Seven Global Art Businesses Embrace H Queen's As the New Heart of the Arts In Central
Top Galleries and Brands Expand Distinctive Art and Lifestyle Presence in Hong Kong
HONG KONG, Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- H Queen's, at the corner of Queen's Road Central and Pottinger Street in Central, is a game changer for how audiences may experience art and lifestyle in Hong Kong. It provides some of the world's best galleries the opportunity to showcase the work of their represented artists in large, purpose-built spaces in the very heart of Hong Kong.
"When it is complete in mid-2017, H Queen's will offer Hong Kong audiences the greatest concentration of art in Central," said Ms. Kristine Li, Deputy General Manager of Henderson Leasing Agency Company Limited.
Seven global art businesses have already embraced H Queen's as the new heart of the arts in Hong Kong.
David Zwirner1 is H Queen's anchor tenant who has committed to two whole floors totalling close to 10,000 square feet. David Zwirner established his eponymous gallery in New York in 1993 and is now considered to be one of the world's most influential art dealers.
Announcing the signing, Ms. Kristine Li said, "David Zwirner is one of the world's most progressive and innovative galleries so they are a perfect match for the most innovative commercial centre for art and lifestyle in Hong Kong. Together with our other premium tenants of both galleries and F&B, more than 50% of the total space has now been leased."
Internationally renowned Pace Gallery2 was established in 1960 in the United States. Since then, Pace has established strongholds around the world including London, Paris and Beijing. Pace is one of the foremost runners to establish a gallery in Asia. Pace Asia Partner Mr. Leng Lin expressed, "Hong Kong is becoming one of Asia's central Art Markets in terms of global positioning, and is gaining significance. Though Pace has been established in Hong Kong for three years now, the decision to expand and find a bigger space for our gallery is essential. By the time the gallery is ready, we hope to connect more closely with the artists and the art market in Hong Kong so that more exchanges between Western contemporary art and Asian contemporary art may happen."
Other premium tenants announced today are Pearl Lam Galleries3, a leading Asia-based gallery with a presence across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore; Seoul Auction4, the leading auction house in Korea; Tang Contemporary Art Gallery5, which began in Bangkok and which is now active in Bangkok, Beijing and Hong Kong; Whitestone Gallery6, which first established a presence in Hong Kong in 2015 and has now committed to two floors in H Queen's to showcase work by Japanese artists and Le Comptoir7, the company behind the spectacular Bibo restaurant, which fuses art and gastronomy.
The new building known as H Queen's will change the way galleries and lifestyle businesses work in Hong Kong. In a conventional mall, each group of shops is linked by interconnected walkways. This pattern is repeated even when the mall is spread over several or many vertical floors. H Queen's has revolutionized this idea and has created the world's first art gallery sky arcade.
H Queens turns the idea of an arcade through 90° and replaces the promenade past each facade with a glass shuttle that allows visitors views of every interior from the ground to the 10th floor as they pass by.
The building also includes the unique combination of an external gondola and openable facades that can deliver artworks or other large objects direct to each gallery floor, as well as having high ceilings, floor plates of between 4,500 and 5,000 square feet and multi-functional layouts.
The high floors of H Queen's have been designed to accommodate a range of art and dining options. Expansive views from built-in verandas and terraces will help create an idyllic atmosphere in which to share art, food, wine and conversation with friends and enjoy spectacular alfresco views out over Central.
Hong Kong has long been synonymous with the worlds of banking, global trade, international business and high finance, especially in Central. But in recent years art and creativity have come to play a more important part in this mix. Art business is now big business in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is the world's third largest art market by auction sales and its art fairs and galleries now present new work by many thousands of artists every year. As the place with the highest concentration of art in Central, H Queen's may well be the most creative place in Hong Kong.
"The greatest concentration of art in Central"
H Queen's will have the most amount of gallery space in one place under management in Central, more than any other commercial building in Hong Kong.
"The most innovative commercial centre for art and lifestyle in Hong Kong"
No other commercial building in Hong Kong offers gallery and lifestyle businesses the flexibility afforded by the combination of an external gondola and an approximately 3.65m x 4. 65m opening facade that allows the delivery of artworks or other large objects direct to each gallery floor.
"The world's first "art gallery sky arcade""
Hong Kong has no shortage of vertical malls but H Queen's "Art Gallery Sky Arcade" is the first time a glass elevator has been used to create a new type of shared gallery space. This gives each floor a high degree of connectivity and has the effect of equalizing the economic value of each floor regardless of its distance from the ground.
"The most creative place in Hong Kong"
Art is a measure of creativity. As the place with the largest amount of gallery space under full time management in Central, H Queen's can truly be said to be the most creative place in Hong Kong.
