Located in the heart of Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, Hysan Place has completed a transformative, multi-phase repositioning that transcends the conventional retail model. Moving beyond shopping and dining, the comprehensive “Urbanhood” revamp lead by Woods Bagot has established the complex as a definitive trendsetter, crafting a dynamic hub for community engagement, creativity, and exploration aimed at a new generation. 

A reflection of urban attitudes.  

 The journey began with the transformation of an underutilized semi-outdoor space into a vibrant urban park. Embracing the concept of ”Urban Attitudes,” this phase introduced a unique skateboarding facility – believed to be the first of its kind within a global shopping mall. The design consciously incorporates the rawness and authenticity of street culture, with exposed materials like raw brick, metal, concrete, and tactical wiring, creating an authentic civic streetscape in the city’s heart. This bold move provided a free, vibrant public venue, setting a new precedent for commercial property amenities. 

Within the interior, a new atrium was carved out across the fourth to sixth floors to form a central, multi-level hub. This space is designed not just for circulation but as a platform for co-creation, physically and visually connecting retail zones while hosting street culture markets, art exhibitions, brand activations, and live performances. It embodies the project’s core objective: to create an open environment where people can shop, gather, and participate. 

An extension of the train station journey.   

The revitalization extended underground to basement levels B1 and B2, reimagined as a bustling retail destination with the innovative concept of ”an extension of the train station journey.”  

This approach evokes the dynamic energy of a transit hub where gathering, dining, and shopping seamlessly converge. The spatial planning was redesigned for enhanced openness and flow, while a material palette of rich hazelnut wood, dark bronze, raw terracotta brick, and concrete creates a lavish yet utilitarian atmosphere. Leather furnishings and ambient lighting add warmth, successfully attracting increased footfall and offering a more engaging retail and dining experience. 

A Celebration of Nature in Buzz  

The most recent phase redefines the crucial threshold from B3 to the third floor. Centered on the poetic symbol of the bamboo tree, ”A Celebration of Nature in the Buzz” creates a striking first impression and a natural extension of Hysan Place’s innovative spirit. The design interprets bamboo through contemporary abstraction, using 100% recycled bamboo veneer in rhythmic, vertical forms. Faced with spatial constraints, the team transformed ceilings and columns into an immersive, cascading “forest canopy,” with strategic lighting casting dappled, leaf-like shadows. Every material decision honours sustainability principle, achieving a sophisticated dialogue between organic warmth and metropolitan refinement. 

Collectively, the revamp has successfully attracted footfall and the attention of youth to the lower levels while giving visitors a more pleasant retail and dining experience, adding value to the tenants that helped regenerate and establish Hysan Place as a trendsetter in the industry. The design delivers an aesthetic and immersive experience that captures the attention of passersby and injects new energy into the space, bringing the “Urbanhood” vision to life whilst firmly establishing itself as an innovative leader and true trendsetter in the future of urban retail and community spaces.