Hasta La Ideas

A sliding plywood wall divides this OMA-designed art gallery inside a historic building in Hong Kong (+ slideshow).

The Lehmann Maupin Gallery is located in the Pedder Building, which was built in 1923 and is one of the oldest commercial buildings in Hong Kong.

OMA divided the gallery into two exhibition spaces, the first of which is arranged around a pre-existing column and overhead beams.

The column and beams were left in their original state to contrast with the clean white walls of the room.

A sliding wall allows the second, smaller space to be separated or combined with the main space as required.

Plywood and polished concrete were chosen to echo the OMA-designed Lehmann Maupin gallery in New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood.

A long and narrow office is tucked behind the main space to take advantage of natural light from the building’s large windows.

The gallery opens this month with a solo exhibition by Korean artist Lee Bul, which runs until 11 May 2013.

The architecture of OMA’s Kunsthal gallery in Rotterdam was criticised last year following the theft of seven paintings – see all galleries on Dezeen.

OMA was recently chosen to masterplan an “airport city” in Doha, Qatar, while the firm’s principal Rem Koolhaas will curate the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014 – see all architecture by OMA.

Photographs are by Philippe Ruault.

Here’s some more information from OMA:

The Pedder Building, site of the Lehmann Maupin Gallery in Hong Kong, is one of the few surviving pre-war structures in the center of the financial district. OMA’s design of the gallery reveals rather than conceals the patina that distinguishes the historic building from its more glossy neighbours.

The gallery is divided into two exhibition spaces. The newly constructed white walls of the main space are constructed around a central column and overhead beams – objects of time left in their found state. The second space can be joined with the main space or separated with a sliding wall, facilitating smaller exhibits and use as a private viewing room.

Integrated ambient tubes and spot lights contrast with the raw quality of the exhibition spaces with polished concrete floors. The materials of the gallery emphasises neutrality. Plywood, polished concrete floor, and white surfaces serve as the backdrop for artworks.

The entrance of the gallery is a corner door that obscures the boundary between the interior and exterior while allowing the ingress of large art works. When both of the doors are open, the end of an otherwise narrow and compressed building corridor completely disappears and opens up the Lehmann Maupin Gallery to Hong Kong.

Status: Completion 2013
Client: Lehmann Maupin Gallery
Location: 407 Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong
Programme: 1,130 sq. ft of exhibition space and offices
Partners-in-charge: David Gianotten and Rem Koolhaas
Project Architect: Miranda Lee

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Hong Kong by OMA appeared first on Dezeen.

News: the latest Maggie’s cancer care centre designed by Frank Gehry opened in Hong Kong yesterday, becoming the first of the charity’s units outside the UK.

Maggie’s Hong Kong is the second Maggie’s Centre by Frank Gehry, following the opening in 2003 of Maggie’s Dundee in Scotland.

The centre comprises a series of pavilions with rooms overlooking a pond and gardens partly inspired by the classical gardens of Suzhou near Shanghai.

Gehry said: “[The building is] respectful of Chinese architecture and motifs. I hope it’s not copying anything Chinese or architectural, but I hope it’s very respectful of them.

“I was going through the loss of a daughter while I was designing the centre. I think you sort of suck it up and hope to make something that is soothing and respectful and hopeful. There’s always hope, it’s not a dead end.”

Landscape architect Lily Jencks, who is the daughter of founders Maggie Keswick Jencks and Charles Jencks, designed the centre’s garden.

We’ve featured lots of Maggie’s Centres on Dezeen, including Steven Holl’s recently revealed designs for a centre in London and OMA’s Stirling Prize-nominated centre in Glasgow – see all Maggie’s Centres.

Gehry recently revealed a 22-storey tower designed for his hometown of Santa Monica, California – see all architecture by Frank Gehry.

Photographs are by Pako Ko.

Here’s more information from Maggie’s Centre:

Secretary for Food & Health, Dr Ko Wing Man will open Maggie’s Hong Kong on Thursday, March 7.

They will join Charles Jencks, Maggie’s co-founder, Laura Lee chief executive, Keith Kerr, chairman of Maggie’s Hong Kong Board of Directors and Eleanor Ling from the Keswick Foundation.

The official opening heralds a new era of cancer care and support for people with cancer across the region, bringing hope and solace to thousands.

