K11 ARTUS claims to be the world’s first luxury serviced residence dedicated to promoting artisanship. Designers, architects, and artists from around the world have collaborated on the project to create a refined environment paying homage to and encouraging rare arts and crafts.

K11 Founder Adrian Cheng with penthouse designer Joyce Wang

The 287 residences form part of entrepreneur Adrian Cheng’s ten-year Victoria Dockside development in the beating heart of Hong Kong’s harbour. The project’s portmanteau combines art and domus – the Latin word for home.

“Our intention is to reshape the serviced-apartment experience by designing private residences that encourage discerning visitors to reflect on profound ideas and pursue their creative passions,” explains Cheng. “More than a place to live, ARTUS will be a welcoming space for intelligent minds to find inspiration.”

Cheng enlisted some of the world’s top designers to create his world-first artisanal home. Hong Kong’s very own Andre Fu designed the interiors. Award-winning New York-based architectural studio, Kohn Pedersen Fox, designed the building. Bangkok-based P Landscape crafted a unique journey for residents with its landscaping. Hong Kong’s Joyce Wang, UK’s Fiona Barratt-Campbell and New York-based nemaworkshop, meanwhile, were enlisted to craft three individually-designed penthouses.

The Joyce Wang three-bedroom residence celebrates international artists. British interior designer Fiona Barratt-Campbell took inspiration from the architectural and artistic history of Rome. Nemaworkshops’s rooftop, meanwhile, centres on a greenhouse-style garden.

For the common areas and rooms, Fu drew inspiration from historical venues that offered the kind of artistic and intellectual mingling Cheng envisioned. Fu imagined the interiors as a contemporary artist’s abode where minds can be rejuvenated but also inspired. The design features bespoke vintage-inspired furnishings and many handcrafted details and finishings.

Guangcai porcelain – Qing Dynasty square vase

In the lobby, a whimsical manicured topiary and 3.5-metre-high bronze and glass doors are complemented by intriguing art pieces and calligraphy by Chinese artists. Fu also adorns walls with visually stunning Marrone Imperiale and Gascogne Beige marble. He also uses monolithic overlapping marble slabs to create the lobby’s concierge desks.

Guangcai porcelain – Guangcai fruit punch bowl

The tenth floor boasts a media chamber, a library and a social salon designed with a homely feel and acting as a hub for relaxed, informal gatherings. The suites, spanning 14 stories and in 70 different layouts, all have wrap-around balconies affording residents open-air views of one of the most coveted skylines. 

Baibao Qian art piece – a large jade and hardstone-inlaid zitan panel

At the heart of Cheng’s project is a desire to preserve and conserve fast-disappearing Chinese craftsmanship dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. K11 ARTUS works with a small group of Chinese craftspeople to create specialities such as wooden furniture using Baibao Qian techniques – the ancient craft of inlaying engraved work with precious stones and ceramics.

“By empowering [craftspeople] and curating their artisanal creations throughout the residences, ARTUS creates a unique environment for cultural discovery and intellectual exchange,” says Cheng.