Development, Hong Kong

Robert A.M. Stern Architects' new project aims for a sensitive treatment of a historic area

A pproaching St. George's Mansions, the latest residential development on Hong Kong's sought-after Kadoorie Avenue by developers Sino Land and clp group, it's immediately apparent that you're moving into a luxurious private world. Screen walls hint at what's beyond, but when the sound under the car's tyres changes as the road becomes cobblestoned, the doors open to the soothing sound of water and you step onto the richly patterned paving of the motor court, you know you've arrived somewhere special.

An abundance of Gascogne cream limestone, so soft in tone that it almost glows with warmth, is reminiscent of the off-white walls of the original Kadoorie Estate villas that surround the new property. Punched windows add to an aesthetic that takes inspiration from the past.

Situated within the serene oasis that is Kadoorie Hill, St. George's Mansions comprises three connected towers offering 175 apartments in total. The vision for the property was to create something that draws on the heritage of the site, emphasising the highest quality of design and materials in order to build on and ensure a future for its legacy. That's where the team at Robert A.M. Stern Architects came in.

‘Our approach involves learning from the past, stepping back to move forward and really understanding what architects have done before us, so we can speak the same language, reinterpreting architectural elements from the past in ways that give continuity. We reinterpreted these ideas to create a 21stcentury building,' explains Grant Marani, partner at ramsa.

The result is a trio of buildings that brings the

Kadoorie Estate's past into the modern day. ‘A lot of other architects want to show off what they can do; there's too much ego,'adds Marani. ‘We like to create a meaningful dialogue with the architecture of the neighbourhood and of the place.'

This is best reflected in the property's two facades. While the height and scale of St. George's Mansions differ from nearby buildings, the towers' facades reflect the two sides of the neighbourhood. One faces the Kadoorie Estate and is designed to blend in with its setting, reflecting the proportions, scales, textures and horizontality, while the other brings a sense of modernism, with a larger scale and vertical components that echo the more urban setting.

Heritage elements are reflected in the new buildings. Take, for example, the hooded windows of the original villas. ‘Over many of the windows we've introduced this element into our design to offer sun protection, but this detail also gives a nod to the architecture of the Kadoorie Hill houses to tie the two together. Even though the new building and surrounding houses are of different scales, they'll share common elements that make them one family,' says Marani.

The design team also aimed to embody modern notions of luxury. ‘Part of what makes this project so luxurious is the use of rich and authentic materials,' says Bina Bhattacharyya, associate partner at ramsa. ‘The elegance of the design, together with the refined details and quality craftsmanship carry forward the best architectural traditions of Kadoorie Hill. We put a lot of thought into every aspect of the design to imbue it with a sense of place and permanence.'