The new purpose built Centre was designed by internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry, who also designed Maggie’s Dundee in Scotland. Maggie’s Hong Kong is the first Maggie’s Centre to be built outside of the United Kingdom.

Since December 2008 Maggie’s Hong Kong has been providing an interim service at its temporary building on the ground at Tuen Mun Hospital, offering free support for anyone living with cancer including friends, family and carers. Centre visitors can take part in relaxation sessions, nutrition classes, yoga and individual and family support sessions.

The Centre’s design is a series of pavilions arranged to encourage movement between the interior and the landscape. Rooms open out to the surrounding gardens or have private terraces overlooking the pond. There is a public living and dining area that serves as the focal point of the building, with views of both the ponds and gardens. The Centre could be thought of as a Chinese garden inspired by, though not beholden to, the Suzhou tradition.

Maggie’s chief executive Laura Lee said: “This is a very special occasion, not only are we able to provide more help and support for people who are living with cancer in the region but Maggie’s Hong Kong is our first international Centre.

“Maggie’s proven programme of support will act as an antidote to the isolation and despair of a cancer diagnosis. Frank Gehry’s design will help to facilitate this support, by making people feel safe, inspired and valued. Under one extraordinary roof, Maggie’s will help people to find their way out of the hopelessness of cancer.”

Architect Frank Gehry said: “Maggie was bright and sunny and open and fun and whimsical and smart as hell. She was a real creative spirit, she had a healthy curiosity and she tried things, and in a sense I emulated her.

“The building has feelings which I hope engender community activity, and that it’s comfortable for the patients to be there. It’s respectful of Chinese architecture and motifs. I hope it’s not copying anything Chinese or architectural, but I hope it’s very respectful of them.

“I was going through the loss of a daughter while I was designing the Centre. I think you sort of suck it up and hope to make something that is soothing and respectful and hopeful. There’s always hope, it’s not a dead end.”

Landscape architect Lily Jencks – daughter of founders Maggie Keswick Jencks and Charles Jencks – has designed the garden for Maggie’s Hong Kong.

Lily said: These intimate gardens represent the macrocosm of the universe within the microcosm of a landscape, bringing an awareness of man’s place in nature. This early integration of landscape form and building has created a complex relationship between the man-made forms and naturalistic garden setting.”

The new Centre will mean staff can provide more support and groups can run at the same time. Programme activities include support groups, nutrition classes, tai chi, yoga, managing symptoms and side effects, relaxation, art and music therapy.

Maggie’s Hong Kong is supported by the Keswick Foundation Ltd and Maggie’s Centres.

Maggie’s Hong Kong is Maggie’s first complete international centre. Plans are underway to create a Maggie’s in Barcelona, along with a further three international centres by 2017. Since the charity’s inception 16 years ago, Maggie’s has influenced and inspired a number of international cancer support organisations such as the Danish Cancer Society and the Swiss Cancer League, and it continues to support and collaborate with a significant number of cancer care groups from around the world including Japan, Australia, Qatar and Europe.

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opens in Hong Kong appeared first on Dezeen.

The interior of this Hong Kong restaurant by architect Nelson Chow was inspired by Malaysia’s bustling night markets and traditional coffee shops (+ slideshow).

Old Street Kobiteh restaurant, located in the Popcorn shopping mall in Hong Kong’s Tseung Kwan O district, was designed by Nelson Chow to reference the 1920s Malaysian coffee shops called “kopitiam”.

“Kopitiam serve dishes from different ethnicities so that people from different backgrounds can all dine together,” says Chow, who chose to accentuate this communal aspect with an 11-metre-long dining table.

The table comprises 30 smaller units, each decorated with a different tile pattern found in the Malaysian streetscape.

To create the ambience of a night market, Chow placed neon signs alongside light fixtures inspired by old street lamps.

Opposite the long table is an open kitchen where chefs occasionally perform tea ceremonies in front of the customers.

A high ledge above the banquette seating displays vintage plates and hand-drawn menus.

We’ve previously featured two fashion boutiques designed by Chow – one with a suspended ceiling made from hundreds of white cables and another monochrome space for the same brand.

Other restaurants we’ve published recently include a Parisian hamburger joint inspired by the lights of New York’s theatre district and a dining room overlooking the pitch at Greek football club Olympiacos – see all restaurants.

