Three repurposed Hong Kong industrial buildings that show the benefits – and beauty – of combining the old and the new
A Kwun Tong office block, the Camlux Hotel in Kowloon Bay, and Ovolo Southside in Wong Chuk Hang all grew from relics of Hong Kong’s industrial past, with clever designs that value heritage key to their success
Tearing down an old building to make space for something new is not always the best way to maximise returns from prime Hong Kong real estate.
Why Hong Kong’s tiny apartments are getting a luxury makeover
Millennials and solo dwellers are driving a trend of compact, high-spec spaces with acres of innovative storage
The Peninsula Hong Kong partners with London’s V&A museum for a series of contemporary art installations as part of its ongoing Art in Resonance programme
The Peninsula Hong Kong paired up with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to bring museum-quality art installations to its spaces, redefining the luxury hotel experience and celebrating Asian artists
“In many ways, this partnership feels like the natural next step for our Art in Resonance programme, through which we strive to embrace boundary-pushing art immersion for our guests and the public at large,” says Gareth Roberts, executive director and chief operating officer of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, the parent company of The Peninsula Hong Kong.
The first stage of the new collaboration will launch alongside Art Basel Hong Kong 2025. A newly commissioned piece by Shanghai-based artist Lin Fanglu will be displayed in the hotel lobby, chosen under the guidance of Dr Xiaoxin Li, a V&A curator for the museum’s Asia department. Titled She’s Bestowed Love, the piece is a meaningful, large-scale installation that celebrates women, and is made from textile material dyed in various hues of red to symbolise energy, emotion, love, and the circle of life. The forms encapsulated in this artwork resembles Gaia, a nurturing Greek goddess, while the medium was inspired by the textile works of the Bai minority of Yunnan province – a traditional craft that is kept alive by women in the community.
“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 the V&A’s deputy director and chief operating officer Tim Reeve.
Two new commissions by home-grown talents will also be unveiled. The first, by Hong Kong multimedia artist Phoebe Hui, will grace the hotel’s facade. Lunar Rainbow is Hui’s largest creation to date and pays homage to the moon, featuring fragmented images of the satellite planet that have been digitally printed onto aluminium panels. Ranging from scientific drawings from the 17th century to modern-day pictures, the images serve to blend past and present in one artwork. The lighting, meanwhile, has been specially designed to depict a moonbow – an extremely rare occurrence that happens when water droplets in the air refract moonlight, also called a lunar rainbow. When viewed from a certain angle, the installation also reveals a full moon, adding another element of intrigue.
Installation and audiovisual artist Chris Cheung – better known as h0nh1m – created the second artwork. Located at The Verandah, The Flow Pavilion is a fully immersive piece that every guest at the buffet restaurant will experience. Cheung worked with local carpet brand Tai Ping to create a carpet for the restaurant floor, paired with a model of a contemporary teahouse made using one-way mirrors in the restaurant’s Zen Garden. Inside the teahouse, cutting-edge robotics will project onto the carpet ever-changing and intricate patterns based on Cheung’s brainwaves during meditation.
All this art will be on show at The Peninsula Hong Kong and open to the public until the end of May 2025.
