Hundreds of guests in attendance, many of them leading figures in the local design field, were treated to an array of world-class entertainment including an Italian tenor singing operatic favourites, Chinese face changing “Bian Lian” which originated in the operas of Sichuan and a spirited lion dance to welcome guests and bestow good fortune on Wan Chai’s new Italian arrival. 

The SICIS showroom is situated in the Queen’s Cube Building, in a two-storey exhibition space of 500 square meters, entirely dedicated to the art mosaic.

In this dreamlike setting, sparkling colours, extravagant forms and reverberating mosaics lead the visitor on an exciting sensory journey. 

Right from the huge shop windows, a continuum of images, colours and vibrations chase one another in a kaleidoscopic play of combinations.

The store has been designed by Khuan Chew (K.C.A.), the acclaimed interior designer of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. 

Touches of gold, gold and red, gold and white, combine with iridescent hues and curvilinear patterns, drawing on Ikebana, the delicate Japanese art of flower arrangement. The result? Oriental Magic!

Like the venue’s huge three-dimensional vases, which pay tribute to the Japanese dynasties, and depicting a variation on the same theme. 

Then suddenly, a splash of purple, providing a touch of powerful, yet sensually decadent aestheticism. The ambience is underscored by chairs designed by Mr. Christian Lacroix and reminiscent of the Art Nouveau movement.

This is the world of NEXT ART Chapter 2, dedicated to the most exclusive design. Just a few steps away, the NEXT ART Chapter 1 furniture section displays sculptural chairs by Carla Tolomeo, featuring hand-inlaid art mosaics that release vibrant shards of colour. 

On the floor, the precious Cosmati marble forms, together with iridescent glass elements, a play of shiny and matt geometries. The ceiling features Atmosphera light spheres, composed of flowers and butterflies, providing a juxtaposition of light upon light. 

And all this is just a small taste of the magical atmosphere of the showroom. 

SICIS hosted a magnificent celebration. The SICIS brand has thus strengthened its presence in Asia, consolidating its image, synonymous with research, quality and exclusive creativity. Because quality is not just Made in Italy. It is Made in SICIS.   

From left to right: Maud Errera, Giuseppe Gullo, Leo Placuzzi, Morena Placuzzi, Jioia Placuzzi, Emanuele Travagliati

SICIS – The Art Factory Showroom

Queen’s Cube Building, 235-237 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

The award was initially introduced in 1998 as a tribute to Jane Drew, the modernist English architect and town planner.

It is awarded for respect of innovation, diversity – extending traditional categories valued in architecture – and inclusiveness – collaborative work – and is open to both men and women.

More than half of the 650 women polled in the AJ Women in Architecture survey named Hadid as having made the greatest contribution to the status of women in architecture.

The judges said: ‘Hadid has broken the glass ceiling more than anyone and is practically a household name. Her achievement is remarkable. She has successfully fostered a studio which has grown to be one of the top ten largest in the UK. The practice manages to be at the cutting edge of thinking, influencing the teaching in architecture schools worldwide, while also winning and delivering an impressive array of projects, from the London Olympic Aquatics Centre to the Guangzhou Opera House.’

Admitting that her architectural destiny was set after she saw a documnetary about Frank Lloyd Wright on Iraqi television in the late 1950s, Hadid said that initially everyone had tried to convince her not to become an architect. “My brother wanted me to become Iraq’s first female astronaut!” On winning the Jane Drew Prize the accomplished 61 year old  said, ‘Getting to where I am is hard. But it is do-able. Women architects do need some support from others who have made that journey.”

The French Trade Commission in Hong Kong and

Urban Design & Architecture : The French Green Touch will be held on 31 May 2012, Concord Room, 8th Floor Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel – 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai. Entrance is free of charge.

This event will focus on three main topics highlighting French architects know-how: Urban Regeneration, Sustainable Architecture and Cultural Building Development. 

It will allow leading French architecture firms to give comprehensive presentations of their specializations.  

Please RSVP to Aurelie TOUZARD, Senior Trade Advisor, UBIFRANCE China – Hong Kong Office

French Trade Commission – French Consulate

Admiralty Centre, Tower II, 25/F – 18, Harcourt Road – Hong Kong

Tel. : +852 3752 9160 – Fax : +852 3752 9110

E-mail : aurelie.touzard@ubifrance.fr

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Awaiting the visitor was an installation in the form of stage scenery that is composed of 50 historical and current chair models. The installation places the treasures of design history in a context of new products.

