Hong Kong, the City of Design? Well, design is everywhere in the city this December!

DesignInspire, Maison&Objet Design Factory, Business of Design Week 2024, Detour 2024… all these design fairs happening simultaneously in Hong Kong can be seen as the first attempt to create a Design Week, after a successful Art Week organised every year in March.

BODW in the City is another exciting citywide design initiative organised by Hong Kong Design Centre to engage the general public with local institutions, brands and retailers. Running from 2 to 16 December, BODW in the City aims to showcase Hong Kong’s commitment to design excellence and creativity in a way that contributes to the local economy through curated programmes, exhibitions, workshops, installations, shows and craft demonstrations.

To help you navigate the 60 events organised by various organisations and venues, we have selected seven free happenings encompassing a wide range of fields, including architecture and interior design, crafts, fashion, movies and art.

Enjoy your Design Journey!

EVENTS IN FOCUS

THE MAKING OF THE PEDDER ARCADE

Join Mark Cho, co founder of The Armoury, and Katherine Wong, Katherine Wong Design studio, as they discuss how the Pedder Arcade was realised from initial concept ideas to development of the Arcade in the iconic heritage Pedder Building.

4 December – 6 – 8pm – Level 5, Pedder Building -Walk In

PHILLIPS ASIA EDITIONS, PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN PANEL TALK & OPENING RECEPTION

The panel talk will delve into how Editions, Photography, and Design change over time with global influences and trends. This will take place simultaneously with an opening reception for both the auction preview and a special private sale exhibition for Chinese contemporary ink artist, Li Jin.

5 December – 5 – 8pm – Phillips, WKCDA Tower, WestK – More details here – Registration here

SPECIAL GUIDED TOUR: CRAFTS ON PEEL COLLECTION

The organisation, situated in a revitalised 3-storey tenement built in 1948, aims to enhance public appreciation of craftsmanship and juxtapose traditional crafts with modern lifestyles through exhibitions and workshops.

The Creative Director of Crafts on Peel, Penelope Luk, and the Founder of Eureka, an architectural studio for the building’s revitalisation project, Annette Chu, will lead the guided tour, providing a comprehensive introduction to the architectural history of and the role of crafts.

13 December – Session A: 4 – 5pm| Session B: 5 – 6pm – Crafts on Peel – Registration here

HKFFF 2024 – ON DESIGN SCREENING “ANDRÉE PUTMAN, LA GRANDE DAME DU DESIGN”

French product designer and interior decorator Andrée Putman made a significant mark on the 20th and 21st centuries. Atypical and unbound by convention, Putman consistently envisioned connections and intersections between art, fashion, and design throughout her career.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Olivia Putman, daughter of Andrée and Director of Studio Putman.

8 December – 4.30 – 6.30pm – Kino Eaton House – Registration here 

YACINE BENSALEM: INVERSE / TENSION II

Architect and designer Yacine Bensalem presents an exploration of Hong Kong’s distinctive urban landscape and its untapped potential for transformation. Inverse/Tension II celebrates Hong Kong’s layered identity—a space where the rugged and the refined converge to create something uniquely transformative.

4 – 16 December – La Galerie Paris 1839 – More details here

ASYMMETRY OF BLABLABLA

This performance, where the inquiries of an architect meet the imagination of a painter, is propelled by the necessity of narratives. Words and images converse to tell the collapsing worlds and those who are trying to repair themselves.

The raw material of The Asymmetry of Blablabla stems from the exhibition Energies of Repair until 16 December.

7 December – Session A: 2.30 – 3.30pm / Session B: 5 – 6pm – Base Hall 2, Jardin House – Registration here

MOTIFX EXHIBITION/ GUANCAI PORCELAIN LIVE DEMONSTRATION & PERSONALISED SCARF PRINTING WORKSHOP

Motifx interwines the rich heritage of Chinese patterns with contemporary design, inviting a new generation of designers to reinterpret these timeless motifs.

13 December – 3 January 2025 – Chinese Arts and Crafts, Shop 103, 1/F, 26 Harbour Road

More details about BODW in the City on the link here.