Date posted: 2013.06.28

PMQ Studio Unit – Assessment of Tenancy Application Completed

(Hong Kong, 28 June 2013) The assessment of the applications for PMQ studio units has been completed smoothly. PMQ’s Studio Tenant Selection Committee concluded that majority of the applications are of good quality, while some of them are even outstanding and have great potential to launch their brands in the international market. The range of applications are diversified including product design, design services and cross-disciplinary innovative design categories. This reflected that Hong Kong design elites will soon be homed at PMQ.

Three rounds of assessments by a panel of 60

PMQ’s Chairman, Mr. Stanley Chu remarked, “PMQ is located right at the emerging hub of creativity in Central and Sheung Wan, where has attracted many new design labels and chic shops to root in. The area has been featured in major news media such as CNN Travel and TIME magazine as a must-go tourist spot in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the public and the government anticipate PMQ to stand out as a landmark for creative ecology and to represent Hong Kong’s best design; therefore we have invited about 60 leading practitioners and academia from design and creative industries, to serve on the Studio Tenant Selection Committee and the assessment panel. Focusing on creativity and business potential, each application had to go through three rounds of assessments and was closely reviewed by the panel members.”

Full Support to Local Designers with various facilities and Services

According to the Executive Director of PMQ Management Co. Ltd, Mr. Victor Tsang, 141 applications for studio units on 2nd floor and above were received. As a platform built for designers and create-preneurs, PMQ is open to all applicants with various support. Almost 70% of the applicants were recommended by the Studio Tenant Selection Committee to offer with studio units; while 30% of them were invited to use PMQ shared office. Three-quarters of the studio tenants will be offered a two-year fixed leasing term, and the rest will be offered a short-term pop-up store. More than half of the tenants are young create-preneurs (with no more than 5 years of entrepreneur experience), and one-quarter of them are established Hong Kong designers or creative enterprises; while 94% are local, the rest are non-local (3%) and institution/association (3%). Studio units on ground floor and 1stfloor received 16 applications which included renowned local brands and new design labels.

PMQ is located at the Hollywood Road where is a popular stop among many middle-class professionals, arts lovers, tourists and youngsters. PMQ’s tenants can enjoy stable and affordable rental at this creative community to launch or build up their brands and retail business. Moreover, PMQ will provide various facilities and support to tenants, including training, consultancy services, networking with manufacturers, buyers and overseas designers. A wide array of creative activities will be staged at PMQ throughout the year, helping tenants to maximize their exposure and interaction with the public, and to keep them abreast of the changing market trends. On the other hand, the unique and interactive platform provided by PMQ can also help tenants connected with overseas designers and creative professionals while propelling them into spotlight on the international design scene.

Mr. Chu emphasized,” PMQ’s mission is to nurture local create-preneurs and designers by providing them different types of space and support to facilitate their sustainable growth and enhance their brand value. In addition to studio unit, pop-up store and shared officeprovides more options to designers and create-preneurs to use PMQ’s space in a flexible manner according to their respective needs and business operation. We will provide other support including resource centre, thematic mart, as well as tailor-made training or mentorship, etc.”

Mr. Tsang added, “ In response to the continuous enquiries on tenancy received after theclosing date of the application in early March, we accept individual expression of interest from designers and create-preneurs, and also invite some to submit application with the purpose of enhancing the tenant mix, given the same selection criteria and still with three rounds of assessment.”

In forecasting the project timeline, Mr. Chu said, “The conservation and revitalisation works of the project commenced in early 2012. The works has proceeded smoothly in the early stage with the target to soft launch ahead of the schedule by year end of 2013. However, due to the prolonged rain that has occurred since Easter Holiday this year, together with the unforeseeable impact that might be brought by the upcoming typhoon season, it is expected that the completion of works is likely to be possible only until the end of 2013, and the site will then be handed over to PMQ for interior renovation. The soft launch schedule should therefore be slightly adjusted. Nevertheless, PMQ will continue to collaborate with the related authorities with the target to soft launch in early 2014.”

About Former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road

The former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road is a Grade 3 historic building in Hong Kong. According to historical records, the site was the home to Shing Wong Temple operated by some Chinese residents in the early years of the colonial Hong Kong. In later years it became the site of the Central School, the first government school to provide upper primary and secondary Western education; the school was renamed Queen’s College in 1894. The school was relocated to Causeway Bay in 1950 as the school buildings were seriously damaged during the Second World War and were demolished to make way for the construction of the Police Married Quarters in 1951 providing the first residential areas for Chinese junior married police officers. In November 2010, it announced the revitalisation of the former Police Married Quarters into PMQ. For the conservation of historical and cultural heritage, PMQ will build an Underground Interpretation Area for showcasing the remains of the original foundation for the Central School and it will be open to public to enable a closer appreciation.

About PMQ

PMQ is one of the revitalisation project and also part of the government’s “Conserving Central” initiative. Awarded with the operating rights after an open invitation for proposals, the Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation Ltd (“Musketeers Foundation”) has set up a non-profit-making social enterprise to run this project, in collaboration with Hong Kong Design Centre, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong Design Institute of the Vocational Training Council (VTC), namely PMQ Management Co. Ltd. Not only to build this iconic design hub for the Hong Kong creative industries with the design community, PMQ also promotes “enterprising creativity”, creativity manifestation, and sets out to nurture more local designers.

Appendix

1. Project background