BALANCING FUNCTIONALITY
with
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
The founders of LAAB on their new workspace, and the changing role of architecture in Hong Kong.
Words by Natalie Lam
Photography courtesy of LAAB
Meet the founders of LAAB, Yip Chun Hang and Otto Ng, as they share insigts on how they built their studio, style, their design process, and the issues and feasibility of combining art with architecture.
Photography Credit:
Courtesy of LAAB
LAAB is a laboratory for Art and Architecture dedicated to spatial innovations that are firmly rooted in environmental and cultural contexts. From public space and public art to architecture and interior, their collective of architects, designers, engineers, makers, and sociologists work together with forward-thinking clients and collaborators to bring visionary ideas to life.
What is the vision and philosophy behind LAAB?
When we first started in 2013, art and architecture were very separate fields in Hong Kong. People tend to understand architecture as only high-rise buildings and art as paintings displayed in the museum. Our vision is to bring art and architecture together, and we envision LAAB to be a “Laboratory for Art and Architecture.” Our studio name “LAAB” builds on the English word “lab,” evoking the drive for experimentation and innovation; “lab” in Cantonese also rhymes with the words “realization” (sat jin). We hope to convey our experimental spirit as well as our pragmatism, which we believe are the key elements to bring innovative, cutting-edge design to life.
Could you please start by telling us a bit more about your paths to becoming architects and starting your own firm?
Otto: I have always been interested in design and technology. I did my architecture degree at HKU, after which I went to MIT for my master’s degree. I used to work in the UK, US, and Italy on different innovative and smart city projects before returning to Hong Kong and co-founding LAAB. All these experiences have informed my vision for LAAB.
Hang: My earliest memory of architecture came from a book about Hong Kong Space Museum bought by my brother when I was around 10. I used to read over the site photos showing different stages of construction from ground-breaking to completion of the iconic egg structure. I think that book must have planted a seed in me since then. I spent my undergraduate years at UC Berkeley and did my master’s degree at HKU. Spending the early stage of my career in different major architecture firms in Hong Kong has equipped me with experience in designing projects of different scales and typologies. These diversities have shaped our holistic design approaches for LAAB.
You have both studied and worked in design offices in different parts of the world. How has this diverse experience influenced your outlook and approach to design?
Both: Having worked in major metropolitan cities made us realized how interconnected this world has become, and yet each location is also unique due to its specific history, economy, politics, and culture. How to achieve a design that is rooted in the local context with a global resonance is something that we hope to achieve for our projects.
Read the full interview in
New Norm Magazine Issue 03
In this issue we unfold a thread of personal thoughts and memories, streams of consciousness that influence their identities and narratives.
Featured interviews include Agnes Jonas, Barber & Osgerby, Instrmnt Applied Design, Gris, Klara Leidl, Koto Design, homework, WatchHouse, Ziu I. A , Onoko.
More from Issue 03
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