has a truly international outlook and a range of projects under its belt.

'We love working in a diverse genre of international projects, to move away from the standards and routines. Every project becomes a new adventure that allows us to tackle new circumstances, offering us an opportunity to come out with new answers and design solutions. These fresh encounters and processes motivate us in design,' the architects say, explaining that their overall approach can be applied to schemes of any scale and type. '[We] practise architecture, interiors, urban design and exhibition design. Collective specialises in design as a methodology, not a style.'

What: Hong Kong apartment, and more

With a background as diverse as Collective's, it's no surprise that the team can apply their varied skills to projects that span the residential, commercial and cultural realm with ease. Among their recent and current residential work is a Hong Kong apartment, a newly completed space defined by its sleek simplicity and soft, timber-clad interiors; and the ambitious Art Collector's House, one of the several ongoing standalone, single-family houses they have on their drawing boards. 

Meanwhile, Collective takes pride in its contributions to the cultural sector too, having already developed several schemes and concepts for high-profile, global institutions, despite the practice's young age. Among those, the M+ Museum's 'Things, Spaces, Interactions' exhibition in the destination's East galleries is an expansive showcase of some 500 examples of furniture, architecture, graphic arts, and other design objects, for which Collective designed the display. 

The office and exhibition gallery for Art Intelligence's global headquarters in Hong Kong is another project in the same field by the studio – it's a textured, minimalist, and highly functional space that blends simplicity with 21st-century technology and design solutions, fit for the art space's multi-layered uses. 

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

collective-studio.co 

A new colourful playground installation in Hong Kong's Sai Lau Kok Garden is the latest project by New York- and London-based artist duo Craig Redman and Karl Maier (aka Craig & Karl). Created as part of Design District Hong Kong and curated by Way of Difference, the installation is on view (and playable) until 14 September 2023.

The immersive installation reimagines the layout of urban Sai Lau Kok Garden in the neighbourhood of Tsuen Wan through a colourful composition of geometric sculptures bearing Craig & Karl’s signature bright palettes and graphics. 

Their intervention takes over the upper area of the location with a graphic treatment across the bridge accessing the garden, as well as the balcony overlooking the play area. 

Visitors to the location are invited to interact with the installation in all areas of the garden, through a design that is defined by a landscape of modules that include seating, planters and a miniature merry-go-round.

'We were inspired by the diversity of Tsuen Wan,' say the pair. 'The old and the new coming together, to create an environment that captured that energy with a sense of things coming together and building on each other.'

Known for their bold graphics applied to multiple creative dimensions, Craig & Karl are no strangers to playful installations, and their work has included a mini golf installation in Canary Wharf throughout summer 2022. ‘The element of surprise is one of the things we love about creating work for public spaces,' they said when the mini golf made its debut. 'Encountering something in an unexpected context can make it quite powerful.' 

craigandkarl.com

Artifact Bar, is a new cocktail haven in Hong Kong, whose vibrant futuristic interiors by Nelson Chow are inspired by the serpentine architecture of underground cisterns. 

Hong Kong might not have suffered through Prohibition, but that hasn’t stopped it from embracing the traditional speakeasy with open arms, not least because the concept is a perfect match for the city’s myriad small spaces. NC Design & Architecture Ltd founder Chow, who has been an active force in Hong Kong’s creative scene since he founded his eponymous studio in 2011, has designed numerous captivating and characterful places, including speakeasy icons Foxglove, Please Don’t Tell, and Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour.

Artifact Bar by Nelson Chow

The entrance, unexpectedly tucked away inside Jardine House’s luxury BaseHall food court in Central, is highlighted by circular windows suggestive of industrial pipes, adding to the industrial feel and creating a sense of discovery.  The entrance is marked by a rotating surveillance camera-like light, and guests continue through what feels like a secret passage, its walls clad floor-to-ceiling in what appear like small speakers, but which are small, three-dimensional perforated tiles that provide effective acoustic protection from the food hall outside.

Swooping voluminous curves are everywhere in the main bar area, from the rounded walls and dramatic sculptural bar inspired by an aircraft cocktail bar, to the custom furnishing and bold rib-like arches that stretch from side to side of the main space across a low mirrored ceiling. This clever architectural device not only echoes the texture, colour and flowing cavernous forms of underground water reservoirs, but also creates the illusion of a soaring ceiling above the sleek, striking silhouette.

Lighting adds to the fantasy, especially from the faux skylight that recreates the soft glow of the setting sun above the sinuous walnut bar, and adds warmth to the otherwise minimalist white space. 

Chow custom-designed every detail, including the sci-fi bar chairs and  stools, and the intimate booths upholstered in glamorous plush ivory leather. A second, smaller, VIP room also features pipe-like windows and similarly curvaceous seating. 

But, more than anything, the otherworldly interiors are an innovative combination of imagination and functionality, which deliver drama and intrigue while completely transforming what was originally an awkwardly shaped meandering corridor with two entry points and a low ceiling. 

Chow’s cutting-edge design is matched by the stellar cocktails concocted by bar manager J Frank. The list focuses predominantly on brown spirits, and the whisky-based Bread and Butter Milk Punch and savoury Caviar Martini are current seasonal highlights. Chef Sato Kiyoshi’s elevated menu of light snacks includes a very moreish Kumamoto A4 Wagyu tenderloin sando and tsukune wings with Okinawa spicy glaze.

Artifact Bar
G/F, Jardine House
No, 1 & 2, Shop 5 & 7,
1 Connaught Pl, Central
Hong Kong

artifactbar.com

Not only is Victoria Peak the highest point in Hong Kong, but it has also long epitomised luxury on the island. The location of architect Antony Chan’s newest project, it is close to the city (the Peak Tram delivers passengers from Central in just eight minutes) yet offers rare verdant views. Chan’s Hong Kong-based interior architecture studio Cream capitalised on this contrast when it transformed the interior of an existing 2014, four-storey detached house within a covetable private residential enclave using a fresh vision of contemporary living embracing textured finishes and objets d’art. The goal, says Chan, was to create a relaxed and informal home in harmony with its sub-tropical setting. 

Chan is known locally as the go-to architect for nuanced, thoughtful, upmarket interiors. His projects are notable for their subtle glamour, achieved through a meticulous layering of patina, character and complexity, their sophisticated use of colour, and their sprinkle of bespoke furniture designs, as well as original art and interiors pieces, often sourced in Paris. 

But this 446 sq m home, commissioned by a local developer, is much more than a mix of extraordinary surfaces and items. Here, Chan also brings architectural rigour, re-engineering each floor to create a natural flow that responds to its site. ‘We wanted to make sure that all elements were practical for a family,’ he says.

Hong Kong residence by Cream

The entrance hall on the lower ground floor sets the scene with a subtle arrangement of warm stone and light oak walls, which reach up to the full extent of the high ceilings. ‘The grain of the wood is as important as the colour,’ Chan says. He added here a Christian Liaigre ‘Touareg’ bench, not only for its pure minimalist form, but also because it provides a practical perch for changing shoes. This, and a brushed bronze pendant by Hervé Van der Straeten, are dramatically juxtaposed with a sinuous lattice bronze balustrade, which winds up to the main living space on the ground floor, where the kitchen and dining areas are also located. 