More information of H Queen's and the public art programme can be found at its official website: www.hqueens.com.hk
| 1 |
David Zwirner is a contemporary art gallery with locations in New York (Chelsea) and London (Mayfair), which currently represents over fifty prominent and internationally recognized artists and estates, and has well over one hundred staff members. Since opening its doors over two decades ago, it has been home to important and pioneering exhibitions across a variety of media and genres. Active in both the primary and secondary markets, the gallery has helped foster the careers of some of the most influential artists working today, including Michaël Borremans, Marlene Dumas, Neo Rauch, Luc Tuymans, and Lisa Yuskavage. |
| 2 |
Pace Gallery is one of the world's leading contemporary art galleries representing many of the most significant international artists and estates, including Alexander Calder, David Hockney, Agnes Martin, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, James Turell, Yoshitomo Nara and Zhang Xiaogang. With over 55 years of history, Pace was founded by Arne Glimcher in Boston in 1960 and is led by Marc Glimcher. Pace has been a constant, vital force in the art world and has introduced many renowned artists' work to the public for the first time. Today, Pace has ten locations worldwide, including the two Asia spaces: a 25,000 square-foot gallery in Beijing, and a gallery in Hong Kong. Both spaces are overseen by Asian Partner Leng Lin. |
| 3 |
Pearl Lam Galleries, founded by Pearl Lam, opened its first space in Shanghai in 2006. The Gallery then opened its first permanent Hong Kong branch in the Pedder Building in 2012, occupying one of the largest gallery spaces. The Galleries expanded again in 2014, this time to Singapore, with a space in Gillman Barracks. In March 2015, Pearl Lam Galleries opened a second exhibition space in Hong Kong in Soho 189, where it occupies the largest gallery space. Soho 189 is situated in Sai Ying Pun, one of Hong Kong Island's most vibrant and fastest developing areas. Originally presenting a range of Chinese contemporary art and design, Pearl Lam Galleries has evolved over the last ten years into a leading Asian gallery, working with a number of eminent international contemporary artists including Chun Kwang Young, Jenny Holzer, Antony Micallef, Qiu Deshu, Yinka Shonibare MBE, Su Xiaobai and Zhu Jinshi, as well as promoting in Asia the work of distinguished Modern artists including Robert Motherwell and Sam Francis. |
| 4 |
Seoul Auction was established in 1998 and is now Korea's oldest and leading auction house, holding at least one major auction per quarter. In 2006 the company was the first art business to be listed on the KOSDAQ, the SME Market Division of the Korean Stock Exchange. In 2015 the house achieved the milestone of cumulative sales in excess of KRW 100 billion. Seoul Auction opened their Hong Kong office in 2008. |
| 5 |
Tang Contemporary Art was first established in 1997 in Bangkok and now has additional spaces in Beijing and Hong Kong. The gallery has carved out a very strong international reputation through a progressive and critically-driven program of groundbreaking exhibitions and projects. Tang Contemporary Art represents some of the best-known figures in Chinese contemporary art including Ai Weiwei, Huang Yong Ping and Zhao Zhao, among other artists from Asia such as Rirkrit Tiravanija and Sakarin Krue-On. |
| 6 |
Whitestone Gallery was founded in Tokyo in 1967 to promote modern and contemporary Japanese artists and estates. In 2012 the Whitestone Art Foundation established the Karuizawa New Art Museum in the resort town of Kitasaku-gun in the mountains near Nagano in central Japan about 100 kilometres from Tokyo. In 2015 the gallery opened its first overseas branch in Hong Kong and now has two spaces in Hong Kong with an upcoming gallery to open in Taipei by the end of 2016. |
| 7 |
Le Comptoir was established in Hong Kong in 2013 with the goal of redefining the boundaries of what an upscale restaurant experience can be. The group offers memorable dining and exemplary service in a variety of art-centric, visually spectacular venues. The group includes Bibo, the only Relais & Chateaux accredited restaurant in Hong Kong, which offers innovative French cuisine in a contemporary gallery setting. |
Social Media
HQ's public art programme, Time & Scale: 10 Hong Kong artists at HQ, is being promoted on its Instagram account (@HQ_HK), and users are encouraged to post the hashtags below to add to the ongoing creative dialogue.
#HQueens
#artHQ
#PublicArtHQ
Appendix: H Queen's (HQ) Fact Sheet
| Concept: |
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| Address: |
80 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong |
| Architect: |
CL3 Architects |
| Completion Date: |
Mid-2017 |
| Number of Floors: |
24 |
| General Design Features: |
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| Technical Features: |
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| Awards & Accreditation: |
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| Instagram: |
@HQ_HK |
Design Features for Art Galleries
- Accessibility: Located in the busiest district of Central, H Queen's has direct access by MTR, tram, and ferry. The area is already a known art district, and H Queen's will offer Hong Kong audiences the greatest concentration of art in Central. A glass shuttle lift in the building also allows visitors to observe the vibrant art activities going on and showcases the full exhibition of the art galleries through the G/F to the 10/F.
- BMU: in-house Building Maintenance Unit (BMU) features a gondola system to facilitate the delivery of artworks through the operable facade system (approx. 3.65mx4. 65m) on each gallery floor.
- Capacity: Floor loading rate of 5-10 kPA for heavier pieces of artwork and a floor space of 4,000-5,000sq. ft. for larger pieces.
Design Features for Dining Tenants
- Dining-high: Each of the top floors is equipped with ceiling-to-floor glass windows, offering diners the ultimate dining-high experience: alfresco dining and a view of Central at new heights.
- Elegance: An ideal location and design that offers an up market retreat for connoisseurs who seek the finest cuisine in a vibrant setting.
- Floor-space: With expansive views from open terraces and verandahs, minimum structural columns and corridor space, H Queen's offers diners the comfort and flexibility of space at this premium building.
Design Features for Retail Brands
- Glass Box Design: Iconic glass box design on the podium portion using glass mullions, appropriate for large retailers to use for featured displays. Exterior façade with computer-controlled LED lighting and high-resolution LED outdoor signboards also an advertising advantage in an ideal location in Central.
- HQ H Queen's: H Queen's location is the ideal headquarters for art lifestyle. Located at Queen's road Central and Stanley Street, each equipped with its own entrance - including a prominent 5-metre high entrance - the district around it has always had a vibrant art community, and H Queen's establishment will become an anchor for the district. Tailored to the needs of different retailers, there are a variety of choices in floor-spaces at H Queen's, from entire floors of the building to smaller shops, suiting the needs of all.
- Integrated Art and Lifestyle in Hong Kong: H Queen's art-related tenants help complete a full day of art-living: from coffee to cocktail, from gallery opening to savory dining, from "To-see" to "To Be-seen", and from sight-seeing to shopping.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160912/406319
SOURCE H Queen's
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