Enterprising designers offered space at former PMQ
The former police married quarters is now open to applications from talented young designers seeking studio and retail space
Talented local designers are invited to apply for a studio space at the revitalised former police married quarters on Hollywood Road, but only if they have a feasible business plan and can afford the rent.
The management of the heritage site, which will be transformed into a creative cluster called PMQ, said that the selection of designers applying for the 130 studio units will be based not just on their talent and creativity.
Creativity and enterprise each counts for 45 per cent of the score, said Lo Lee Oi-lin, a PMQ Management Company director and a member of the studio tenant selection committee. The rest of the score will be based on the tenant's contribution to PMQ and the community.
PMQ Management's chairman, Stanley Chu Yu-lun, said the site was an accelerator rather than an incubator, as the city does not have enough infrastructure supporting young designers graduating from incubation programmes.
PMQ matched the standard base rent with that of grade B offices in Central and Sheung Wan at the beginning of 2012 instead of retail spaces, though designers are encouraged to sell their works there.
For a 40 square metre space, the monthly standard base rent is HK$18,000. Up-and-coming local designers will be given a 20 to 50 per cent discount, depending on the location of their studio unit. Studios located at a higher level will be discounted further by 5 to 10 per cent. After discount, a studio space on a higher level is around HK$10,530.
PMQ stressed that the site will not become just another shopping mall. While designers will be demonstrating their design processes at their studios, six units are dedicated to a designers-in-residence programme. Events and seminars can take place at a 600 sq m multi-function hall, The Cube, and a 1,000 sq m space.