HONG KONG

Kowloon Islamic Centre + Danielle Huthart + Rad Hourani + Wan Chai

02 WRITER

Jack Taylor

Welcome

Contents

The Story of the Chinese Dragon

If you’re passionate about design and creativity, interested in the

Arabic-speaking diaspora and in search of an adventure, this tailor-

made guide to Hong Kong will give you a street-level perspective of

one the world’s most contemporary cities.

Tucked away amid a cluster of green trees in the Tsim Sha Tsui

district, we discover the four towering minarets of the Kowloon

Islamic Centre and mosque. It is the largest place of Islamic worship

and the Chief Imam of Hong Kong Muhammad Arshad tells us more.

Also we meet Jordanian fashion designer Rad Hourani whose

symmetrical designs are bringing him success in the Asian fashion

market. His eponymous collections are distributed in Hong Kong’s

I.T store which is an organic synergy as they share the same goal:

to bring state of the art designs to the city. Artist and designer

Danielle Huthart who heads one of the most dynamic and creative

branding agencies in Hong Kong tells us how she is helping to pave

the way in the arts and culture scene.

In the Wan Chai district we hop onboard the ‘ding-ding’ trams that

run down the middle of the city’s chaotic streets. Finally, we visit

the Middle Eastern stores which are stocking plenty of regional

favourites for the Arab diaspora in Hong Kong.

04

Profiling the architecture of

the Kowloon Islamic Centre

and mosque and discovering

the heart of the city’s 200,000-

strong Muslim community

06

Founder of branding and design

agency White Space, Danielle

Huthart explains how the

creative scene is starting to

make its own mark in Asia

09

Symmetrical designs and

collections titled by numbers

typify the work of Rad Hourani.

He tells us about his designs

and the wider industry

10

Wan Chai is one of the most

adventurous districts attracting

a young and energetic clientele.

We take a stroll to see what’s

on offer

A symbolic icon within the Chinese community, the dragon has a

colourful history. Resembling many things at once, the dragon is

thought to represent guardianship, vigilance, nobility and divinity.

The dragon is also generally regarded as benevolent creatures,

energetic and impulsive. The myth of the dragon’s first appear-

ance was in the sky, while an heir to the throne was born and the

country was blessed with peace and prosperity for many genera-

tions thereafter. Thus, the dragon also serves as a symbol of good

fortune. Hong Kong, the Asia’s World City, takes the dragon logo

as its visual identity, symbolising the city’s historic past with its

energetic modernity.

03

04 WRITER

Jack Taylor

PHOTOGRAPHER

Anton Hazlewinkle

A SHELTER FOR ALLLocated in the heart of Hong Kong, the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre rubs

shoulders with local markets and shops, acting as the largest Islamic house of worship in the city

Chief Imam of Hong Kong; Mufti Muhammed Arshad

One of the four principal mosques in Hong Kong,

the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre takes

centre stage in the city’s Tsim Sha Tsui district,

a popular district amongst the Middle Eastern

diaspora in Hong Kong. Hiding behind lush green

trees and in the middle of a busy thoroughfare

- public transport stops on the doorstep - the

sun-drenched pink roof and pale-white dome

top can be seen from afar. It is a main shelter

and meeting point for over 200,000 Muslims.

Originally built in 1896, the grand moorish-like

mosque was constructed entirely by the Indian

Muslim soldiers of the British Army. In the 1980s,

and thanks to donations from Middle Eastern

countries including United Arab Emirates,

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the mosque was given

a facelift and, after years of development, the

renovated mosque opened its doors in 1984.

At the time of rebuilding, Muslim engineers

working in Hong Kong were asked to find

different architects from around the world to

present their ideas of how the mosque should

look. After hundreds of sketches were presented

to the construction committee, a proposal from

engineer Kifayat Rahmani, a member of the

‘Our main focus within the mosque is to establish

good relationships among different communities

in Hong Kong,’ says the Chief Imam of Hong Kong,

Mufti Muhammed Arshad, ‘There are frequent

dialogues with Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Jews,’

he explains. Although Arshad couldn’t imagine

going to other places of worship, he notes that

in Hong Kong there are worshippers visiting

trust at the time of construction, was selected.

Designed by architect I.M Kadri, who

established his eponymous India-based firm

in 1960, the mosque clearly represents the

unique identity of Muslims living in Hong

Kong. Decorated and elaborate, the traditional

architecture of the mosque distinguishes itself

from the regular architecture of the neighbouring

commercial buildings. The most prominent

features of the building are the four 11 metre

high minarets which mark the corners of the

upper terrace and the extensive use of white

marble on both the paving and the façade.

