15 Western St marks the first time we’re collaborating with VANKE, one of the most forward thinking developers working today. Situated in a prime location with a sought-after school network, 15 Western St is part of a vibrant neighborhood with a mix of locals and expatriates, as well as a growing restaurant and bar scene. For the project, our aim was to create something that’s rooted in the neighborhood, yet entirely contemporary – a place where residents can feel totally at home.
Our studio was commissioned to design the interiors for the property, including the standard units, lobbies and clubhouse, as well as a separate marketing gallery.
Marketing Gallery for 15 Western St
2. How did the location of Sai Ying Pun inform your design?
We began by looking into the history of Sai Ying Pun as one of the oldest neighborhoods in Hong Kong. I have a personal connection to the area, having spent my childhood years here. We took elements of old Hong Kong as our inspiration, especially woven textures from bamboo dim sum baskets, folding gates, neon signs, and explored how these could inspire a particular design, as well as a unique typeface.
3. What were the main design considerations and challenges?
Designing for nano-apartments is always challenging. Every element we include has to be relevant and meaningful for its future residents. At the same time, it’s essential to retain a high degree of flexibility to meet the varying and changing needs of modern urbanites. Throughout the design process, we challenged ourselves by looking at ways to optimize usable space, where all of the fundamental aspects of a living environment are retained in every apartment unit.
Kitchen for the one-bedroom unit features an array of open shelves, and a custom coat rack and umbrella stand.
4. What are the design elements unique to 15 Western St?
There are two main types of apartments in the development. For the one-bedroom units, we emphasized the role of the kitchen. A lot of thought went into creating an island of activities – storage, display and social hub, in addition to cooking.
The studio units are designed like serviced suites, incorporating all essential aspects of living (bed, bath and kitchen) in clearly-defined spaces. We achieved this through a unique movable wall – a key feature for all studio units – that doubles as an entertainment/ display panel and a sliding door for either the kitchen or bathroom. The design language for these details are derived from woven patterns – a core inspiration for the building’s architecture.
In the bathroom, the vanity counter and mirror cabinet form the focal point. We adopted an asymmetrical approach, with a blend of open and closed storage, mirror and light fixtures. The Mondrian-like composition is again echoing traditional weaving textures found in old Hong Kong.
Sliding door system enables an enclosed kitchen or bathroom for the studio units.
5. What other details were included to enrich the spatial quality?
Interior materials are an extension from the palette used for the façade. A selection of muted stones and grey terrazzo are employed with bronze trims and cabinetry to highlight a modern look and feel.
For the typical lobby, we developed a custom font from traditional neon signs. The apartments’ entrance portals make use of textured glass is used with a dissecting pattern taken from folding gates often found in old buildings in the neighborhood.
The L-shaped kitchen counter doubles as a work bench or a bar with a range of storage functions.
Hong Kong SAR
Australia
Indonesia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
United States
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Denmark
Sweeden
Finland
Norway
