26 Mount Kellett Road

The opportunity to build three low rise homes, replacing a 12-storey building, on what is, foot for foot, one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the world, brought out the desire to find a quintessential design which would become a landmark in The Peak area of Hong Kong whilst also capitalising on the superb views of the South China Sea.The three houses rise up from the natural hill slope as three massive blocks of granite, defying gravity as they stand on a stretch of sheer glass walls. The podium carpark abutting Mount Kellett Road forms the ultimate base to these three floating “Granites”. The “Granites” are sliced with strips of glazing, not only bringing in views, light and air to the interior, but also creating a rhythm with the external façade.

At the same time, views are well controlled to maintain privacy for the three closely located houses. The “Granites” float by means of large glazed walls, apparently defying gravity.

Transparency is fully expressed on garden levels with full integration of interior space into surrounding landscape and pools.

The “Granites” are crafted with textures. Large rugged stone panels form the major cladding of the houses. The whitish grey stone panels are bush-hammered. These panels are shadow casting tools creating infinite shifting shadows at different times of the day. Liveliness is given to the static “Granites” with changing expressions.

The “Granites” are pierced through by individual glass lifts and staircases down to the carpark level. The lifts and staircases are major circulation tools located at the perimeter of the blocks which serve not only as communication between floors, but also communication between the inside and the outside of the houses. 26 Mount Kellett Road, The Peak, was awarded one of the shortlisted projects in the Hong Kong Institute of Architects with MERIT in the Hong Kong residential building category 2010.

Houses

1,240 Sqm

The Peak, Hong Kong

Completed 2009