On this floor – an open-plan space looking towards striking vistas – the natural materials of Chan’s custom-made details, from handles (‘We create bespoke door handles as a signature touch for each home we design,’ he explains) to doors and staircases, are certainly a highlight. They are complemented by a richly textured material palette, including Quartzite Naica floors. Artworks, such as a minimalist sculpture by Angelo Mangiarotti and a large abstract bronze by Dan Schneiger, subtly help to carve out the different areas. In the living room, low-slung seating and an enormous coffee table by Promemoria are strategically placed to frame the mesmerising views. The living room leads on to a spacious 267 sq m garden, a rarity in Hong Kong, where Chan has added a sculptural bonsai tree and a dining area. A pool is lined with tiles in six different shades of green, arranged in an organic pattern that helps blur the boundaries between pool, garden and the trees beyond.

Back inside, in the living room, floor-to-ceiling windows are offset by four distinctive custom-made sliding screens combining bronze in different finishes with timber and onyx. They light up to create a soft glow at night. Upstairs, there is a light-filled informal living room surrounded by three bedrooms, including one paying homage to Japanese interiors, with a futon on a raised timber platform and shoji-like blinds. Chan designed the main bedroom and study on the top level as a serene sanctuary
with an idiosyncratic selection of contemporary creations. Standout pieces include a delicate hand-embroidered silk panel reminiscent of a Japanese kimono above the bed, a coffee table by Draga & Aurel, and a dressmaker’s model in a grey tutu by Comme des Garçons.  

The unifying feature in this home is the volume Chan has composed, which creates a constant dialogue with its sub-tropical surroundings. The interiors merge seamlessly, enriching each corner and detail with layers, generosity of space and purpose. For the designer, these are more than just decorative details; they are an integral part of creating a mindful sense of relaxed, site-specific luxury. ‘The changing expectations of luxury,’ says Chan, ‘are more about the quality of the design and the attention to detail. It has to be a space that is a joy to live in.’ 

cream.hk 

This article appears in the July 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

In partnership with Hysan Development and HKR International 

Villa Lucca, with its panoramic views over the Plover Cove Reservoir and Tolo Harbour, is a new residential development located in Hong Kong’s north-east New Territories region. It presents a contemporary and luxurious interpretation of the private club residency. Contributors to the project include renowned architects and designers, whose inspirational design and meticulous workmanship create a lavish and enjoyable living environment.

While the Pat Sin Leng Mountains tower above the location in the distance, Villa Lucca is purposefully low-rise, as well as low-density. The 14 apartment blocks are just five storeys high. They contain 226 apartments, each with between two and four bedrooms, and spanning from 1,010 to 3,760 sq ft.

In addition, there are 34 four- to five-bedroom, European-style family houses, of 3,245 to 5,341 sq ft, as well as two signature houses, at 8,030 sq ft and 6,268 sq ft. 

Villa Lucca, Hong Kong: Architects and designers

Across all the properties, the aesthetic is considered, elegant, discreet and contemporary. The developers, Hysan Development and HKR International, invited best-in-class creative talent to contribute to the project’s architecture, interior design and landscaping. 

To create interior spaces characterised by soft, dappled light, US-based architects Olson Kundig – in the role of design consultant –  conceived cantilevered roof planes and trellises, which provide protection from the sun and elements. All Villa Lucca houses are have a unique carport, with a design inspired by the wine cellars of European castles, courtesy of Hong Kong-based studio Via. Meanwhile, project architects DLN, also Hong Kong-based, instigated a ‘split-road’ design, keeping vehicles and pedestrians safely apart and creating a great canvas for landscaping.

In the grounds, award-winning local landscaper Adrian L Norman (ALN) promoted a contemporary interpretation of natural alpine luxury. The practice conceived tree-shaded boulevards, the Lucca Avenue and the Villa Avenue, to connect each block and every house, as well as the three garden areas, in a consistent visual theme. Rapidly maturing, the site has over 100,000 sq ft of green, landscaped areas, and more than 1,000 trees, spanning around 55 different species. 

Charged with the apartment interior design, Norman Chan – founder of local studio BTR Workshop – looked to simple and contemporary elements to create a welcoming atmosphere in the expansive layout. Kitchens and bathrooms feature material contrasts of wood, lacquer and stone. Spacious living rooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows, optimising light and views and emphasising the 3.3m ceiling height. Each apartment comes with a private lift lobby and the majority of them have a back of house area to offer a luxury living experience.

In the development’s houses, Frank Leung, principal of Via, opted for palettes distinguished by a striking materiality, with timber and richly grained marbles creating a sense of tactility. The views to the outside span the sky, seascape and mountains. As an example of the spacious interiors, 2 Villa Avenue features lofty, 4m-high ceilings and double-height entrance foyers, dining rooms at around 8m by 6.2m, and kitchens at around 3.3m wide. Modulnova cabinets and Gaggenau appliances make the kitchens suitably chic and efficient.

The clubhouse by David Collins Studio

It was left to the UK’s David Collins Studio to conceive the magnificent interior space of the over 34,000 sq ft Club Lucca, offering around 30 recreational facilities, including 25m indoor and 42m outdoor swimming pools connected by a spiral staircase, a humidor and tasting lounges, a gym, a dance studio, a spa, a luxurious banquet hall, a library and children’s play areas. 

Marble flooring and fine furniture feature in hues that complement the lush and soothing surrounding greenery. ‘Our studio blended geometry, symmetry and angles to effortlessly evoke charisma and orchestrate an aura of classical British charm,’ says David Collins Studio’s creative director Simon Rawlings.

The indoor pool glistens with a light-reflective ‘Glass Ripple Shift Panel’, created by Dutch designer Rive Roshan, while mosaic specialist Pierre Mesguich, whose company Mosaïk has bases in London, Paris and Barcelona, was commissioned to create a large-scale work on a clubhouse wall. Employing glass of different shades and colours with gold and silver foils, this hand-painted artwork features floral patterns that nod to the verdant surroundings.  

villalucca.com.hk

Art Basel Hong Kong 2023 will be a defining moment for Hong Kong as a regional cultural hub and the centre of Asia’s luxury art market. 

As Hong Kong emerges from some of the strictest Covid-19 restrictions in the world in time for the 2023 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong, the contemporary art trade appears to be thriving, revealing that the period of relative isolation has led to intense creativity and investment in the city’s cultural landscape.

‘In circumstances of obstruction we create in a much more intentional way,’ notes Alexie Glass-Kantor, executive director of Artspace, Sydney, who curated Encounters, the section of Art Basel dedicated to large-scale works. Local artist Trevor Yeung’s Mr Cuddles Under the Eave references Typhoon Mangkhut with uprooted money trees suspended from a grid. ‘The work is about resilience. It feels representative of Hong Kong.’ Encounters also extend beyond the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with Gravity, a playful ten-metre King Tutankhamun inflatable sculpture by Los Angeles-based Awol Erizku causing a sensation at Pacific Place mall.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2023: what to expect

The fair, forced to scale down and add online viewing rooms in 2021 and 2022, has a strong showing for its 2023 edition, with 177 galleries, 33 of them local, supported by a well-curated Conversations programme, available online. Angelle Siyang-Le, Director, Art Basel Hong Kong stresses that for the first time, Art Basel is providing onsite space to local universities. ‘Our show today has become a focal point for the city’s arts community.’

