Room by the Sea | Bean Buro

Bean Buro has poetically created a series of 240sqft (22.2sqm) micro apartments in Kwai Chung Hong Kong as part of a residential development roll out.

Inspired by the surrealist painter Edward Hopper, the effect is a transitory space that simultaneously reflects the external dynamic lifestyles of Hong Kong urban dwellers while creating a calm internal environment. The aim was to create a space for one to reflect inner life and feelings by being able to personalise the space with sentimental person objects. Similar to Hopper’s famous painting Rooms by the Sea, Bean Buro’s canvas paintings depicts natural sunlight captured and the internal space is more an evocative metaphor of silence and solitude than the transcription of an actual scene.

Hong Kong is challenged with the paradox of shrinking living spaces versus the increasing need for storage. People like stuff, but often do not want to look at it. Bean Buro has explored the architectural potentials of an extremely confined space. The result is a flexible space with a highly efficient storage system defined by three sliding panels that allow the micro-apartment to be completely open, semi-closed, or completely closed. Home alone? Slide the panels open. Guests over? Hide that unmade bed by sliding them closed. Another central feature is a curved, soap-like volume that contains the bathroom and features niche storage. High level storage above the bathroom volume is accessible by a moving ladder.