With a population in excess of 7,000,000 and a total space of only 1,104 km², Hong Kong is the most densely populated city on the planet and home to the world’s most expensive property rental market. Hemmed in by steep mountains and the South China Sea, Hong Kong continues to grow in the one direction left for growth – upwards.
Located in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, Flat 27A was an opportunity to bring a kind of subtle magic to our client’s home. A powerful sense of pleasure and comfort that would set it apart – for its simplicity, ease, and efficiency.
The 27A space
The micro apartment is no stranger to Hong Kong where space is a premium and although the concept has really taken off in the last decade when downsizing became trendy, the creation of smaller and smaller units continues to divide opinions. For Flat 27A, the brief from the client was fairly simple: to create as large a fluid space as possible, customised to suit the owner, a photography buff living alone with his pet cat.
Style & substance
The existing unit was partitioned into two tiny bedrooms, leaving the living room difficult to furnish and feeling cramped. Our solution was to merge the existing 2 bedrooms and living room into one seamless space, enabling our client to experience the entirety of the flat as one open space.
Project innovation/need
The entire unit has been designed to allow the passage of light through the creation of flexible spaces that can join together or separate linking the bedroom and living room. A custom built dining table rolls out and expands to accommodate up to 10 people for family gatherings and dinners. The client’s cat enjoys a hidden under-sink cat toilet as well as a concealed hiding spot near the window seat in the living room.
Beyond the surface
Nearly every surface conceals hidden storage and books, as the client is an avid photographer and travel buff with a massive library. A sliding bar opposite the kitchen holds a coffee machine and displays his fine wine, along with a number of pull out cabinets to store spare chairs and camera equipment.
Architects: Design Eight Five Two
Project: Kowloon Bay Flat
Design Team: Norman Ung, Peter Lampard, Ryan Lam, Hazel Yuen Fun, Tony Lai
Area: 51 sqm
Location: Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
Status: Complete, January 2017
Photography: Hazel Yuen Fun
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