Despite intense rivalry from Singapore’s new Art SG, and Seoul where Frieze has launched a fair, Hong Kong’s cultural landscape has undoubtedly been boosted by the M+ and Palace Museums in the West Kowloon Cultural District. M+’s 65 x 110m media façade displays Swiss video artist Pipilotti Rist’s mesmerising site-specific work Hand Me Your Trust, which pays homage to Hong Kong’s architectural heritage.

Art exhibitions to see during Art Basel Hong Kong 2023

In parallel to the Fair, Art Central has cutting-edge exhibitions of video and performance art, and an educational programme and the growing number of local and international art galleries show that, apart from its own art connoisseurs, Hong Kong remains the city of choice for mainland China collectors. Notably, international auction houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips have all chosen to establish their Asian headquarters there.

‘There is no other city in Asia that can truly rival Hong Kong for art and auctions, considering the city is a more flexible market and its strategic and convenient location in the centre of Asia,’ says Asia chairman of Phillips, Jonathan Crockett, who recently opened a 50,000 sq ft exhibition space, saleroom, café, and VIP lounge.

This week’s highlights across the city include K11 Musea's ‘City As Studio’, China’s first major exhibition, graffiti and street art exhibition curated by Jeffrey Deitch with works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and AIKO, and Urban Rocks, an immersive installation of twelve enigmatic stone sculptures inspired by Chinese scholar’s rocks by Hong Kong-based French artist Polo Bourieau, at ArtisTree. Outdoor works include untitled: folly; baubles, an installation made by Phyllida Barlow (who sadly passed away last week) for the British Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017; and the ever-popular Hot Dog Bus by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm. 

Duddells is showing ‘The Drifters’, a group exhibition featuring a wonderfully eclectic collection of pieces belonging to five Hong Kong-based collectors including Alan Lo and Evan Chow, and at H Queen’s, a 24-storey hub of art galleries, architect William Lim has a solo exhibition of vibrant paintings titled ‘Flowers Good Moon Round’.

Can Hong Kong reclaim the title of ‘Asia’s art hub’?

‘The energy and excitement on the street is palpable,’ says Lo, who recommends Jes Fan’s sculptural work at Empty Gallery and Tai Kwun Contemporary’s major exhibition of art exploring LGBTQ+ themes.

Henry Au Yeung of Grotto Fine Arts – the only gallery to represent solely Hong Kong artists, has a strong display at the fair, with Shum Kwan-yi’s ink Forbidden Exercise on silk and Lee Bovey’s colourful hand-cut paper illustrations standing out – says ‘I think that Hong Kong has become much more interesting in that we now have a lot of different opinions and our society is becoming more complex. Kwan-yi is only 26 years old yet her works are incredibly insightful. They raise questions.’ Other highlights include Gagosian, Pearl Lam and 10 Chancery Lane.

International art galleries have signalled a return to business as usual with choice pieces: David Zwirner’s Central gallery presents ‘Rirkrit Tiravanija: The Shop’, and Axel Vervoordt Gallery Hong Kong‘s ‘Topography of Body’, is a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary conceptual artist Kimsooja’s of indigo Indian block prints, and new clay and rice paper works. White Cube presents ‘Deep Dive’, British-Nigerian artist Tunji Adeniyi-Jones’s delicate lithographs.

As Hong Kong returns to some kind of normalcy, art consultant Alison Pickett questions any assumption that the art scene closed down during the three-year hiatus. ‘There is some misconception that the Hong Kong art scene doesn’t exist except for one week out of 52 - during Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central. But after the doors of the Convention Centre close, all of us Hong Kongers carry on as usual, working on projects and exhibitions, curating shows and collections, and creating beautiful art.’

Art Basel Hong Kong 2023 runs from 23-25 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. artbasel.com

The considerate, futureproof architecture of multigenerational homes celebrates living alongside grandparents and children. It is especially fitting to explore during the holidays, as, recently across Asia, family spirit was being commemorated during Lunar New Year, with reunion dinners that spur the largest annual travel rush in the world. Our growing need for deeper connections with relatives, along with rising costs of housing, childcare, and elderly care, has prompted architects to explore spatial configurations and living arrangements to fit the needs of three or more generations. 

Often, the most sustainable intergenerational houses are designed to be inclusive for all members of the family, accommodating access throughout the various stages of life. Many studios play with the balance of togetherness and privacy, creating smooth corridors of transition between communal areas and secluded bedrooms. 

From India to China, Singapore to South Korea, the tradition of multigenerational living is conserved and developed through projects like the ones below. The unique gathering spaces of a home reveal the heart and soul of a family, with the following examples having been tailored to meet the distinct wishes and tastes of different households. 

THE BEST MULTIGENERATIONAL HOMES

Jalan Chengkek, Singapore, by alittlepractice

Clad in reclaimed bricks and cooled by tropical air passing through a central courtyard, Jalan Chengkek provides a humble sense of respite for a growing family. The home was designed to be 'elderly-friendly and able to accommodate both sides of grandparents and children', say Alittlepractice architects Low Ming Fang and Lin Huiying. The open living areas let the grandparents easily keep watch over their young granddaughter as she wanders and plays independently around the house.

Residence of Three Generations, Beijing, by MINORlab

The Residence of Three Generations was designed to be a house 'where people agree to disagree, meet and relate as a family, and naturally form strong emotional bonds'. Nestled in the outskirts of Beijing, this update of a childhood home respects the privacy of its family members with independent bedroom suites and fosters meaningful cross-generational interactions through its permeable courtyard and patios. 

Plain Ties, India, by Matharoo Associates

Challenging the design conventions of a living room, a circular central lounge with moveable concrete walls illuminated by an adjoining skylight is the highlight of Plain Ties, a minimalist home in the Gujarati port city of Surat. The physical, mental, and spiritual wellness of the family is strengthened by a meditation space, temple, and gym, and opportunities for ‘communal collision’ are created along the house’s curved concrete stairs. 

Bojeong Dong House, South Korea, by The System Lab

Acting as both fortress and sanctuary, this curvilinear home provides security and privacy to the extended family of three sisters. Designed by local architecture practice The System Lab and situated just outside of South Korea's capital city, Bojeong-dong House's thick, flowing concrete facade is a purposeful attempt at tranquil comfort for the women of the family. 

SN House, India, by Rajiv Saini

'Art has always been an inseparable part of all my projects,' says Mumbai-based designer Rajiv Saini. When Saini was commissioned to design a multigenerational home in New Delhi for a returning client, a dramatic juxtaposition of materials, textures, bespoke furnishings, and carefully positioned art was collaged in a home of two discrete but interconnected units. With a self-contained suite for each member of the family, SN House serves as an expansive and tasteful example of multigenerational living. 

The House of Remembrance, Singapore, by Neri & Hu

Set within the Singaporean cityscape, Shanghai-based design and architecture studio Neri & Hu has reinterpreted traditional communal living with an updated Chinese courtyard house or siheyuan. The family's collective memory is celebrated through the architecture of the residence; a memorial garden for the household’s late matriarch that is lush with local vegetation is sheltered and framed by the house's pitched roof. Accommodating three adults' needs, an extroverted ground level with swathes of glass and open-plan arrangements contrasts with an emphasis on privacy on the upper floor of this two-storey home. 

