Conceived & created by Adrian Cheng in collaboration with 100 creatives, K11 MUSEA epitomises Asia’s most forward-thinking cultural-retail destinations, spanning 1.2 million sq ft on the iconic Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront
K11 MUSEA, Asia’s most forward-thinking cultural-retail destination in the heart of Hong Kong’s Victoria Dockside, has opened its doors to the public. Inspired to be “A Muse by the Sea”, K11 MUSEA is masterminded by visionary changemaker Adrian Cheng to enrich the everyday life of the modern consumer through the power of creativity, culture and innovation. From its architecture and interiors to the anchor brands and experiential concepts it houses, K11 MUSEA is set to reinvigorate the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront with an intoxicating mix of inspiration, discovery, and edutainment.
“10 years ago, we set out on an ambitious project to transform the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade into an arts and culture precinct, and K11 MUSEA is the final, most important piece of the puzzle,” says Adrian Cheng, Founder of K11 Group and Executive Vice-Chairman of New World Development. “Our vision is to reinvigorate the district together with 100 creative powers hailing from different disciplines and cultures, to make K11 MUSEA the ‘Silicon Valley of Culture’ and inject art, architecture, design, sustainability and all forms of cultures into the new consumer’s daily life. K11 MUSEA is conceived as a space that inspires global millennials and facilitates a broader discussion on the interconnectedness of creativity, culture and innovation.”
“10 years ago, we set out on an ambitious project to transform the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade into an arts and culture precinct, and K11 MUSEA is the final, most important piece of the puzzle,” says Adrian Cheng, Founder of K11 Group and Executive Vice-Chairman of New World Development. “Our vision is to reinvigorate the district together with 100 creative powers hailing from different disciplines and cultures, to make K11 MUSEA the ‘Silicon Valley of Culture’ and inject art, architecture, design, sustainability and all forms of cultures into the new consumer’s daily life. K11 MUSEA is conceived as a space that inspires global millennials and facilitates a broader discussion on the interconnectedness of creativity, culture and innovation.”
A reflection of today’s more diverse, connected world, K11 MUSEA is an extension of the maison concept, a place where eclectic styles, cultures, heritage and collectables meet. The 10-storey complex draws on the collective expertise of over 100 international and local architects, artists and designers to create a brand new cultural-retail landmark, with 100 design modules that will inspire creativity and daily life. Amongst the creative powers behind the impressive K11 MUSEA are award-winning architecture and design firms such as Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, James Corner Field Operations, OMA led by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten, Bangkok-based landscape and design studio PLandscape, UK lighting specialist Speirs + Major, Denmark’s award-winning playground designers Monstrum and Hong Kong-based architecture studio LAAB.
Passing through the grand doors of the MUSEA entrance that features the exotic geometric MUSEA motif, visitors emerge into the visually striking Opera Theatre, the grand atrium and soul of the K11 MUSEA complex with a fluid contour made up of 1,115sqm of hand-painted, hand-tamped aluminium panels created by local craftsmen and LAAB. The spectacular Oculus hovers at the apex of this 35-metre tall grand atrium, filtering the sunlight into feathery rays that bathe the intricate space in a warm, inviting glow. Embedded in the branches of the vault art piece are over 1,800 programmable spotlights meticulously designed by Speirs + Major, transforming the atrium into a creative galaxy lit by pulsing stars. The brightest “star” at the heart of this galaxy is The Gold Ball, a gleaming latticework spherical chamber that represents endless inspiration and creativity, and acts as a versatile space for ground-breaking cultural exhibitions and events. A few steps away is the Lasvit-designed chandelier Victoria, designed to reference Hong Kong’s past as an entrepôt and the site’s heritage as an important transportation hub by the turn of last century.
Moving into the outdoor area, the 2,000-square-foot Sunken Plaza amphitheatre space is lined with interactive lighting and water features, providing audiences with an intimate street-level setting for performing arts, cinema and live music activities by KULTURE 11. Unlike any retail complexes, K11 MUSEA invites viewers and visitors to marvel at its intricacies, evoking their curiosity to discover a new muse in the Silicon Valley of Culture.
The history of the site and its waterfront location heavily informed K11 MUSEA’s interior design. At Muse Edition, where the MoMA Design Store and cult fashion label Off-White are situated, the entire original waffle ceiling structure from 1970s has been preserved and further modernised by Speirs + Major through inventive lighting design. The design of this unique section – with mouth-blown lightings that resemble lighthouses, and its flooring of a cement-and-shell mix – is a tribute to the district’s nautical connection.
In addition, sustainability is central to the design; boasting top level certified green building design, extensive greenery, rooftop urban farming for farm-to-table experiences and over 50,000sqft of living walls (equivalent to the surface area of 18 tennis courts) K11 MUSEA sets a new benchmark for urban conservation and eco lifestyle in Hong Kong. Moreover, K11 MUSEA has been designed to promote positive learning through play, such as Peacock and Donut slides constructed by Danish playground specialist Monstrum.
Passing through the grand doors of the MUSEA entrance that features the exotic geometric MUSEA motif, visitors emerge into the visually striking Opera Theatre, the grand atrium and soul of the K11 MUSEA complex with a fluid contour made up of 1,115sqm of hand-painted, hand-tamped aluminium panels created by local craftsmen and LAAB. The spectacular Oculus hovers at the apex of this 35-metre tall grand atrium, filtering the sunlight into feathery rays that bathe the intricate space in a warm, inviting glow. Embedded in the branches of the vault art piece are over 1,800 programmable spotlights meticulously designed by Speirs + Major, transforming the atrium into a creative galaxy lit by pulsing stars. The brightest “star” at the heart of this galaxy is The Gold Ball, a gleaming latticework spherical chamber that represents endless inspiration and creativity, and acts as a versatile space for ground-breaking cultural exhibitions and events. A few steps away is the Lasvit-designed chandelier Victoria, designed to reference Hong Kong’s past as an entrepôt and the site’s heritage as an important transportation hub by the turn of last century.