They were presented chronologically under spotlights in an exhibition area of 180 square metres. The design classics from Kusch+Co, featured by red accents and suspended in front of a mirror wall, formed a gallery of ancestors, which continued in rows of chairs on the parquet. Against this background of history, the present became tangible. The visitors themselves were integrated into the staged setting, standing together with the chairs on the stage, and are invited to take a seat. The stage became the auditorium. Films tied the seating items into narrations. In these short films, the visitor experienced the chairs as protagonists. They become active, changing their role from a prop to the main actor. The six to seven metre-high mirror reflects these stories into the installation. The narrative space becomes a living setting.

The “Temporary Museum for New Design” of Superstudio Più, which is located in the Via Tortona, offers an attractive forum for designers and exhibitors from all over the world, who are ready to brave innovative presentations according to the maxim “less fair more museum”. This year’s settings were dedicated to the theme “Telling a Story”. With “Past – Present – Future” the highly traditional furniture company Kusch+Co, established by Ernst Kusch in Hallenberg (North Rhine Westphalia) in 1939, is wqas showing its high quality products for the first time in the context of the Salone Internationale del Mobile.

The company stands for design and quality “made in Germany”.

Photos: Michael Jungblut

Press Contact: Claudia Luxbacher at presse@atelier-brueckner.com

Designed by ATELIER BRÜCKNER, it offers visionary spaces that give three-dimensional expression to the idea of energy in harmony with nature. The pavilion architecture is presented as a dynamic ensemble which, at first glance, is reminiscent of an outsized rice field. Eighteen metres high, so-called blades sway like grass in the wind, whereby their continuous motion symbolises the never-ending flow of energy in nature.

When darkness falls, the 380 coloured blades shine brightly into the night. Touching activates individual sensitive blades and initiates pulses that spread out in the shape of waves over the entire ‘energy field’.

Each visitor can individually explore the site, which is around 2,000 square metres in size and contains a centrally located star-shaped pavilion building that is optically withdrawn in its entirety.

Its mirrored facades make the energy field appear to stretch into infinity. Via raised corners of the star, the visitor can gain access to the also mirrored entrance area on the ground floor. Prismatic refractions encourage a collective spatial experience of social networking – without any hint of scale whatsoever. The centre of the pavilion is on the upper floor; a seven-metre-high round room with panoramic projection. Poetic images in a reduced black-and-white aesthetic convey the company’s readiness to assume responsibility with regard to sustainable energy concepts and for a life in harmony with nature.

In line with the expo’s slogan ’Living Ocean and Coast’, the protagonists of the narration are a pearl diver and a whale. They symbolise the connection between marine world and mainland, between nature and human influence.

The visitor also becomes involved: in the last chapter of the film, the shadow he/she throws becomes a surface for a back-projection. In this way, the message of sustainability is directly aimed at the individual. The circle of interaction between the recipient and the staged setting closes.

With the expo pavilion, GS Caltex, which covers more than a third of Korean oil requirements, presents itself in an international context. Around eight million visitors are expected at the world exhibition, which offers a forum for more than 100 nations, international organisations and globally active companies.

Photos: Nils Clauss

Press Contact: Claudia Luxbacher at presse@atelier-brueckner.com

The MoU formally sets out a framework for the exchange of information and experience between the UPC and URA and under the agreement both parties will collaborate to create benchmark urban planning policies and initiatives that are closely integrated with land use, infrastructure and transportation solutions. 

Ed Baker, Singapore-based Director of Masterplanning at global architecture, urbanism and design practice Broadway Malyan, said: “Abu Dhabi and Singapore are dynamic regional hubs that play an increasingly important role in the global economy. 

“Both continue to recognise the importance of good sustainable planning through ongoing investment in urban planning initiatives that set an example and lead the way for other global cities. The latest initiative is particularly marked at time when many countries are talking about austerity measures and cutting back on investment in the built environment. 