Shiyuan, China, by Days in Yard Studio

Modern Hutong house Shiyuan, by Chinese architects Days in YARD Studio, was designed with the vision of 'a yard as a meeting place.' Resting by two ancient temple clusters, this home combines traditional Chinese construction and contemporary Passivhaus design standards to create a versatile, spacious, and domestic, sustainable architecture space. This courtyard house’s fluid and permeable living areas are sufficiently open for chamber music, painting, film nights, and everything in between. 

Standing on a carpet of dried pasta, six crayon-coloured mannequins stand mid-conversation at a dinner party - each covered in artist Yayoi Kusama’s infinity nets: her famed seemingly endless dotted patterns. A table laden with crockery and surrounded by chairs similarly receives the same vibrant treatment, a scene arranged altogether for the first time in decades at M+’s ‘Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now’ retrospective in Hong Kong.

The meticulous portrait, titled Self Obliteration, speaks to the heart of Kusama’s hallucinogenic vision of the world, expressed by the Japanese artist over several decades. The polka-dotted faces of the mannequins disappear as they expand and contract endlessly beneath their styled wigs, sealed to the shape of identically shaped female bodies pinned to spotted stands.

The comprehensive exhibition is M+’s first-ever special exhibition in Hong Kong and one of the first major retrospectives on the artist in nearly a decade. From her early sketchbooks to pieces created by Kusama over the pandemic, signature works such as her 1992 work Shooting Stars and an array of miniature pumpkins take pride of place in the exhibition alongside paintings, videos and even costumes. In one room, curators took advantage of a sweeping view of Hong Kong harbour and set up the artist’s mercurial Cloud sculptures: their metallic sheen reflecting a blue sky and fluorescent museum lights. 

New works were also commissioned for the opening, including two melting versions of her iconic pumpkins: a continued self-obliteration of a motif synonymous with the artist. Both the Instagram-minded and Kusama fans are set to flock to the artist’s brand new infinity room, Dots Obsession──Aspiring to Heaven's Love, a stark black and white space filled with gigantic polka-dotted balls which make the onlooker feel like an insignificant speck - leading into a mirrored room where polka dots seemingly stretch beyond the dimensions of time and space.

Chong joked at the press preview that some of her latest works - created this summer - were shipped the moment the paint dried. Speaking to Wallpaper* over email, Kusama said, ‘I do not feel the difference between my earlier creation and now. I never run out of ideas so I shall continue to show new things.’

‘I take in everything I’m interested in. I desire to create ever more original works,’ Kusama continued. 

Curated by preeminent Kusama expert Mika Yoshitake and M+’s Doryun Chong, the entire exhibition is arranged chronologically - though not in the way you’d typically expect. Each section of the exhibition speaks to a different theme explored by Kusama throughout her oeuvre with titles such as Infinity, Accumulation, and Force of Life, with each area showing early thematically-relevant works and later revisitations.

Art has always been a method of healing for Kusama, who has spoken openly about her mental health and has chosen to live in a psychiatric facility in Japan. ‘I fight pain, anxiety, and fear every day, and the only method I have found that relieves my illness is to keep creating art. Painting helps me to keep away thoughts of death for myself. That is the power of art,’ she said. 

While she was unable to travel to rigidly Covid-restricted Hong Kong over the course of the exhibition’s preparation, she spoke with the curators online while close-knit members of her studio served as consultants on her behalf. Suhanya Raffel, museum director at M+ told Wallpaper*, ‘There is a renewed relevance to her candour about mental illness during the post-pandemic period.’

‘Kusama embodies a fearless and indefatigable spirit, with a powerful conviction in art. Her expressions of universal love offer an inspiring message of healing that she has been propagating for decades,’ she continued.

Death is indeed another of the sections in the exhibition and one of its most thought-provoking. 'We arrived at the theme of "Death" from Kusama’s coming of age during the destruction and devastation of World War II and lifelong struggle with mental illness, which is pronounced in the 1970s', explains Mika Yoshitake, co-curator of ‘Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now’. 

Presiding over the room sits Death of a Nerve, a serpentine black and white sculpture which stands in contrast to Kusama’s rainbow works. Created in 1973 following Kusama’s departure from New York back to Japan, the fabric-stuffed sculpture speaks to the intense burnout the artist experienced at the time following years of prolific production - hanging lifelessly from hooks as its tentacles pool slumped on the ground. One gouache and ink piece titled Atomic Bomb hangs nearby, a haunting abstract portrait responding to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: an event which happened in her lifetime.

But all is not lost. Death leads into another room called Force of Life, a dizzying collection of paintings crammed onto walls. As Yoshitake continues, 'Force of Life was inspired by Kusama’s latest body of work, My Eternal Soul (2009-2021) comprising over 900 paintings, which she began at the age of 80. We have also included eleven paintings from her newest series, Every Day I Pray for Love (2021-present) as a testament to the enormous drive for life that she has through the act of painting daily'. 

Colour fills every inch of the space in works such as Pound of Repose, a sunshine yellow painting filled with amoebic shapes - and the rosy hues of My Heart with Many Worries. The sheer breadth and volume of Kusama’s work speak to an innate desire to live through her work, in the hundreds of pieces she continues to create to this day. 

As Suhanya Raffel, museum director at M+ said of the exhibition, ‘We want to tell the story of how an Asian woman, with an indomitable spirit, could push through all social, cultural, and personal obstacles, to build a consistent and visionary body of work and legacy.’

‘In recent years the world has become unpeaceful and full of turmoil,’ Kusama reflects. 'As an artist, I think it is important to share the love and peace and hope to deliver that to people who are suffering and do not have the opportunity to enjoy the joy of art and shall do my best to create art to leave the message of “love forever” to the young generations.’

'Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now', until 14 May 2023, M+ Museum, Hong Kong. mplus.org.hk

Kusama is also staging 'My Soul Blooms Forever', an outdoor exhibition in the grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Doha, Qatar, until 31 December to coincide with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. mia.org.qa

We set our sights on the southern Chinese metropolis as it finally relaxes its strict border controls, and discover that, in spite of a few difficult years, the city has retained its distinctively cosmopolitan character. This ‘postcard’ from Wallpaper’s Hong Kong-born magazine editor TF Chan proposes an in-the-know city tour that spans exhibitions by leading Asian creatives to culinary destinations that evoke old-world London and New York, as well as a showcase of locally designed luxury furniture, and even a pioneering vertical farm. Take our Hong Kong tour.

Discover our Hong Kong highlights

Café Carlyle

With chic interiors by Studioilse and magnificent murals by Jean-Philippe Delhomme, Café Carlyle, on the 56th floor of the Rosewood Hong Kong hotel, is an homage to the legendary New York cabaret club of the same name. Its event calendar promises ‘a heady mix of soul, jazz standards, musical and variety favourites, and the best of Broadway’. Glamorous yet intimate, this is the perfect spot to dress to the nines and dance the night away.

carlyleandco.com 

'Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to now' at M+

Already a beloved cultural destination, the barely one-year-old Herzog & de Meuron-designed M+ is destined to become the talk of the town with the opening of its Yayoi Kusama exhibition, the artist’s largest Asian retrospective outside Japan. Highlights include a mesmerising extension of her Infinity Nets; a kaleidoscopic chamber featuring her signature mirrors, polka dots and balloons; and two Pumpkin sculptures.

mplus.org.hk

Common Farms

Although Hong Kong imports most of its food, the locavore movement is rapidly gaining ground. Leading the charge is vertical farming pioneer Jessica Naomi Fong of Common Farms, which uses nutrient-rich soil and aquaponics to grow ten times the produce of an equivalently sized outdoor farm while using 95 per cent less water. In addition to supplying the city’s leading restaurants, it also operates Re:Farm, a pop-up at K11 Musea.

