Heatherwick successfully works both as a designer and as an architect: among his most recent works are the UK Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai and the Olympic Flame Bowl at the 2012 Summer Games in London.
The Hong Kong project is intended for the Seongwan area, part of the historical center, where buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries have been preserved.
However, the hotel will be located among modern buildings, where there is no need to hide behind a pseudo-historical facade. Instead, Heatherwick suggested making it out of a concrete base and metal boxes of 4 different sizes. This technique is another variation on the theme of a “pixelated” wall, which is in endless motion - now crumbling, now building again.
Metal boxes will also be used in the interior of the rooms: as a bed frame, mini-bar, safe and iron storage.
N. F.
