5 top space-saving ideas found in Hong Kong – for the living and the dead
From flats that transform into 24 rooms to floatable cemeteries, Hong Kong’s lack of space has resulted in some ingenious designs
Cramped would be an understatement to describe life in Hong Kong. Walking down the street almost inevitably means being jostled as you make your way shoulder to shoulder with those next to you. From our tiny flats to our overcrowded city as a whole, square footage is a luxury that can only be bought with money.
Just 25 per cent of Hong Kong’s land is lived on, which means that 7.4 million people share 17 square miles of space. Lack of space means residents have long displayed their creativity in finding ways to save even a precious few square feet. As a result, Hongkongers have become adept at managing this predicament – no inch is put to waste in this city plagued by a lack of space.
This week, City Weekend explores the tactical, the ingenious and the fun ways Hongkongers have adapted to their space-conscious lives.
Maximise micro space
On the micro scale, Hong Kong’s tiny flats require a lot of forethought and planning. Living in a 400-sq-ft flat with your spouse and two children is far from uncommon. From hanging mirrors on walls to give the illusion of a larger room, to the maximisation of space by using drawers that roll out from under beds, Hongkongers have no shortage of ways to make their homes feel larger.
An approach to enlarging small bedrooms is to use existing windowsills as part of the bedframe, therefore using up space that would otherwise be wasted and creating a precious extra few square feet.