@commonfarms

The Magistracy

Designer Joyce Wang recently reimagined Hong Kong’s former supreme court – which had stood empty since 1984 – into a hotly anticipated culinary destination. Its Dining Room takes its cues from historic London restaurants, with leather banquettes and golden lamps complementing a decadent seafood-focused menu, while the adjacent Botanical Garden, which specialises in gin and tonics, brings to mind the gardens of English manors.

themagistracyhongkong.com

‘Eternal Nature’ at Arte M

Lose yourself in a cascade of camellias, bask in the glow of aurora borealis, and journey into a bioluminescent rainforest at ‘Eternal Nature’, an immersive art show by D’strict, a digital design company based in Seoul. Having drawn 3.2 million visitors across South Korea since 2020, the exhibition now makes its overseas debut at K11 HACC, bringing together sumptuous visuals, surround sound and scent to create a feast for the senses.

artem-hk-en.artemuseum.com

Hansik Goo

This Michelin-starred restaurant is the brainchild of South Korean chef Mingoo Kang, who aspires to deliver a bold take on his country’s diverse culinary culture. The tasting menu features dishes such as a humble bean noodle elevated with sea urchin, and a ginseng soup featuring a roulade of duck and chicken. The pared-back space, with elements evoking the traditional Korean hearth, is by Area+ and features artworks by Lee Bae and Chung Chang-sup.

hansikgoo.hk

Uncle Ming’s 

Perched on the 25th floor of the AKI Hong Kong-MGallery hotel, Uncle Ming’s serves up delectable whiskies with skyline views. Designed by local studio A Work of Substance, the understated yet inviting space features backlit shelving and rippled glass panels intended to evoke the surrounding architecture. The bar’s signature Around the World whisky flight, featuring drams from France, India, Japan, Taiwan, Scotland and the US, is not to be missed.

@unclemingshk

André Fu living 

Located in the Heatherwick Studio-designed Pacific Place shopping centre, the flagship store of local interior architect André Fu (the mastermind behind such leading hotels as the nearby Upper House, Provence’s Villa La Coste and Kyoto’s The Mitsui) offers exquisite furniture and accessories, with inspirations ranging from Chinese ink painting to 1960s modernist architecture. The store design takes its cues from a temple in Kyoto.

andrefuliving.com

Stretched across a screen of cardboard is a video of a woman washing the bone-white carcass of a young sperm whale. Standing thigh-deep in water, she passes a sponge over the whale, which has died alone in Newfoundland, with no trace of its family to be seen. 

This video piece by Asian-American artist Patty Chang, titled Invocation for a Wandering Lake, is just one of the moving narratives in ‘Soy Dreams of Milk’, a group exhibition at Hong Kong’s Blindspot Gallery on the joys and sorrows of diasporic migration. Centering on Asian emigration, the show brings together six artists who work across video, digital renderings, traditional Chinese paper-cutting and more, in a thoughtful curation by Blindspot’s associate director Nick Yu. 

‘Soy Dreams of Milk’ at Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong

Drawing parallels between Asian emigration and the American Dream, Yu tells Wallpaper*, ‘A lot of people migrate for a dream, for something that is driving them.’

Alongside Chang are artists Michael Ho, Lap-See Lam, Tan Jing, Zadie Xa and Xiyadie, each exploring unique yet strikingly universal stories of migration.

Some of the stories are delightful, such as Shaanxi artist Xiyadie’s vibrant homoerotic paper cuttings. Xiyadie, who was raised in rural China and learned his craft from the women in his family, moved to Beijing after coming out as gay. In Gate, his largest work in the exhibition, two men copulate in front of Tiananmen Square; a national symbol bound up in a turbulent history is reclaimed by Xiyadie’s jubilant scene. It’s a dialogue between traditional forms and symbols, and hopeful self-expression, shifting from the expected monochrome palettes of Chinese paper-cutting to rainbow pastels, from tradition towards joy. 

‘There’s this joy and this aspect of migrating. Migrating for an idealised good life, for love, for chasing a better dream,’ explains Yu.

Emigration is a rich intergenerational story for the Asian community. For many of the second-generation artists featured, there’s a sense of yearning for something intangible and a delicate balancing act between identities. German-Chinese artist Michael Ho, for example, paints on both sides of his linen canvases, his paint bleeding through the back to create ghostly backdrops for his works such as A Cowboy Renaissance: depicting a pair of tall Western cowboy boots. The interaction between the piece’s two painted sides creates both pressure and meaning, speaking of the pressures of the artist’s dual identities as a queer second-generation immigrant.

Through Lap-See Lam and Wingyee Wu’s digital single-channel video Mother’s Tongue, a fictional relationship between a first-generation immigrant mother and her second-generation daughter is explained against a backdrop of uncanny renderings of Chinese restaurants in Sweden. Lam, whose family opened a Chinese restaurant after immigrating to Sweden, laser-scanned numerous such eateries in the country to create her spectral blurred visions narrated in a patchwork of Swedish and Cantonese. Set before a physical 3D sculpture of a melting, incomplete dining table created from Lam and Wu’s scans, the work expresses a longing to understand and belong – halted by the pressures of the digital and real worlds.

‘Soy Dreams of Milk’ ends with an ode to the motherland, told through the lens of a dog. Shenzhen-born artist Tan Jing’s grandparents emigrated from Thailand in the 1950s amidst a wave of Sinophobia, returning to a homeland they barely remembered.

Visitors walk through the sensory installation Trancing Lap Hung, a long hallway lined with cracking porcelain tiles and a bead curtain scented with herbs, towards a video – blurred by begonia-embellished windows. Throughout her life, Tan’s grandparents rarely shared stories of their migration back to China. After her grandfather passed away, she reimagined him as a dog wandering the unfamiliar streets of Lingnan and Nanyang through her video. Viewers are thrown into a state of traumatic displacement as they crane to see the video through a small opening in the glass window, and are forced to crouch as they watch the first-person footage of the dog scurrying around the streets in search of familiarity.

‘Soy Dreams of Milk’ is only partly a celebration of diasporic migration, as for any family who has chosen to migrate in search of a better life, joy is only a part of the experience. For many, it is also disorienting, lonely and full of nostalgia for a place you once knew, or want to know. 

But above all, it is hopeful. The dog in Tan’s piece may eventually find its way home. The beached whale is honoured in death by Chang, a mother, in place of its own parents. These are not all success stories, but they are loving stories of perseverance.

INFORMATION

‘Soy Dreams of Milk’, until 29 October 2022, Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong. blindspotgallery.com

ADDRESS

15/F, Po Chai Industrial Building
28 Wong Chuk Hang Rd
Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

In partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board

‘Hong Kong tries to escape nostalgia,’ says leading curator Johnson Chang. ‘It is this relentless plunging into the future that has always made Hong Kong exciting.’ 

