Branding & Design: Twenty'o Eight Designs©Tai Ping Shan Artwork: Lee Chi ChingPhotography: N.B.Interior & Exterior Illustrations: Twenty'o Eight Designs© 11

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TAI PING SHAN STREET

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Nestled between Soho and Sheung Wan, Tai Ping Shan is a quiet and secluded gem; an atmospheric relic of Hong Kong's oldest “Chinatown”, where local heritage and culture can be found alongside a more recent influx of contemporary life.

Here, an eclectic mix of local shops, art galleries and neigbourhood restaurants live side-by-side with some of Hong Kong's most cherished landmarks such as the Pak Sing and Kwun Yam Temples, as well as Blake Garden – a park and urban getaway offering reprieve from everyday life.

The area is home to one of the island's last remaining and best preserved collections of tong lau – Hong Kong's traditional, colonial-style shophouse. Combining Chinese and European architectural features, the tong lau remains Hong Kong's most iconic building.

Years of urban development in Hong Kong have rendered traditional structures a rarity in the city. Today however, there is growing interest in their preservation, and nowhere is this more apparent than Tai Ping Shan.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

A quiet enclave in the midst of Sheung Wan, Tung Street is lined with chic art galleries and charming walk –ups.

Al fresco cafés and eateries can be found dotted around Tai Ping Shan, offering a peaceful escape from frenetic city living.

Specialist stalls are a rare find in Hong Kong, yet many can still be found in Tai Ping Shan, from fruit stands to kung fu shoe makers housed in little green huts.

Treasured by locals, the Man Mo Temple, and the tiny 1840 Kwun Yam Temple have witnessed a fast-paced city flourish around them.

Tai Ping Shan is a haven for artists and designers, who showcase their work in the many clusters of galleries on Hollywood Road and Cat Street.

Concept stores and craft workshops abound up side streets and cul de sacs, paving the way for a new generation of business owners in the area.

An oasis in the heart of the city, 11 Upper Station offers all the comforts of home, in a traditional Hong Kong setting. The original tong lau features have been beautifully preserved, while the inside reflects modern, Scandinavian influences; clean lines, open space and a light feel.

11 Upper Station is home to two duplexes and one apartment, all of which combine style and functionality. Residents seeking the epitome of comfort can choose to have their apartment fully serviced.

With high-ceilings and wall-to-wall windows, the bedrooms and living areas are spacious, yet cosy, providing an authentic sense of home. The open-plan kitchen and dining areas, which have been fitted with the finest fixtures and appliances, are perfect for entertaining friends and family.

The building affords both privacy and a sense of community, and while two of the homes offer a balcony and roof-top terrace, all have idyllic views of Hong Kong's most up and coming neighbourhood.

11 UPPERSTATION

Street-level Entrance

LIVING ROOM

KITCHEN

BATHROOM

LIVING ROOM / KITCHEN

1/F (with Terrace)

2/F

FLOOR PLANS

FITTINGS & FINISHES

Bedroom & Living Room: + Oak timber flooring + Split-type air conditioners + Wall finished in matte emulsion paint

Bathroom: + Jado bath & basin mixers + Kohler basin, bathtub & walk-in shower

Kitchen: + Cabinets finished in matte lacquer + Built-in refrigerator, washer/dryer + Built-in electric hob & oven

Powder Room: + Grohe concealed cistern + Wall-mounted WC

3/F

4/F

5/F (with Terrace)

It sometimes takes an incomer to view the ordinary with a fresh eye, to see merit in what most perceive as the mundane. Helen Lindman, who has lived in Hong Kong for nearly ten years, is such a visionary, able to apply a modern perspective to the city's vernacular and traditional housing.

Helen was quick to perceive that the tong lau possessed iconic qualities; that it is an important part of the city's cultural capital and deserves to be reprieved from thewreckers' hammer. Her vision is to preserve these buildings, not as monuments, but as live in homes, and in reviving them, help to resurrect the living communities in which they are set.

Helen's approach to design is a delicate mix of the old and new, with Scandinavian influences, as seen in her existing work at 55 Tung Street. Working with whole buildings or just a single apartment, she integrates the traditional with the contemporary and marries style to practicality. The result is a home that combines the atmospheric with the warm and practical, a home that breathes light, air and welcome.

HELEN LINDMAN