Cover Architect Betty Ng, a Tatler’s Asia’s Most Influential honouree, founded the international architectural firm Collective in 2015 (Photo: courtesy of Hungmc)
Architect Betty Ng, a Tatler’s Asia’s Most Influential honouree, founded the international architectural firm Collective in 2015 (Photo: courtesy of Hungmc)
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Hong Kong architect and founder of the Collective firm Betty Ng dives into her latest project—building the new Asia-Pacific headquarters of Christie’s; reflects on some of the most memorable milestones in her career; and talks about why the power of teamwork is paramount
Betty Ng was already one of the most respected architects in the region when Collective, the international architectural firm she founded in 2015, won the tender to build the auction house Christie’s new Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong.
“It’s like a Swiss army knife—it’s so small, but how do you pack everything in it?” says Ng, a Tatler’s Asia’s Most Influential honouree, of the project. It takes up a space at The Henderson, the highly anticipated Central skyscraper designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Work on the auction house’s new headquarters began in 2021 and it is set to open in September.
“The brief was very simple, so we dived much deeper—what does an auction house encompass? It is more than an exhibition space and [a place that offers] client servicing. We also looked at flexibility—you have limited space in some of the most expensive real estate in Hong Kong.”
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“I definitely don’t think of myself as a female architect—I only think of myself as an architect”
At the time of writing, its design is largely under wraps. Ng adds that she can’t wait to show us what’s in the space, particularly the “flexible design mechanisms” not seen in auction houses before: “It’s something quite new.”
Above Architect Betty Ng, a Tatler’s Asia’s Most Influential honouree, wears a Hermès jacket (Photo: courtesy of Hungmc)
Architect Betty Ng, a Tatler’s Asia’s Most Influential honouree, wears a Hermès jacket (Photo: courtesy of Hungmc)
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From the limited information the architect is able to offer about this marquee project, we get a glimpse of how she conceives her designs and brings them to life. After graduating from Cornell and Harvard, Ng worked at Herzog & de Meuron and OMA, two of the world’s most respected architectural firms. Collective’s co-directors are her former OMA colleagues Juan Minguez and Katja Lam, and former Harvard classmate Chi Yan Chan; it has offices in Hong Kong, London and Madrid. The firm prides itself on not being defined by a single aesthetic. “We are not offering a product but a methodology. Everyone gets a special project, because they are all different.”
Take the Joyce Boutique: Collective completed the revamp of the shop on Queen’s Road Central in 2022. It is an intimate yet inviting space, filled with earthy tones and a layering of materials, which create a sense of warmth. But it is also a space with “crazy efficiency”, as Ng describes it. Clothing is displayed on every single wall, and this is something that’s especially important in the design of any store. Yet it is still a spacious shop that you can stroll around in. It fulfils the brief of offering customers a warm, comfortable shopping experience, but it is also highly functional.
Above Inside the Joyce Boutique
Above Art Intelligence Global
Inside the Joyce Boutique
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“That’s the practicality we offer our clients.” Meanwhile, the Art Intelligence Global Hong Kong headquarters, another one of Collective’s projects, which was completed in the same year, is a minimalist space dominated by the colour white. The space doesn’t have “a single thing that is not needed”, says Ng.
But the meticulous details behind it, from the height of the ceiling and the door hinges to the AC outlet, means that everything is a presentation of the right proportions. “We don’t talk about beauty as an aesthetic, but beauty as the result of function and clarity coming together,” she says. “It’s a consequence—things with the right proportions and the right functions will naturally become beautiful.”
With her achievements in the field, Ng gets plenty of questions about her thoughts on being a “female architect”. Despite plenty of ink having been spilt on this, our conversation steers into this topic. “I definitely don’t think of myself as a female architect—I only think of myself as an architect,” she says. “When I’m addressed as a female architect, I feel uneasy, because you would never call someone a ‘male architect’.” She acknowledges that this could be a contradiction: “I do know that the awareness and support for women in a male-dominant industry is extremely important.”
Above Architect Betty Ng (Photo: courtesy of Hungmc)
Above Architect Betty Ng (Photo: courtesy of Hungmc)
Architect Betty Ng (Photo: courtesy of Hungmc)
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Something else that ranks high on the list of priorities is teamwork. The name “Collective” is a reflection of this. There are 16 people on the team across the three offices, and she and her co-directors work extremely closely together. “I cannot express how important these people are—without them, I don’t think it’s possible,” referring to the sheer amount of projects the firm undertakes.
Other than Christie’s, this year Collective will unveil the rooftop garden of 11 Skies, a retail, dining and entertainment hub at the airport operated by New World Development, which is marketed as a gateway to the Greater Bay Area.
Towards the end of our conversation, she adds that she wants to emphasise her achievements aren’t hers alone. “Christie’s is not my project—it is our project.” Chan runs daily operations. Ng works with the clients and makes design decisions, as does Minguez, who also decides on design directions. She feels it is her responsibility to make it known that the single-name architect is simply a myth. “No architect can work alone—it is not possible. I think it is to the core of what ‘Collective’ means.”
Credits
Styling: Cherry Mui
Andrea Lo was the Executive Editor of Tatler Hong Kong and Editor of Tatler Macau.
Born in Canada and raised in Hong Kong and England, she started her career in journalism in 2012.
Follow her on Instagram @andreastephenielo.
