K11 MUSEA is the world’s first cultural-retail destination, and is situated at the heart of art and design district Victoria Dockside, Hong Kong, to enrich the cultural and leisure offerings along the iconic harbourfront. Opened in August 2019, K11 MUSEA is a conceived as a Silicon Valley of Culture, where cross-discipline practices in architecture, art, craft, culture, design, gastronomy and sustainability worked in tandem.
Victoria Dockside has undergone a 10-year transformation. Image © Francis Chen, Vacuum Workshop
There’s a Bohemian Garden designed by James Corner Field Operation and LAAB Architects at K11 MUSEA. Image © Francis Chen, Vacuum Workshop
To achieve this ambitious goal, K11 Group founder Adrian Cheng has collaborated with and enlisted the help of 100 architects, designers and artists including Kohn Pedersen Fox, James Corner Field Operations, Ronald Lu & Partners, Leigh & Orange, LAAB Architects, AB Concept, Monstrum and PLandscape.
K11 MUSEA was developed by K11 Group and masterminded by its founder Adrian Cheng. Image © Francis Chen, Vacuum Workshop
There’s a 35m high atrium, known as ‘Opera Theatre’ designed by KPF in collaboration LAAB Architects and AB Concept, features lighting by Speirs+Major. Image © K11 MUSEA
The 10-year-project K11 MUSEA forms the epicentre of Victoria Dockside, and is enhanced and supported by K11 ARTUS – Asia’s first artisanal home, K11 ATELIER – immersive office spaces committed to fostering creativity among next-generation workforce, and the new flagship Rosewood Hong Kong, launched earlier in 2019.
K11 MUSEA, a cultural-retail space in Victoria Dockside, Hong Kong’s newest arts and cultural district. Image © Francis Chen, Vacuum Workshop
James Corner Field Operation and Hong Kong architects LAAB Architects have designed the Bohemian Garden. Image © K11 MUSEA
Fringing the waterfront district is the promenade “Avenue of Stars” (modelled after the famous Walk of Fame), and an open public space Salisbury Garden – both redesigned by James Corner with added design features by Hong Kong-based LAAB Architects.
There’s a Bohemian Garden designed by James Corner Field Operation and LAAB Architects at K11 MUSEA. Image © Francis Chen, Vacuum Workshop
Thai landscape architects PLandscape and Hong Kong architects LAAB Architects have designed an outdoor Nature Discovery Park. Image © K11 MUSEA
Key features include the imposing Opera Theatre (K11 MUSEA’s atrium) where natural light shines through its 35m high Oculus, down to the centrepiece The Gold Ball, the beating heart of this muse by the sea and a multi-dimensional architectural feature that doubles as a versatile creative space.
Escalating Climbers mimicking roots of a tree, designed by LAAB Architects. Image © K11 Group
Site-specific Donut slide designed by Monstrum. Image © K11 Group
The atrium features a fluid contour made up of 1,115sqm of hand-painted aluminium panels created by local craftsmen and LAAB Architects. Also in the precinct are over 1,800 lights designed and programmed by Speirs + Major that resemble an inspiring galaxy of lights.
View of the atrium, known as ‘Opera Theatre’, the Oculus” and Gold Ball, an interactive space, designed by KPF, AB Concept, Speirs + Major, and LAAB Architects using generative design. Image © K11 Group
Interior sculptural elements were designed by LAAB, and among which, the rustic spandrels and the Escalating Climbers are meticulously fabricated by local artist William Lam of HK L&L. Image © K11 MUSEA
A few steps away, by the towering MUSEA Entrance that features the geometric and exotic MUSEA motif is the Lasvit-designed chandelier Victoria. Its design references Hong Kong’s past as an entrepôt and the site’s heritage as an important transportation hub by the turn of last century. On the exterior, The Sunken Plaza, an amphitheatre which measures approximately 2,000sqft, has a curved glass wall with programmed lighting and water installations that provides the perfect backdrop to a series of events, theatrical performances and talks which form part of KULTURE 11, a cultural events programme within K11 MUSEA.
The Oculus creates a cathedral effect and floods the Opera Theatre with natural light. Image © K11 Group
Muse Edition is home to Museum of Modern Art New York’s largest design store in Asia; features the original waffle ceiling preserved from the late 1970s, and modernised with LED panels by Speirs + Major. Image © K11 Group
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.
context plan
Project Credits
Architects: KPF, RLP
Area: 111483.0 m2
Year: 2019
Images: K11 MUSEA, Francis Chen, Vacuum Workshop, K11 Group
Overall Lead Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)
Executive Architect: Ronald Lu & Partners (RLP)
Lead Architect: Forth Bagley
Landscape Designer: James Corner Field Operations
Overall Lighting Design: Speirs + Major
Schematic design of Opera Theatre: AB Concept
Entrance and Overall Greenery Design: Plandscape
Architectural Features and Interiors: LAAB Architects
Visual Corridor: Leigh + Orange
Peacock Playground: Monstrum
KUBE: OMA
Victoria (chandelier): Lasvit
Sustainability Consultants: Arup
Opera Theatre spandrels: William Lam of L&L
Client: K11
Text description provided by the architects