Property projects aimed exclusively at Millenials are flourishing in a growing number of Asian cities. In Hong Kong, a top-tier building has been designed to tighten the bonds between its occupants.
It would have been unthinkable a few years ago. In the middle of the last decade, Copenhagen, Berlin and Amsterdam were alternative cities, fascinating but poor. Unemployment there was approaching 20%, the bursting of the property and Internet bubbles discouraged private investors. Young graduates, fleeing high rents, adopted an anti-crisis lifestyle, which quickly became the flagship of a whole generation: co-tenancy.
Although there was a highly pragmatic need to share costs behind this decision, it was above all, for most Millenials, the idea of community that attracted them. Suckled on the social media, this new generation aims to reproduce in real life the impulses they have already adopted on line. I.e. enlarging their circle of friends, exchanging and sharing as much as possible. Including a part of their home…
Small rooms, big lives
To meet these expectations, the Dutch architect’s firm Concrete has conceived in Hong Kong the «Skypark», a luxury building, where everything is designed to counteract the isolation of its inhabitants. The flats, with two rooms, measure 55 m² and get a generous amount of sunlight. But for all the other spaces, the architects have literally broken down the walls… The Skypark tower thus offers a range of collective, top-tier services: an indoor swimming pool, a bar, a shared kitchen, a library, a gym and common areas.
And for tenants who dream of get-away and peace in the city centre, Concrete’s architects have created not a garden, but an actual park on the roof. “We have built the roof in line with the concept that is gaining ground in the big metropolises: the “artisan” movement,” say the architects. “People are prepared to live in smaller homes if they are offered services that favour social interaction, sharing, creativity and authenticity.” The herding instinct has thus led to the idea of strength in community. Atop the “Skypark”, the co-tenants can socialise over a cocktail or an impromptu picnic. With a stroll on the steps and a breathtaking view of the bay. In terms of co-tenancy, “luxury” has definitively got the better of “low cost”.
Tags: all inclusive, co-tenancy, Concrete Architects, Hong Kong, Skypark