An original Hong Kong art trailblazer, Chang founded the Hanart Gallery with dealer and painter Harold Wong back in the late 1970s, focusing on traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, before establishing Hanart TZ Gallery in a Kowloon basement back in 1983. Dealing in contemporary art from Hong Kong and Taiwan, Chang spearheaded the growth of the thriving local contemporary art scene.

Now enjoying a heady, kinetic mix of creativity and pop culture, gravitas and fun, local craft and fresh talent, architectural and curatorial excellence, the new Hong Kong is home to a growing portfolio of world-class cultural destinations staging major exhibitions and a colourful schedule of international festivals, along with cutting-edge street art.

Hong Kong’s rise as one of the world’s most thriving art markets and the new, go-to art hub of the Asia Pacific region is now on permanent show, thanks to a year-round schedule of events and annual fairs, such as Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central, and the establishment of world-class cultural hubs across town, such as H Queen’s, Tai Kwun, and PMQ, along with art hotels and art-themed drinking and dining venues. 

With West Kowloon Cultural District’s newly opened and spectacular M+ museum by Herzog & de Meuron providing a gateway to visitors looking for a wider arts-inspired experience all across the city, Hong Kong’s array of independent galleries, bars, hotels, stores and restaurants makes this most future-facing, global city an essential destination. So, go ahead, plunge right in.  

Galleries and art hubs to see in Hong Kong

Tai Kwun 

A compound formerly comprising Hong Kong’s Central Police Station, the Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison underwent revitalisation a few years ago and reopened in 2018 as Tai Kwun, a not-for-profit art and heritage space, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The complex’s mission is to foster cultural discourse in Hong Kong through heritage, contemporary art and performing arts. Don’t miss the excellent library.  

taikwun.hk

PMQ

Situated on the historic site of the old Hollywood Road Police Married Quarters, the PMQ is a mixed-use arts and design venue comprising exhibition spaces, studios, shops and offices for creative enterprises. The venue showcases a wide array of handcrafted products, including fashion and accessories, gifts, homeware, and small furniture pieces designed and made by the local arts community. 

pmq.org.hk

H Queen’s

A thrill on so many levels, this shimmering 24-storey building – conceived as a translucent cloudy-white ‘jewellery box’ by architect William Lim – hosts world-class art galleries and much more. Come to explore the galleries – Pearl Lam, Pace, David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth and more – but stay for fine dining, stores, and a wellness centre.  

hqueens.com

The Mills 

A landmark revitalisation project, The Mills is an arts and shopping destination housed in the former Nan Fung textile mill. Now a 264,000 sq ft, self-contained oasis of inspiration for education and outreach, The Mills hosts a world-class non-profit art gallery and retail experiences.

themills.com

Cattle Depot Artist Village 

This converted red-brick slaughterhouse was one of the city’s first art studio communities. Founded to accommodate creative talents from the short-lived but vibrant Oil Street art colony in North Point, Cattle Depot Artist Village was born in 2001 as an avant-garde complex with around 20 spaces occupied by a mix of painters and sculptors, video and multimedia creators and performers, theatre workshops and pop-up exhibition spaces. Visitors are welcome to wander around and watch Hong Kong creativity in action.  

Blindspot Gallery 

Founded in 2010, Blindspot Gallery focuses on contemporary photography and lens-based art. The venue’s name references the notion of contemporary photography not always getting the attention it deserves in Hong Kong. The gallery now represents both emerging and established photographic artists from Hong Kong and beyond, including Anothermountain (aka Stanley Wong), Ken Kitano and Maleonn. 

blindspotgallery.com

Stay in a Hong Kong art hotel

Tung Nam Lou art hotel 

Once a restaurant, whose proprietor Lo Chi Ching became interested in collecting art, Tung Nam Lou has been reborn as a boutique hotel and decorated in a synthesis of Eastern and Western styles (British classicism meets Ming Dynasty porcelain). The location is an elegant, multitasking platform for art lovers, artists and designers, and includes an art shop, working space and an events hub showcasing a cultural blend of Hong Kong’s colonial past and its contemporary art future. 

tungnamlou.com

Artful dining and drinking options

Sevva

The 25th-storey rooftop of a converted office building in Hong Kong’s Central district is where gastronomic and art destination Sevva – owned by style maven Bonnae Gokson and designed by New York architects Tsao & McKown – offers a heady blend of old-school glamour, modern cuisine and dazzling contemporary design. 

Art features in the Hallway gallery and throughout the space (spanning the likes of photographer Candida Höfer, fashion illustrator Gladys Perint Palmer, and artist Iván Navarro). Guests can choose from five drinking and dining spaces, including the Lounge, with a vertical garden; the sumptuous Sweets Corner, where cakes and pastries are displayed in glass cabinets like edible works of art; and the wraparound Terrace, which offers 360-degree views of the Hong Kong skyline and its nightly light show.  

sevva.hk

Ami and Wood Ear

A double billing of a French restaurant and a whisky bar helmed by chefs Nicolas Boutin and Eric Taluy, this snug and garden terrace brings the concept of ‘fine bistronomie’ – elevated yet approachable Parisian cuisine – to Hong Kong. The Wood Ear bar is a whisky lover’s paradise, with more than 400 rare labels gathered from Scotland and Japan. Large-scale art photography adorns the restaurant’s walls.

ami-woodear.hk

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Hong Kong Tourism Board website

In partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board

Across its diverse neighbourhoods, Hong Kong’s West Kowloon transcends cultural, gastronomic, architectural and creative limits.

Spanning 40 hectares of reclaimed land, the futuristic shimmer of hyper-connected harbour front is at once audaciously international but also distinctly Asian; the West Kowloon Cultural District offers a live-action exchange between human beings and artistic spectacle. In Yau Ma Tei and Jordan, to the south of the Kowloon Peninsula, meanwhile, the old and new Hong Kong – markets, temples, street food, coffee shops, indie cinemas and open-air opera – are juxtaposed within thrilling and synergetic proximity.  

Yau Ma Tei and Jordan

Stretching from Jordan north into Yau Ma Tei, Temple Street Night Market is a street of stalls selling Chinese bags and purses, chopstick sets and wall hangings. Sit outside on a plastic stool and eat fresh crab at one of the ‘dai pai dongs’ (outdoor food stalls) and drink in the buzzing Hong Kong atmosphere. 

Paul Tse and Evelyn Ting, co-founders of local architecture and design studio New Office Works (and the brains behind the ‘Growing Up’ Pavilion in the West Kowloon Cultural District, see below), suggest beginning an adventure in this shimmering thrill-space with a visit to the architecturally intriguing former Yau Ma Tei Police Station. ‘It’s on a corner, with the entrance facing the corner and arcades on both sides. It has a very different spatial relationship with the street compared to the juxtaposition of buildings on other streets where a lot of older tenement buildings have the gallery style of arcade,’ explains Ting.

Once a dock for the Tanka people’s fishing boats, the pushed back and reclaimed Yau Ma Tei shoreline is now home to some of Hong Kong’s oldest restaurants, historic temples and traditional craft, creating an atmospheric counterpoint to the modernity of the neighbouring West Kowloon Cultural District.