Moving into the outdoor area, the 2,000-square-foot Sunken Plaza amphitheatre space is lined with interactive lighting and water features, providing audiences with an intimate street-level setting for performing arts, cinema and live music activities by KULTURE 11. Unlike any retail complexes, K11 MUSEA invites viewers and visitors to marvel at its intricacies, evoking their curiosity to discover a new muse in the Silicon Valley of Culture.
The history of the site and its waterfront location heavily informed K11 MUSEA’s interior design. At Muse Edition, where the MoMA Design Store and cult fashion label Off-White are situated, the entire original waffle ceiling structure from 1970s has been preserved and further modernised by Speirs + Major through inventive lighting design. The design of this unique section – with mouth-blown lightings that resemble lighthouses, and its flooring of a cement-and-shell mix – is a tribute to the district’s nautical connection.
In addition, sustainability is central to the design; boasting top level certified green building design, extensive greenery, rooftop urban farming for farm-to-table experiences and over 50,000sqft of living walls (equivalent to the surface area of 18 tennis courts) K11 MUSEA sets a new benchmark for urban conservation and eco lifestyle in Hong Kong. Moreover, K11 MUSEA has been designed to promote positive learning through play, such as Peacock and Donut slides constructed by Danish playground specialist Monstrum.
K11 MUSEA will serve as a platform for world-renowned and emerging artistic talents with a debut art collection featuring works from over 40 leading international and Hong Kong contemporary artists. The curation of the collection is inspired by the city’s waterfront culture, meticulously collected and curated in context to its geographical location, under the direction of its founder Adrian Cheng.
The collection celebrates the fast-moving lifestyle of Hong Kong and attracts next-generation consumers that are alluding to new retail experiences interwoven with culture, creativity and innovation. The 10-storey complex and its surroundings are conceived as a public art space with specially commissioned installations, a rotating collection of contemporary artworks and graffiti. The curation denotes the ephemeral nature of art and design concepts; fluid exchanges of ideas in a multicultural, multilingual society; and the hyper-connected nature of a global city like Hong Kong.
The collection celebrates the fast-moving lifestyle of Hong Kong and attracts next-generation consumers that are alluding to new retail experiences interwoven with culture, creativity and innovation. The 10-storey complex and its surroundings are conceived as a public art space with specially commissioned installations, a rotating collection of contemporary artworks and graffiti. The curation denotes the ephemeral nature of art and design concepts; fluid exchanges of ideas in a multicultural, multilingual society; and the hyper-connected nature of a global city like Hong Kong.
Highlighted artists include; Elmgreen & Dragset (b. 1961, Denmark, and b. 1969 Norway); Erwin Wurm (b. 1954, Austria) and Katharina Grosse (b, 1961, Germany), whose works will be placed in the public realm. Ten floors of immersive curated art, culture and retail experience will house works from Adrian Wong (b. 1980, US), Cheng Ran (b. 1981, China), and Zhang Enli (b. 1965, China). Interwoven with these works will be a selection of pieces by Hong Kong urban artists on the third floor. Of the nine artist collectives, five of which are Hong Kong based talents including Graphic Airlines, Kristopher Ho, Parent’s Parents, Simple Bao and Katol@Start From Zero, among others, with work featured alongside the vibrant and playful design by American artist Ron English. Visitors can enjoy guided art tours or tune into a digital guide via a mobile app created by K11.
Moreover, the cultural-retail destination is also home to the first MoMA Design Store in Greater China, and the biggest in Asia. For the first time, MoMA Design Store collaborated with Hong Kong-based EDGE Design for its store design to exalt the heritage and vibrant identity of the city. MoMA Ambassadors will also be on-hand to share deign stories behind the products, facilitating a more intimate understanding of what defines ‘good design’.
An exhibition from the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation, created by Cheng in 2018, preserves fast-disappearing Chinese craft. The not-for-profit organisation preserves traditional Chinese crafts and promotes Chinese heritage by supporting such at-risk skills. These pieces are available to view and purchase for the first time via K11 MUSEA or its website for overseas customers.
The convergence of infinite creativity and imagination, the immersive cultural-retail destination K11 MUSEA is now open. The project, aspires to be the Silicon Valley of Culture, will revitalise the vibrant Victoria Dockside neighbourhood while strengthening the district’s ambitions to be Hong Kong’s new art and design district.
K11 MUSEA is enhanced and supported by other lifestyle destinations by K11: K11 ARTUS, Asia’s finest luxury residences and first artisanal home; K11 ATELIER, immersive office spaces committed to fostering creativity among its inhabitants; and the new flagship Rosewood Hong Kong launched earlier this year.
Hashtag: #K11MUSEA Facebook and Instagram: @K11MUSEA
The convergence of infinite creativity and imagination, the immersive cultural-retail destination K11 MUSEA is now open. The project, aspires to be the Silicon Valley of Culture, will revitalise the vibrant Victoria Dockside neighbourhood while strengthening the district’s ambitions to be Hong Kong’s new art and design district.
K11 MUSEA is enhanced and supported by other lifestyle destinations by K11: K11 ARTUS, Asia’s finest luxury residences and first artisanal home; K11 ATELIER, immersive office spaces committed to fostering creativity among its inhabitants; and the new flagship Rosewood Hong Kong launched earlier this year.
Hashtag: #K11MUSEA Facebook and Instagram: @K11MUSEA