THE FACTORY: Cool lofts

I've always wondered why Hong Kong didn't have any cool loft conversions. I finally got to see one last Friday at the launch of The Factory in Hong Kong's Wong Chuk Hang district. This area is chock full of old factory buildings. It's on the south side of the Aberdeen tunnel, close to Ocean Park and Jumbo restaurant, and just a 15-20 minute taxi ride away from Central, as opposed to factory areas in Kowloon or New Territories.

K Wah, the developers, also did the J Senses redevelopment project in Wan Chai, which is home to The Pawn, a cool Brit pub in an old pawn shop. For The Factory, they invited Italian comic book artist Mauro Marchesi to paint a comic on the building's facade as well as the interior public spaces such as lift lobbies and the rooftop space. The building is for lease only and is targeted at creative businesses -- advertising, film, media, design studios, art galleries. The 4,000+ square feet duplex studios have super high ceilings, making for a cool, spacious, affordable workspace. Rents start from around HK$14/square feet.

Will be interesting to see if this turns into a trend and whether Wong Chuk Hang might become a small business/creative hub.