“With long-standing bases in both Abu Dhabi and Singapore, and an active partnering role in major strategic projects of the kind that are helping to deliver long-term visions such as Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, our world-class team of masterplanners and planners welcomes news of the MOU, supports its progressive agenda and looks forward to supporting its aims.”

In February the practice’s masterplan for a new 680 hectare waterfront community of up to 55,000 inhabitants on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, delivered for client Aldar PJSC, was approved by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.

For more information, please contact Chris White, Head of PR, by phone +44 (0)7557 161146 or email c.white@broadwaymalyan.com

Early morning, Race Officer Inge Strompf Jepsen found a steady 10 knot easterly in front of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Kellett Island base, and proceeded to set her course with a choice of three windward marks to allow for the customary wind shifts.

There was a strong flood tide to start with and some adjustments had to be made to deal with drifting before racing finally got underway. 

The format for the day was two round robins, five flights in each and two matches in each flight. The four umpire boats put in a sterling day’s work, with Tony Lu of CYA joining Marianne Middelthon, Masaaki Tanaka and Tom Sheppard to keep competitors on the straight and narrow. 

After 20 matches, Lipavsky was victorious, with Ridgely Balladeras in second, Laurence Mead third, Morten Jackobsen fourth and Toshio Toya fifth after the Japanese team suffered a technical problem with their winch.

BNP Paribas Match Racing International Regatta gets underway tomorrow with the round robin stage, featuring eight skippers in flights of three, totalling 28 matches. 

Entry List for the International Regatta is as follows;

Peter Backe (Sweden)
Ridgely Balladares (Philippines)
Morten Jackobsen (Thailand)
Marty Kaye (Hong Kong)
Vladimir Lipavsky (Russia)
Laurence Mead (Great Britain)
Tim Somerville (Australia)
Toshio Toya (Japan)

For enquiry:

Lindsay Lyons – Race and Regatta Promotion,

Tel.: +852 2239 0391, email: Lindsay.Lyons@rhkyc.org.hk

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Kellett Island, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Hotel Ibis Christchurch is the first hotel scheduled to re-open with a target date of September 2012. Novotel Christchurch will follow, with a planned re-opening date of April 2013. 

Decisions on the future of Accor’s two All Seasons hotels in Christchurch are still pending as access – particularly to the Cashel Street property – has been severely restricted by on-going demolition work in the area. 

“When we re-open the Ibis and Novotel hotels they will be effectively new hotels,” said regional manager, Zayne Boon.  “Both of the hotels were relatively new – the Ibis was built in 2007 and the Novotel 2010 – so they were built to very exacting standards and their structures received only minor damage during the earthquakes. The main problems were internal and required a complete re-fit of both hotels, so when they re-open they will have a very fresh and new feel to them. 

“The heritage Warners Hotel wing of the Novotel had to be demolished, but the new part of the hotel survived the impact of the earthquake very well, despite being located right in the heart of Cathedral Square. 

“There is a critical shortage of accommodation in Christchurch and the re-opening of these hotels will allow significant progress to be made in reviving Christchurch’s commercial and tourist fortunes. It will also provide employment and will help support the wider revival of Christchurch’s central business district. 

“There are already encouraging signs, with permanent and temporary shopping precincts opening and more businesses returning to the city centre, but the city really needs the confidence boost of major international hotels re-opening to cater for domestic and overseas visitors. It will really help accelerate the re-vitalisation process. 

“We are fully committed to the re-vitalising of Christchurch and believe that developments over the next 12 months will send a very positive signal to the rest of the world that the city is ready to welcome tourists back.”

Through participation in the Low-carbon Office Operation Program (LOOP) Labelling Scheme, Knight Frank has managed to achieve a significant 9.7% reduction in carbon emissions per staff in one year. On account of their admirable work in this area Knight Frank was awarded the LOOP Platinum label, which is the highest accolade under the scheme.  

Mr. Norman Tsoi, Group Operations Officer of Knight Frank said, “We are proud to receive the Platinum LOOP Label as it recognizes Knight Frank’s spirit and efforts in actively making its office a greener place. This is the second consecutive year in which we have participated in the LOOP labelling scheme to address the challenges of climate change. As a property consultancy firm, a keen understanding of the lifecycles of buildings and experience in driving resources and cost efficiencies is very valuable and we believe it is important to practice what we preach.” 