See all projects in Hong Kong »

Photographs are by Dennis Lo Designs.

Above: floor plan – click for larger image

Here’s some information from the architects:

A Kopitiam dining experience that recalls the old Malaysian streetscape

Old Street Kobiteh is a recently completed restaurant in Hong Kong that references a traditional kopitiam (coffee house) while taking on elements inspired from the contemporary Malaysian streetscape. The kopitiam is an unique Malaysian institution originating from the 1920s. Its name reflects the country’s multi-ethnic society: kopi is the Malay term for coffee, and tiam is the Hokkien word for shop. Kopitiam serve dishes from different ethnicities so that people from different backgrounds can all dine together under the same roof. This communal aspect is the main inspiration for the open concept at Old Street Kobiteh which is centered around a 37 foot long dining table.

The central table is comprised of 30 modular units, each showcasing a different tile pattern from the Malaysian vernacular streetscape. Together they form a colorful mosaic display that recalls the hustle and bustle of the vibrant Malaysian urban center. Particular inspiration comes from the night market, where streets are filled with hawkers preparing dishes in front of the customers, generating plenty of sounds & aromas to create an exciting dining experience. Custom details include light fixtures inspired by old street lamps along with neon signs which contribute to the overall ambience of a night market. At Old Street Kobiteh, an open kitchen is placed opposite the communal table, with a continuous upper ledge showcasing hand drawn menus, vintage plates and an assortment of the restaurants food offerings. The strategic placement allows the chef to engage with the diners by performing periodical acts such as Teh Terik pulled tea ceremony.

On one level, the design of Old Street Kobiteh showcases how the spirit of the Malaysian streetscape could be translated architecturally into a Kopitiam restaurant within a conventional mall setting. On another level, it showcases a holistic approach to restaurant design, seamlessly integrating the design of the restaurant’s interior, furniture, lighting fixtures, graphics, staff uniforms, while incorporating found vintage objects. By crafting an aesthetic from the mood and lighting of a space right down to its detailed components, the end result is a visually striking yet highly functional family style contemporary restaurant.

Project Title: Old Street Kobiteh Restaurant
Location: Shop G09, Popcorn Mall, Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong
Interior Design: NC Design & Architecture Ltd (NCDA)
Project Designer: Nelson Chow (NCDA)
Graphic Design: NC Design & Architecture Ltd (NCDA) and Whatever Workshop Ltd
Client: Buick Management Limited

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by Nelson Chow appeared first on Dezeen.

Focus sur Michael Wolf, un photographe allemand vivant à Hong Kong et dont le travail se porte sur la place de l’homme : son mode de vie au sein des grandes villes. Avec cette intéressante série appelée « Window Watching », ce dernier a capturé des scènes de vie de ses voisins qu’il a pu observer depuis chez lui.

Two giant blue busts face each other across this Hong Kong boutique by Italian designer Fabio Novembre (+ slideshow).

Novembre designed the interior of the HIT Gallery concept store, a branch of Italian retail group Ittiere, as a contemporary interpretation of a piazza. “The HITGallery stores we plan to open around the globe will capture the essence and spirit of Italy in wonderful new ways,” he explains.

The busts are shaped from perpendicular planes of wood slotted together to create shelves on which accessories are displayed.

The walls are painted with the same light blue as the figures and a monochrome zig-zag pattern covers the floor.

“The colour defining the walls – a neutral shade bordering between green and sky or cerulean blue – defies classification, so becoming the ideal backdrop for all the brands sold in the store,” says Novembre.

The design was inspired by the surrealist paintings of Greek-born Italian artist Giorgio De Chirico, which often feature faceless figures and arched colonnades.

Arched niches line three walls of the store, each containing garments hung from rails or shoes and bags on glass shelves. A curved wall punctured by more arches separates the cash desk from the rest of the shop.

Walls near to the shop window are angled to accommodate a column on one side and distort the perspective created by the entirely symmetrical layout.

The store is located in the Times Square shopping centre on Hong Kong island. Photography is by Dennis Lo.

See all our stories about retail »
See all our stories about Hong Kong »
See all our stories about Fabio Novembre »

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by Fabio Novembre appeared first on Dezeen.