Hospitality Design - November 2021 - 98

collecting architecture
Forth Bagley
Principal | KPF Associates | New York
Architect Forth Bagley is att racted to the sort of large-scale,
mixed-use projects that radically transform the surrounding
area. " The bigger the project, the more opportunity there is to
make an impact, " he says. " Given climate change, we must live
more densely and more responsibly together, so these kinds of
projects are becoming more and more important. "
Since he joined Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) Associates 16
years ago, he's collaborated on gamechanging projects such as
New York's Hudson Yards, Tokyo's Roppongi Hills, and most
recently, Victoria Dockside, the $2.6 billion, 3-million-squarefoot
mixed-use development at the end of Hong Kong's Kowloon
Peninsula on the Tsim Sha Tsui harborfront.
Making its debut in 2019, the project includes the Tony Chidesigned
Rosewood Hong Kong, the posh K11 Artus residences
by architect André Fu, the K11 Atelier offi ce space, and cultural
components unlike any other. Grouped in distinct stacks, each
with its own distinct visual language, Bagley compares it to
a vertical neighborhood. " If we tried to make it one thing, it
wouldn't have capitalized on the strong vision the owners had for
each of those sub brands, " he says.
Consider the K11 Musea, a sprawling retail complex
developed by Adrian Cheng with James Corner Field Operations
and KPF. The collaborative eff ort of 100 architects, craſt speople,
conservationists, and designers, it features 250 retailers, 70
restaurants, and 40 artist installations. It's an experience Bagley
compares to a parade. " Everybody can bring their own unique
and special fl oats, but they all have to march in the same way and
celebrate the same event, " he explains.
Bagley recalls his fi rst meeting with Tony Chi about
Rosewood Hotel Group CEO Sonia Cheng's Hong Kong
project. Chi pointed out all the ways in which KPF's proposed
exterior architecture was out of sync with his vision for the
space. " Tony, through sheer force of will, broke down the
barrier between inside and out, " he explains. " In my career,
it's the purest example of [working together] to create a
seamless experience. "
That creative tension, he says, is a crucial part of the design
process, and he credits the Cheng family for their willingness
to encourage such debate among the design teams. " You need
an owner who is willing to allow that to happen and it rarely
does, " he says.
A common material palett e of dark metal, limestone, and
glass unites the stately mansion-like hotel with the multilevel
K11 Musea, where Bagley and his colleagues used curves
and contoured lines that reference the Avenue of Stars just
outside. " We wanted it to feel like you were coming from the
park nearby, " he says, pointing to the extensive use of living
walls. In collaboration with landscape architect James Corner,
throngs of visitors help bring that vision to life, creating a
thriving destination that att racts locals and tourists alike
to " one of the greatest urban waterfront experiences in the
world, " he says.
" It defi nitely put that part of the city back on the map, and
it's wonderful to see people fl ocking to the waterfront, " Bagley
says, noting that it's an example of how " architects can change
the way people inhabit the world. "
098
November 2021 hospitalitydesign.com
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - November 2021

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