Formerly used by the Tanka people to worship the goddess of the sea to ensure a safe and prosperous fishing trip, the Tin Hau Temple is amongst the city’s oldest declared monuments and one of its largest temple complexes. While you are in the area, stop for a traditional Hong Kong-style brunch at the Mido Café, which retains much of its décor from the 1950s. 

A blue-collar area of the West Kowloon neighbourhood, Jordan is an authentic glimpse into daily life for Hong Kong residents, rich in family run-restaurants,  jade and antique shops, artisans and heritage sites. Our recommendations include the wonton noodle soup with shrimp and pork at legendary local restaurant Mak Man Kee Noodles, the exquisite hand-carved Mahjong tiles at Biu Kee Mahjong, the beautiful embroidered shoes at Sindart and the traditional tailoring at Shanghai Baoxing Qipao.

On to the West Kowloon Cultural District, billed as the largest cultural initiative of its kind.

West Kowloon Cultural District

Both a world-class host and a nurturer of local talent, the West Kowloon Cultural District’s arts education facilities stimulate home-grown artists and performers to explore and develop, ensuring long-lasting benefits for the people of Hong Kong.  

A stage for an ever-changing series of exhibitions, installations, gallery openings, fairs and events, the district’s creative energy is evident as soon as you emerge from the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. Designed by Andrew Bromberg of Aedas architects, the building’s distinctive arching, walkway-topped roof is just one landmark in a local skyline that is evolving apace. 

Additions in recent years include the timber ‘Growing Up’ Pavilion; and the spectacular Xiqu Centre performing arts building, with 13,000 intertwining metal fins, by Revery Architecture and Ronald Lu & Partners. Herzog & de Meuron’s vast and much-anticipated M+ museum of visual culture is now open. 

Structures created to inspire, thrill, entertain, educate, and to encourage artistic talent are interspersed with a familiar Hong Kong streetscape of colonnades, alleyways, lanes, outdoor terraces and tree-lined promenades that link cultural structures to the waterfront, which has vistas extending to Hong Kong Island. From Foster + Partners’ Art Park, an uninterrupted, two kilometre-long harbourfront affords residents and visitors an opportunity to admire the city’s iconic, neon skyline. 

Xiqu Centre and Chinese opera

Alongside its regular programme of Cantonese opera productions, concerts, screenings, theatre experiences and hands-on workshops, the Xiqu Centre stages an annual Black Box Chinese Opera Festival, where original productions are redesigned and reconsidered to offer new perspectives on the history, evolution and potential future of Chinese opera.

Bringing together emerging artists from around the region, the festival inspires and facilitates exchange between practitioners as part of the contemporary network of experimental Chinese opera festivals.  

Making the arts accessible

Free and accessible to all, West Kowloon’s Art Park invites visitors to discover the waterfront promenade and its open green spaces. A bicycle-sharing programme, SmartBike, provides easy access to harbourside restaurants. Located within Art Park and incorporating numerous soundproof studios, a black-box theatre and a live music bar is the minimalist, concrete structure of Freespace, the West Kowloon Cultural District’s centre for modern performing arts and live performances across contemporary dance and jazz.  

A hybrid between a retail mall and an art museum, K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui is a unique platform showing pioneering artwork created by Hong Kong and international artists. Founded by Adrian Cheng in 2008, the art mall collaborates with the non-profit K11 Art Foundation to bring innovative projects and out-of-the-box exhibitions to a wide audience. 

Hong Kong Palace Museum

This summer will see West Kowloon Cultural District’s creative vision grow even wider. Opening soon is the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), developed with the concept of ‘harmony’ in mind and occupying a site that offers panoramic views of both Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island. With a design inspired by the layout of the Forbidden City in Beijing, the museum will offer a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Chinese aesthetic.  

Dr Louis Ng, director of the HKPM, explains that the museum will embrace new curatorial approaches to offer a Hong Kong perspective and a global vision, presenting the finest objects from its own collection and other leading cultural institutions around the world. He says, ‘In terms of vision and positioning, the HKPM is all about the idea of a “connected museum”, to connect the past to the present, increase hyperconnectivity, strengthen connections with museums and audiences in mainland China, and connect Chinese culture with the rest of the world.’ 

Suggested West Kowloon itineraries

Below are four routes as possible ways to explore the neighbourhood – find the full itineraries on the Hong Kong Tourism Board website.

Route 1: Architecture

This tour focuses on the modern and traditional architecture of the neighbourhood. The architecture of West Kowloon tells a story of how the area has transformed over time from a humble fishing community to Hong Kong’s centre for arts and culture. There are ten stops along this itinerary, among them Yau Ma Tei Theatre; Tin Hau Temple; Hong Kong West Kowloon Station; and Xiqu Centre. 

Route 2: Handmade craft 

For travellers looking to discover the history of the neighbourhood through local artisans and artists, this tour explores the connection between traditional crafts and the community. Highlights include Biu Kee Mahjong, Sindart embroidered slippers, and the Jade Market.

Route 3: Art in panorama

M+, a brand-new museum of visual culture, is the jewel in the crown of the West Kowloon Cultural District. This tour reveals how the area is now a world-class arts hub, and includes stunning views from Ozone at the Ritz-Carlton (Hong Kong’s highest bar); M+; Sky100; and the Art Park promenade.

Route 4: Urban art

Street art has transformed many neighbourhoods across Hong Kong into public galleries and West Kowloon is no different. This tour takes in some of the city’s most recognisable pieces, little known murals, unique installations and boutique galleries. Among the stops are Mido Café and the Précédée gallery.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Hong Kong Tourism Board

Office architecture presents its own unique challenges, but even more so when the client comprises two generations negotiating a space in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai quarter that hasn’t really evolved, stylistically, in 30 years of business. For Singapore-based Brewin Design Office, the penthouse office redesign of the family-run property developer Shui On Land involved a delicate balancing between the diktats of the current chairman and his children.

For the former, fengshui considerations and his collection of calligraphy and antiques were important; and for the latter, the brief was for a casually sleek yet welcoming open-plan setting with connecting lounge and meeting spaces – the better for luring a new generation of clients.

The solution was to open up as much of the 10,000 sq ft space as possible to the 36th-storey panorama – the unobstructed sightline clear across Kowloon towards the sea is, for Hong Kong, a rare treat – and to replace the pre-existing 1980s dark wood moodboard with white oak wall panels, a light creamy palette, and customised, low-slung furniture accented with marble and teak.

Office redesign combines open plan and privacy

Meeting rooms have glass windows that turn opaque at the flick of a switch –ensuring privacy for business ventures pitching for funding, one of the new business models being developed by the family’s second generation. Which also explains the cluster of open-plan hot desks. These, says Bobby Cheng, Brewin’s founder and creative director, are dedicated to new businesses, ‘like an incubator office before they launch properly in their own spaces’.

The result is a family office redesign primed for its millennial close-up both in terms of aesthetics and its evolving corporate mandate of competing with property developers in Hong Kong and greater China, and investing in new businesses.

With the Shui On Land office finally wrapped after a long delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Cheng’s attention is now on a busy new year schedule of complex residential and commercial projects, including the Capella properties in Kyoto and Niseko.

INFORMATION

brewindesignoffice.com

In partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board

Hong Kong is in a state of constant industrial redesign and thrilling artistic transformation. New galleries, stores and street art projects are popping up in the neighbourhoods of West Kowloon, Sham Shui Po and Sheung Wan, building a thriving community of both young talent and established artists.

