Date posted: 2013.03.11

The New Address for Creativity – PMQ Received 155 Applications for Studio Unit

(Hong Kong, 11 March 2013)Targeted to soft launch by year end, PMQ invited tenancy application for about 130 studio units in early December 2012. A total of 155 applications were received by the closing date on 5 March.

The Executive Director of PMQ Management Co. Ltd., Mr. Stephen Ip considered that the application response is within expectation. “Most of the applications are from local designers / creative enterprises. While the majority of the applicants are young design talents, there are also applications from established designers, renowned local brands, and new design labels.”

PMQ’s Chairman, Mr. Stanley Chu remarked, “The application response indicates the industry’s acceptance of PMQ as an open platform that directly connects designers and the public. Moreover, the applicants are diversified, including local and overseas, established as well as young, together with a good mix of product design, design services and multi-disciplinary design categories. It echoes with PMQ’s core values of diversification and co-creation.”

Three rounds of assessment by a panel of 60

Mr. Ip said that the assessment of the applications for studio units on 2nd floor and above will commence shortly. The first round of assessment will be conducted by an assessment panel of over 50 members in March. The shortlisted applicants will be interviewed by the assessment panel in March and April. Based on the interview performance, the assessment panel will recommend the finalists to the Studio Tenant Selection Committee, which comprises 7 members, for final modulation. It is targeted to finalize the selected list of tenants by May.

PMQ’s Chairman, Mr. Stanley Chu shared, “We’ve spent a lot of time in identifying and inviting over 50 experienced practitioners and academia from design and creative industries, to serve on the assessment panel. Most of them have extremely busy schedules, yet they are willing to squeeze time out of their busy schedules to help us in selecting the candidates. We are very grateful for their great support.”

Mr. Chu stressed, “The qualities of applicants are very crucial, as the public anticipates PMQ to represent Hong Kong’s best design. The assessment will focus on creativity and business potential, while some factor like how the shortlisted applicants match the positioning and overall image of PMQ will also count. After all, it will be a historic building and all-round venue for new experiences of shopping, dining, and inspiration, as it will stand out as a landmark of Hong Kong’s creative ecology.”

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 an 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
2. Organisation structure & Tenant Selection Committee