SOGO The Twins and TT Site | New Office Works

Project Context

The Twins, Kai Tak is home to the new flagship SOGO, the city’s largest Japanese-style department store. Situated in Tower I, our site features a long escalator that connects a striking triple-height atrium on the 10th floor to the Restaurant Park on the 12th floor. The design aims to transform this area into an immersive experience that transports visitors from the typical department store environment to an Engawa-inspired setting, inviting them to navigate through a space that evokes the impression of being inside a lantern. Adjacent to the atrium is TT SITE, a 25,000 sq ft multipurpose and exhibition space that we have also designed and is currently under construction.

Design Concept

Three volumes form the spatial sequence connecting the 10/F atrium and the 12/F. Constructed out of a timber grid infilled with backlit shoji panels, each volume is akin to the interior of a glowing lantern. The height of the first volume being the lowest, visitors experience the change in scale from the grand atrium into a more intimate space before gradually opening back up to the 12/F. The shoji panels are composed of slanted wood frames, creating a completely different materiality of the space when looking up vs looking down. The journey moving up is defined by wood and solidity, whereas the journey moving down is characterized by shoji paper and light.

Material and Detail

Through a series of design studies, we explored various lighting and material strategies to accentuate the transition between the 10/F atrium and the 12/F arrival. For example, the formation of the colonnade at the 10/F and the use of horizontal bands on the walls create a sense of openness at the atrium and a sense of enclosure within the escalator space. We looked at whether the front facade should be treated as part of the wall, part of the unfolding ceiling, or a feature on its own. We also studied the different effects between integrating the lighting pattern with the wall panel design vs. treating the light and wall panel composition as distinct layers.

Design Architect
New Office Works

Executive Interior Designer
AGC Design Limited

Program
Commercial Interior

Area
812.56 sqm / 8746 sq ft

Photographer
Leon Xu Liang