“Those are things that spoke to me personally and are reflected in the views of the management team here… it became apparent that anything we can do in these areas will help the community at large and decrease the pollution in our cities.” 

In order to confront the issue of carbon emissions, Knight Frank developed an employee driven Green Committee. The 10-member committee is headed by Mr. Tsoi and draws its membership from various departments. Within this forum the company was able to develop a number of policies for immediate implementation. For example, the lights in their offices and boardrooms have been switched to energy efficient T5 and LED lights and waste separation has been increased. Lights were removed in areas where they were found to be excessive. Staff have been encouraged to use softcopies of documents during client visits and presentations to decrease paper usage. 

Significantly, a large part of their project cantered on IT initiatives. At one time Knight Frank replaced 150 computers in their Hong Kong office and another 100 in their China offices and efficient brands and models were selected through careful product research. Noel Yue, Head of IT for Greater China explains, “We have treated this as a very big project and bought meters to measure computer usage in our offices. In the past year we were able to save almost 40% on energy usage from computing and over 110,000 HKD over the lifecycle of these computers.” 

In keeping with their identity as a caring company, Knight Frank donated over 150 used computers to charities rather than impacting landfills. 

Additionally, staff has been encouraged to print double-sided or speed print whenever possible. They have implemented a system to avoid wastage of paper. Before these initiatives, over 500 pages of wasted paper were collected from their machines weekly, now there is almost none.

Staff is asked to turn off their computer monitor when leaving their desks for more than fifteen minutes. A schedule of random checks is conducted to ensure adherence to this policy. In order to create widespread cultural change in their office, Knight Frank had to create a philosophy where environmental responsibility is an expectation. With this goal in mind, social events were planned with a green focus. Monthly, Knight Frank transforms its boardroom into a cinema where it shows films whose plots focus on green themes. Last month, the company held a Low-Carbon lunch for their employees, featuring sustainable foods with low environmental impact.

Knight Frank has an arm of its business focused on workspace planning. The Workplace Consultancy Division helps companies make sure they are leasing the right amount of space for their particular needs. In utilizing this business practice, companies can work to minimize their carbon footprint by not inhabiting more space than is necessary. In Hong Kong they enlisted their own team to evaluate their space usage, the result of which was reduction in tenancy from 1.5 floors to 1 floor only. 

Being a company focused on green initiatives has also been positive in terms of branding and staff recruitment. Sophia Wong, Manager of Marketing and Communications for Greater China explained, “Employees who are satisfied with the company’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility are likely to be more positive and engaged.  Nowadays, more emphasis is being put on care for staff and care for environment during staff recruitment.” 

Mr. Norman Tsoi concluded, “For me personally, protecting the environment and preserving it for our next generation for years to come is what keeps me involved and advocating green practices.” 

 For more information on Knight Frank please visit their website, www.knightfrank.com.hk .

HKSAR Government is increasingly focusing on sustainability, green innovations and technology in the construction industry. Can you tell us about the latest developments in these areas?

In relation to sustainability, green innovation and technology in the construction industry, the Hong Kong Government has made great strides in the last few years. Firstly, we helped establish the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), the focal point for pioneering efforts in promoting green buildings in Hong Kong. One of the first things that the Council has done is to upgrade the assessment tool HKBEAM to HKBEAM+. Following this we almost mandate that every new building planned, whether for domestic or non-domestic use, must go through the HKBEAM+ assessment. Now, this is very powerful tool and in other places in the world it would take a long time to require that all buildings go through such a process.

We managed to do this without the need for legislation because we said that if you want to enjoy concessions in relation to gross floor area (GFA) i.e. some of a building’s features will not be counted as GFA, then you need to fulfill certain requirements and one of these is that your building must be HKBEAM+ assessed. As a result, HKGBC has been receiving a lot of applications for certification. Last April, we also put in place some new building designs e.g. as far as possible putting car-parks underground to reclaim the street level, moving podiums disliked for blocking air ventilation and requiring building separation. If a building is on a narrow street it is now required to be setback from the street to cater for pedestrians and public space. All these requirements are now in place to promote green building in Hong Kong into the future.

A zero carbon emissions building is currently under construction. Can you tell us about this, where it is and the aim of this building?