Buzzing, creatively synergetic clusters of independent start-ups – artisanal businesses specialising in everything from coffee and clothes to jewellery, furniture and baking – punctuate the urban labyrinths of Mong Kok and Sai Ying Pun.

And, as old buildings are repurposed into hip exhibition and studio spaces – such as the Cattle Depot Artist Village in Ma Tau Kok, Kowloon, a former slaughterhouse – traditional and contemporary design is showcased both in world-class galleries and intriguing creative hubs.

Hong Kong’s reputation as an international force in art and design will be underlined by the reinstatement of a busy events schedule, including Art Basel Hong Kong and the new Digital Art Fair.

Meanwhile, local creativity continues to flourish. Old Town Central offers experimental performances inside a converted late-Victorian depot, and the walls on Ki Ling Lane and Chung Ching Street present a heady swirl of continually updated, multi-coloured street art.

It all adds up to an intriguing art and design scene, recognised locally as well as abroad. Here, two international creatives drawn to practise in Hong Kong reflect on what attracted them to the city and continues to thrill and inspire them.

Michael Young, industrial designer

UK-born, Hong Kong-based industrial designer Michael Young set up his studio in the city in 2006. While he specialises in product, furniture and interior design from his studio in Sheung Wan, his practice transcends the very notion of design by harnessing innovative manufacturing skills to create what he calls ‘industrial art’.

‘I work with sophisticated brands that pride themselves with the best technology,’ he explains. ‘When you collaborate with industries of such high standards, people who operate with pride, skill and technique, the work becomes a kind of an art form.’

The city itself is an inspiration. ‘Hong Kong’s diversity of colours, textures, its future-facing architecture and landscapes – it’s a constant stimulation,’ he says.

Though a Hong Kong resident, Young still observes the city from the perspective of an outsider. ‘Initially, I studied a lot of old Chinese architectural structures, which had a big influence on the mathematics we use with the computer work on our more decorative pieces,’ he says.

Another early obsession was to explore the ancient art of zhezhi, Chinese paper folding. ‘I saw a simple toy made out of this beautiful craft, which was never really exploited in the arts arena. My objective was to take [zhezhi] out of Asia and present it as a local craft.’ Young used the traditional technique to make larger art objects – clocks, tables and lighting – that caused a minor sensation at the time. ‘Paper folding remains very close to my heart,’ he adds.

Currently planning to launch his own Hong Kong-based brand, Young has found a home for his creativity. The city, he says, offers a dynamic that a designer can ‘connect to, and dance around with’.

For instance, working with interior designer Alexi Robinson, Young helped create furniture and lighting designs for a fashionable Hong Kong Central restaurant, The Night Market, its ambiance referencing the lights, materials and colours of street-food culture. Eating out in Hong Kong, says Young, is both satisfying and creatively inspiring. ‘No one can do outdoor seafood like they do in Hong Kong. It’s just something that is ingrained in the heart and soul of the city.’

Szabotage, street artist

Credit: Derry Ainsworth for Apre Artnet

‘As a creative person, moving to Hong Kong felt hugely inspiring,’ says London-born street artist Gustav Szabo, aka Szabotage. ‘Urban art has found its way into the core of the contemporary scene in the city – there are so many fresh ideas and new discoveries within Hong Kong’s culture and urban environment. The city energises me.’

When Szabotage first arrived in Hong Kong, in 2013, the urban art scene was just emerging, enabling a newfound creative freedom that he hadn’t experienced in the UK. It has since evolved into a complex interdisciplinary form of expression. ‘Creatively, Hong Kong is an exciting place to be,’ says the artist. ‘The opportunities have greatly improved since I arrived eight years ago, and there’s been a boom in new art spaces, institutions, galleries and museums.’

In Hong Kong, Szabotage’s vision takes a critical view of its immediate surroundings and often references the landscape of the city, exploring the relationship between local architecture and communities. ‘When I paint on the streets in Hong Kong, I seem to make great connections with people. Live painting draws a lot of interest, and the art crosses many cultural and language barriers. It crosses many boundaries that my lack of Cantonese cannot.’

During his career, Szabotage has collaborated with brands including Louis Vuitton and Evisu, but remains best known for his Hong Kong site-specific street art. Inspired by his surroundings, the artist’s now ubiquitous koi signature, for instance, was born on a wall back in 2013.

‘The koi is a part of me, a symbol with which I strongly identify. The koi is jumping out of water, out of its comfort zone, from water to air. There’s a sense of jubilation in its movement. The fish is slightly out of context in the urban environment, but it has a powerful and energetic life force, as demonstrated by its ability to swim upstream, against currents.’ Szabotage says he can relate to all these challenges and emotions.

Click here to visit the Hong Kong Creates hub

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Hong Kong Tourism Board

In a milestone moment for the Asian art scene, the much-anticipated M+ Museum will open its doors on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour waterfront on 12 November 2021. Set to become a destination for local, regional, and international visitors, M+ seeks to foster exchange between Hong Kong and the global art community. 

Designed by Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup, the 65,000 sq m M+ building – with terracotta tile-clad tower – is already one of Hong Kong’s most iconic architectural landmarks. 

The museum’s opening displays will see 1,500 works shown across 33 galleries and 17,000 sq m of exhibition space. Six thematic exhibitions have been curated from M+’s multidisciplinary contemporary collection, which spans conceptual art, moving image, design, architectural projects and archival objects. 

In the Main Hall Gallery, ‘Hong Kong: Here and Beyond’ traces the city’s transformation and unique visual culture from the 1960s to the present. ‘M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation’ surveys the development of contemporary Chinese art from the 1970s to the 2000s. In the East Galleries, ‘Things, Spaces, Interactions’ focuses on the last 70 years of international architecture and design and ‘

Individuals, Networks, Expressions’ occupies the East Galleries and explores post-war international visual art told from an Asian perspective.

Elsewhere, ‘Antony Gormley: Asian Field’ sees an installation of tens of thousands of clay figurines. The work was created by the British sculptor in 2003 with over 300 members of a Guangdong village. Finally, in the Courtyard Galleries, ‘The Dream of the Museum’ explores M+’s distinctive vision for global conceptual art anchored in Asia. 

‘The official opening of M+ marks a major milestone in delivering the vision for the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District as a vital contribution to the future of Hong Kong, building on its reputation as one of the world’s leading arts and cultural hubs. We will make M+ a must-visit destination for local, regional, and international visitors,’ says Henry Tang Ying-yen, chairman of the board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.

Beyond its core exhibition galleries, M+ will present a series of commissions and displays throughout its public spaces, including the M+ Facade, the Grand Stair, the Studio, the Roof Garden, and the Found Space. The M+ Pavilion – which served as the primary venue for M+ exhibitions while the museum was being constructed – will continue to host independent exhibitions and cultural activities in the Art Park after the M+ Museum opens.

‘I firmly believe that the future history of the art museum will be written to a significant degree in Asia,’ says Suhanya Raffel, M+ museum director. ‘Few institutions will be more pivotal to that story than M+, a brand new centre for visual culture and a world-class landmark for a great international city. M+ delivers the stories from our part of the world, told by voices participating in and influencing the global conversation.’

INFORMATION

M+ Museum will open on 12 November 2021 in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, mplus.org.hk