Photo of the day No.42 - The Repulse Bay Hong Kong
The Apartment Block with a large hole in Hong Kong
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong for 53 years - I know the place.
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Photo of the day No. 42 - The Repulse Bay Hong Kong
The Apartment Block with a large hole in Hong Kong
Is is a Feng Shui Hole or is just a “design” hole? that is the question!
click on the image to enlarge
I got really lucky with this image, it was a perfect sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, I have always believed that in Hong Kong the best blue skies are always in and around Repulse Bay on the south side of Hong Kong Island.
The building with the large hole is called the Repulse Bay which is basically luxurious and very apartments and a mall, a club and a wonderful replica colonial restaurant called the Verandah and in front of the Apartments is a terrific beach called Repulse Bay Beach, it is a very popular beach and is quite large and the views are magnificent
So back to the large hole in the apartment block
This is a quote from the South China Morning Post Hong Kong’s best English Language newspaper in 2016
“This is Hong Kong trivia 101, the kind of fact you trot out to impress newcomers to the city. Yes—it’s for feng shui purposes, to allow the “dragon” on the mountain to pass through towards the sea”
Now holes in buildings are not unusual in Hong Kong and to many people the whole Feng Shui concept surrounding the holes is a bit of an urban legend, I try not to get involved too much in trying to understand the principles of Feng Shui, it is far to complex for my brain to understand, in general I find non Chinese people to be a little dismissive of it calling it superstitious claptrap whilst the Hong Kong Chinese people embrace it whole heartedly, who I am to argue!
… and to confuse matters even further, well it is not just a dragon that uses the hole, it is a family of dragons who like to swim in the sea just off the beach in front of the building.
This is a quote from the horses mouth, ie the developer that owns all that property a few years ago
“Legend has it that The Repulse Bay’s exceptional location is enjoyed by a family of dragons that lives in the surrounding hills,” says Martyn Sawyer, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels’ Group Director, Properties. It was believed that the building was designed in such a way in order not to block “the mother dragon and her children” from her path into the ocean, he adds—obstructing their daily ritual of bathing in seawater would bring bad luck to the site.
Sadly, this wasn’t what inspired the distinctive design—even though the architects behind The Repulse Bay did, in fact, take the principles of feng shui into consideration, explains Sawyer.
Dubbed Sky Gardens, the gaps take inspiration from development’s beautiful natural surroundings. “The building was designed to reflect a lifestyle that is free, modern, casual and relaxed, where residents may enjoy plenty of greenery, sunlight, fresh air and a gentle sea breeze,” says Sawyer. The curvilinear wall, meanwhile, corresponds to the contours of Repulse Bay.”
… and this is another quote on the reason for the hole that I have seen
“The other reason for these tower holes is far less superstitious and entirely practical. Hong Kong has a kind of built form known as "wall-effect buildings." These are large buildings with large floor plates that create a kind of wall in the landscape. So to break up the massing and allow more natural light and air to flow through, holes are introduced.”
My guess is that all 3 reasons are perfectly logical and valid.
The Atlantis Apartments in Miami, USA
Holes in buildings are not that unusual!
This the interior of the very expensive apartments at the Repulse Bay, not only do you have magnificent seaviews, if you close your eyes you can probably imagine a family of dragons swooping through the hole in the building and frolicking in the sea at Repulse Bay beach! I have decided that we could really enjoy living in this apartment! as long as it is over 2,000 sq ft!
click on the image to enlarge
click on the image to enlarge
The old iconic Repulse Bay Hotel 1920 - 1982 Hong Kong
I estimate that over the years I have been to Repulse Bay well over 500 times, it is a splendid place to visit even if the iconic hotel has gone
One of the advantages of living in a place for 50+ years is that you accumulate a lot of memories and I came across this old image of the Repulse Bay Hotel which was replaced by the Repulse Bay Apartments, The club and the arcade.
I still have vivid memories of having a family Christmas Day gathering in 1972, we had a memorable meal in the Hotel and then went swimming at the Repulse Bay Beach, I loved this hotel, it was very special.
The orange | red bricked roof building at the bottom of the image, well that is the Ferrari showroom these days and I will often get of the bus just to go and look at the cars!
The Ferrari Showroom at Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, we have over 4,000+ Ferrari’s in Hong Kong!
Just over the road from the Repulse Bay Apartments, they often have 5 or 6 models parked outside on the forecourt for you to drool over and dream a little! but the special models tend to be inside!
I always find it a shame that old iconic and historic buildings are knocked down and redeveloped in Hong Kong, I cannot blame the owners for maximising a plots potential, if I was a Director and Shareholder I would do the same thing and at least the Verandah Restaurant at the Repulse Bay complex retains that old historic design an ambience.
The arcade is not too bad either, they have quite a few jolly decent restaurants!
The Verandah Restaurant, Repulse Bay, Island South, Hong Kong
…. and I have no problem with people treating me to lunch at this iconic restaurant, very colonial and it always brings back a lot of memories!
You should know that the Verandah Restaurant, the Arcade, Club and Apartments are all owned by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group who also own the Peninsula Hotel Group and you guessed it, the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong also has a fabulous restaurant called the Verandah, the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong has been around since 1928!
So when in Hong Kong, try and make the time to visit Repulse Bay, it is an awesome place to visit.
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong |
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