Tai Kwun is a unique mix of heritage and contemporary architecture. With a deep respect for authenticity, 16 heritage buildings have been meticulously restored for adaptive reuse, while two new buildings designed by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron were added, featuring designs inspired by the site’s historic brickwork. The Laundry Steps at Tai Kwun is located underneath one of these new buildings, and has in the last 5 years been a space for impromptu gatherings, events, and performances. While the space is incredibly popular, the outdoor concrete steps were relatively uncomfortable for visitors to sit on for longer periods of time, and resulted in a lack of welcoming atmosphere.

The client invited us to design a flexible seating system that would provide new and comfortable seating, be easily installed and removed to suit a variety of different functions, as well as responding and respecting both the new and old architectural design languages at Tai Kwun. The curving form of each chair is ergonomically designed for comfort and is inspired by the floating boxes of the new architecture, as well as the roofscape of the historical buildings. A bespoke locking system ensures that each chair can be easily installed and removed to ensure ultimate flexibility in seating arrangements to suit large scale performances, small group gatherings, and for moments of solitude. The design transformed the Laundry Steps to a popular and vibrant area.

The bespoke locking system of the chairs uses a simple bolt that can be installed by hand onto the existing staircase. Through a simple fixing attached to the back of each chair, each chair can be easily hooked onto the bolt to ensure that it can be installed very quickly and efficiently without requiring any tools or specialist workers. This allows the flexibility for changes to the seating layout to be made in a very short time between events. To suit the needs for each performance or event, there may be occasions when a lot of the chairs may need to be stored in the storage space. As storage space on site is extremely limited, each chair is designed to be easily stackable to become an impromptu art work as well as to ensure that they can be stored in a space-saving and efficient manner.

The use of different coloured wood with FSC certification creates a gradient pattern that perfectly balances the need for an iconic design, while co-existing in harmony within its surroundings. The design has transformed the Laundry Steps into a very popular and vibrant area within Tai Kwun where even when there are no shows or events, there are many visitors who will sit on the chairs to read a book, have a coffee, or just to take a rest. We believe that through the thoughtful and meticulous design of the chairs, this demonstrates the power of design to bring people together, and to bring life and vitality to a space.