Another exciting development focusing on future construction is that through HKGBC we are building Hong Kong’s first zero carbon emissions building as a showcase to demonstrate how technology and design can work together to reduce energy consumption in buildings. This is currently under construction in Kowloon Bay and is scheduled to open in June 2012. Not just another building, it also incorporates a large garden and public open space. The building will be a showcase for the latest technologies in relation to construction and will welcome students and visitors to what will be a public education tool of Hong Kong building into the future.

There are some exciting developments planned and/or underway as part of the Kowloon East revitalisation programme, including Kai Tak, Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong. What can you tell us about current works in this area?

In relation to other developments in this area, Kai Tak and the Kai Tak River in particular, I officiated at the ceremony marking the commencement of the first stage of the Kai Tak River revitalization programme.

Unfortunately, for some decades we have all associated the Kai Tak area with offensive smells and contamination, the result of illegal discharges into the nullah, despite the fact that it was supposed to be for storm water and to relieve flooding only. Now, the 2.4 kilometre Kai Tak River is targeted to become the major feature in urban design in Kai Tak and its immediate vicinity. Work commenced on the upstream last year and the area just commenced is about 600-metres long. We will keep the open channel, do something about illegal discharges and beautify the two banks, which will become a water feature in the Wong Tai Sin area.

We hope to start work on the mid-stream area a couple of years later. In relation to the final stream right into the heart of Kai Tak, we are doing bio-remediation work in the Kai Tak channel with a view to resolving smell and contamination issues, not least because ecoli levels are currently very high and it is unsuitable for water sports, one of the planned uses for the river in future.

Our target is to make the Kai Tak River suitable for water sports in the same way that the Shing Mun River is currently used, so we are prepared to spend and invest in technology to achieve that target because I think the whole Kai Tak area, including Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong, will benefit from the upgrading and improvement of water quality in the area.

In terms of scale, if we can achieve what we want to do for Kai Tak, Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong, it will equate to an area 3-4 times the size of Canary Wharf in London. Of course, we are much denser city here, but we are talking about providing a total of 5.4 million square metres of office space in the entire Kowloon East area comprising Kai Tak, Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay.

This time around we also have the experience of Central to draw on, but we will do things at the outset to make the area more integrated, comprehensive and diverse. It is not just a matter of replicating Central district. In Kowloon East, embracing this new aspiration for urban design and city planning, we will put a lot more emphasis on the streetscape, pedestrianisation, the waterfront, landscaping and greening, so it’s not just about building more office space. This whole revitalisation has to benefit Kai Tak and it will be a very exciting area for residents and workers. Also, it will not compete with Central as our central business district, which is also our financial centre and where major banks and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are located, but we can consider this Hong Kong’s “CBD 2”.

Hong Kong will continue to develop and grow into the future, however, land is the one thing the city lacks, What is planned to in order to cater for future land requirements?

In the last few years a lot has happened in the real estate market, property prices continue going up and this has caused a lot of concern in relation to land requirements and land usage into the future. So, the Chief Executive has given us a mandate that we should build up a land reserve or land bank in order to cater for future requirements for more land for housing and other developments. This idea of a land bank is a very simple concept, but somehow it has never been practiced in Hong Kong before.

Every time we form land we usually have a purpose in mind, so we acquire land for a Disneyland or for more public housing, But this time we have said no, we want to adopt a multi-pronged approach to forming land and if we don’t need it immediately, then this is building up a land bank for the future. We are adopting different approaches to this and are telling the public that we have to explore and pursue all possible means at the same time as forming land in Hong Kong is a very long process because of the necessity for environmental impact assessments, public engagement, land acquisition, obstructions and clearance.

Within this multi-pronged approach there are two more innovative approaches that we have focused on in our public discussions. The first is to start doing reclamation outside Victoria Harbour and whether we should do this, as reclamation remains a very effective means to creating large tracts of land. At the same time it would also solve our problem of dealing with surplus built materials from construction and demolition sites, which are very good materials for reclamation purposes, but we currently need to pay and give these materials to Guangdong. We could use rock caverns to relocate some public facilities, for example, the Shatin Treatment Plant, which currently occupies a 26-acre waterfront site, so we will start a feasibility study to move to rock caverns. So we want to address issues such as building a land bank for the future now and securing future development needs in Hong Kong.