MVRDV's Design Concept
New Life For Old Bones

Project Developer GAW Capital Partners commissioned MVRDV, a Dutch architecture firm led by renowned architect Winy Maas, to transform the former industrial building into a retail podium and office units on the upper floors.

The transformation aims to strip away the old and gives new life to old bones. The design opted for an open, loft style environment which exposes the raw structure complemented with glass finishes: the Glass Office. The service core is conceived as a linear, transparent block between offices and communal space executed in fire rated glass allowing light to enter the office space.

All non-loadbearing facade elements are replaced by glass for the maximum amount of light reaching the interior; all structural facade elements are executed in white coated concrete. The top floor becomes a communal terrace for breaks and informal meetings with magnificent views. The rear facade currently faces a disused service alley. By being the first to upgrade it the same way as the front facade, the objective is to eventually turn the alley into usable attractive public space, once more buildings on Wai Yip Street have been converted. The new building, a triumph of transparent glass and open design, offers a new vision for Hong Kong. More than that, it is a statement: Hong Kong’s heritage can be one of its greatest assets.