concrete created Skypark: a residential clubhouse in the heart of Mongkok, Hong Kong - breaking down the walls of traditional thinking. Within the bustling streets of Mongkok, Hong Kong, concrete created a welcoming clubhouse for all residents of the Skypark tower.
Skypark is a large residential development by Hong Kong based New World Development, led by Mr Adrian Cheng. Within one of the densest areas of Hong Kong the tower is suited to people who enjoy life in a lively and vibrant neighbourhood, but with its communal clubhouse and outside park on the very top of the building it also provides them an escape from the city. concrete designed the architecture and interior of all residential public areas, from the street entrance to the transfer concierge floor and top floor clubhouse.
Inspired by the crowded and narrow streets of Mongkok, where space is limited and people mingle, concrete created a place for residents to escape the chaos and people to truly connect. By ’breaking down the walls’ of a generic clubhouse – almost literally – concrete developed an open and transformable public space and redesigned the essence of a residents’ clubhouse within this dense and cosmopolitan city. By working closely with P&T architects and landscape architects ALN, concrete was able to make an integrated design that captures the ’in-between spaces’, and creates an architecture where interior and landscape designs blend together.
The clubhouse consists of different function areas, in which a kitchen, library and bar sit together with a gym, swimming pool and art gallery. A large outside staircase connects the clubhouse floor with the landscaped park on top of the building complete with picnic and BBQ areas. The staircase, where the gardens drop down and the living rooms climb up, is transformed into an outdoor cinema on Friday nights, or a place to enjoy the stars in the sky and share a secret kiss…
ARCHITECTURE The open floorplan consists of four square volumes that house all the necessities like staircases, elevators, structures, MEP, restrooms, storage, and bar and kitchen equipment. These blocks are cladded with travertine and protrude through the ceiling into the landscaped roof. By positioning them diagonally the in-between spaces accommodate the different areas and function rooms. They are kept transparent and open, with a few glass partitions and sliding doors, resulting in surprising spaces, where one can find the best views in every corner with spectacular view toward the city as a backdrop.
ENTRANCE 1ST The entrance on Nelson Street is part of the base of the building, which is a three-storey retail mall called The Forest. The entrance is recognisable through the use of a travertine cladding similar to the rooftop clubhouse. A hint of green, brass ambient ‘wok’ lamps and a few shelves with books and collectables give a warm a homely atmosphere to Skypark’s communal areas. Two elevators with brass framing bring the residents and their guests up to the transfer floor on the 3rd level.
TRANSFER FLOOR 3RD The ground floor elevators bring residents to the 3rd floor where they can transfer to the residential elevators that bring them to their apartments or the 28th floor clubhouse. This area is the lobby of Skypark and includes a welcoming concierge. The concierge has a big marble table and a backdrop of 999 letterboxes in 5 shades of gold coloured aluminium. The letterboxes cover a cube that wraps around the back office of the concierge. A few fun elements introduce the playful nature of the clubhouse, including the ‘Tree Trunk Bench’ by Jurgen Bey which brings the park into the building. These actual local tree trunks have bronze seat backs that allow residents to check their mail and relax. For those feeling playful, the ‘Arion’ rocking horse for grownups, created by Marcel Wanders, peeks around the corner. Two large art works by Chinese artist Zhao Yao were specially curated by Adrian Cheng’s K11 art foundation.
TYPICAL CORRIDOR The corridor design has a herringbone pattern of grey tone tiles, black woodgrain wall cladding, white stucco ceilings and recessed illuminated signage to create a basic yet sophisticated look.
CLUBHOUSE SKYPARK 28TH & 29TH The clubhouse is situated on the 28th floor and consists of different function areas. From the central Gallery, guests can enter the SkyBar, SkyLiving, SkyLibrary, Grand Staircase, Pool or Spa and Gym.
The Gallery The Gallery is a double height space within one of the central travertine clad blocks. This area gives access to the function rooms on one side, the spa and pool on the other, an elevator to the rooftop garden and a direct entrance to the outside terrace and Grand Staircase. One of the 9-meter high walls is completely covered with photographic art from the Lumas collection. The space is crowned by the illuminated ‘Staircase to Heaven’ artwork by Bertjan Pot.
The SkyBar The SkyBar is a residential bar area with a small living room. Large slide folding doors give access to the adjacent outside terrace. The marble bar counter and cabinet are cut out from the second travertine core. The marble bar top stands in front and has 12 seats to host small parties. The backsplash is encased by a wooden back-lit cabinet that wraps around the corner and function as an introduction to the next space.
The SkyLibrary The SkyLibrary lies between the bar and the SkyLiving. The full height wooden cabinet wraps around the core and is filled with greenery, art books from Taschen, and collectables. A large library reading table and loose seats allow residents to sit back, read a book, and enjoy the amazing view toward Hong Kong Island.
The SkyLiving The SkyLiving is located on one of the most spectacular corners of the clubhouse, in which the overhang of the clubhouse creates a true top-of-the-world feel. The SkyLiving is the perfect spot to have a party with friends and enjoy food and drinks. It has a big kitchen as the focal point of the space in which white marble countertops and the wooden back-lit cabinet are again cut out from the third core. A white marble kitchen island is fully equipped to host dinner parties with a spectacular view across Mongkok. The SkyLiving has a big dining table for 16 people as well as a cosy living room.
The Pool The 25 m indoor swimming pool is visually connected to all the adjacent spaces such as the SkyLiving, SkyLibrary and SkyBar. When entering the clubhouse with the elevator the pool is even visible via a large full-height aquarium and gives a sense of people swimming with the fish. The swimming pool itself is a rectangular pool that has been carved out from the travertine blocks, which at one side features a pool bar for fun pool parties. The pool is surrounded by daybeds and benches with integrated planters.
The Gym Both the pool and gym have to be entered through the changing rooms. The male and female changing rooms are designed as loose blocks inside the space and clad with satin mirrors with green planters on top. Inside they provide showers, toilets and a sauna which are all clad with mosaic Carrara marble tiles. The gym is characterised by the sloping roof of the outside staircase and a carved-out travertine volume fully fitted for a good workout.
The Grand Staircase The most important feature of the clubhouse is the Grand Staircase that connects the clubhouse floor with the Skypark lawn on top of the building. These activated stairs climb slowly, and accommodate comfortable seating areas, while ambient lights accompany the seats and plants flow up toward the urban oasis. This spot is perfect for enjoying the warm Hong Kong nights and beautiful skyline and harbour views with friends and family.
The Skypark Lawn On top of the building in the rooftop garden, the travertine cores pop up, with a lush green garden meandering in between. The garden is great for picnics on the grass or having a BBQ, with specifically designed BBQ tables, soft seating and cosy garden lights.
