No, it’s not because of feng shui. In this new series, we ask Hong Kong architects, designers and real estate pros to answer your burning questions about the city’s property landscape
Hong Kong has an unusual number of high-rises designed with “holes” in their midst—gaps that are seemingly left in the middle of an otherwise dense building.
The urban legend that these designs exist for feng shui reasons has persisted for years. The Repulse Bay, located on the Southside of Hong Kong island, is possibly the most famous example.
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The luxury residential complex was built in 1986 by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, which also operates The Peninsula Hotels. The group had demolished the iconic, colonial-style Repulse Bay Hotel—built back in 1920—in order to make way for a residential high-rise.
When the new property was completed, revealing the now famous “hole” design, it set tongues wagging.
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“Legend has it that The Repulse Bay’s exceptional location is enjoyed by a family of dragons that lives in the surrounding hills,” says Martyn Sawyer, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels’ Group Director, Properties. It was believed that the building was designed in such a way in order not to block “the mother dragon and her children” from her path into the ocean, he adds—obstructing their daily ritual of bathing in seawater would bring bad luck to the site.
Sadly, this wasn’t what inspired the distinctive design—even though the architects behind The Repulse Bay did, in fact, take the principles of feng shui into consideration, explains Sawyer.
Dubbed Sky Gardens, the gaps take inspiration from development’s beautiful natural surroundings. “The building was designed to reflect a lifestyle that is free, modern, casual and relaxed, where residents may enjoy plenty of greenery, sunlight, fresh air and a gentle sea breeze,” says Sawyer. The curvilinear wall, meanwhile, corresponds to the contours of Repulse Bay.
But what about the other buildings around the city designed with “holes”?
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