In 1984, the present building, with its dome

and carved marble, was completed to serve the

territory’s 70,000 Muslims. Today the centre is

used for lectures, courses, marriage ceremonies,

classes and daily prayers accommodating more

than 4,000 worshippers at once over three

floors. Under guidance from the 42-year-old

Chief Imam of Hong Kong, Mufti Muhammed

Arshad, who came to Hong Kong in 2001

from Pakistan, the mosque welcomes different

backgrounds - about 700 to 900 people attend

the daily prayers and approximately 3,000

temples, churches, synagogues, so he welcomes

them all to the mosque if they want to come. ‘It

is good to meet different people and talk with

them directly, instead of only getting information

via indirect sources. Being in frequent contact

one learns to understand people with different

backgrounds and religions.’ Being Chief Imam

means Arshad has a great responsibility to keep

prayers united.

‘In a metropolitan society it is important to keep

good relations with all religious leaders of Hong

attend Friday prayers - where the sermon is

conducted in three different languages; Urdu,

English and Arabic. As in most Islamic places of

worship the sermons are focused on current

affairs relating to family life and the community.

Today, in addition to the three prayer halls

and a community hall, there is a medical clinic

and a library, a main prayer hall on the first

floor that can accommodate 1,000 people and a

smaller women’s prayer hall on the upper

floor, which is surrounded by a terrace

and surmounted by a dome - five metres

in diameter and nine metres in height.

With the main role of the centre being to

bridge the different communities, the doors of

the mosque are open to everyone at all times.

‘We invite groups from all walks of life to visit us

and see the range of activities we offer - often

students visit us from local universities. We teach

prayers and the Qur’an to everyone,’ says Arshad.

The community is very diverse;

Chinese, Pakistanis, Indian, Indonesian,

Bangladeshis, Malaysian, Middle Eastern and

African all converge here and represent

the Mulism community in Hong Kong.

Kong, with the main role being to maintain the

reputation of Muslims in a non-Muslim country.’

Arshad’s day-to-day running of the mosque

incorporates more tasks than just leading prayers.

‘Besides leading the prayers I deliver lectures to

visiting students and inspect and certify items

needing halal certificates.’

Arshad is also the the chairman of Kowloon

Mosque dawah committee, which teaches the

community about Islam through introductory

courses. He also leads the Hajj group.

0501

Kowloon Islamic Centre

02

Children reading the Qur’an

03

Chief Imam Mufti Muhammed Arshad

01

02 03

06

UNFOLDING CREATIVITYFounder of Hong Kong based creative agency White Space, Danielle Huthart is a

self-appointed cultural ambassador at the forefront of Hong Kong’s creative art scene. With a multi-national background, Huthart advises brands on how to be successful

in this cosmopolitan city

01

Sin Sin, a modern atelier in a quiet and traditional neighbourhood

02

Aesop located in Sheung Wan

03

Relax with a coffee at Homei

0201 03

07

In an urban centre where the art scene is defined

by small pockets in a number of districts, Danielle

Huthart and her creative design team went about

mapping the city using the creative community as

a reference point. The project Creative City acted

as a guide curated by creatives for creatives. ‘The

best way to find out what’s going on is to tap into

the dynamic community that makes up the art

scene here,’ she says. ‘Hong Kong is a culturally

unique place just waiting to be explored.’

Coming from a mixed background of an English

father and a Chinese mother, Huthart was

immersed in diverse cultures from a young

age. ‘My father instilled a sense of adventure,

curiosity and wonder for the natural world

in me, while my mother gave a sense of

courage, independence and freedom to

follow my dreams as an artist and designer.’

Fortunate enough to be well travelled, Huthart

says she has an appreciation of both Western

and Eastern design and, when she started her

own branding studio White Space, she made

the most of this knowledge. She has had much

success. ‘Our goal is to be a leading agency in Asia

that offers strategic branding, design solutions

and interactive services,’ she says. The physical

notion of white space characterises her design

work, which is clean and simple, relevant in local

context and maintains an international sensibility.

The White Space agency is located in the

creative hub of Sheung Wan, a thriving area

that gives them access to all levels of the

corporate community. ‘We have a French bakery

next to a Michelin-Star Chinese restaurant

next to a local laundromat and European

shop,’ she explains. Eclectic and cool, Huthart

chose the district as it ‘attracts creative

types since it’s a less developed landscape,

which still has a sense of rawness about it.’

A leading light for the Hong Kong creative

scene, Huthart has been praised by the likes

of Lane Crawford, a well established fashion

atelier, for ‘pioneering the creativity’ and is paving

the way for others to follow. But she admits

that with plans underway to develop West

Kowloon Cultural District as well as the Police

Married Quarters and Central Police Station,

into design studios with a focus on heritage

and contemporary art, her job leading the way

is becoming easier. ‘With the growth of Art

Hong Kong and the arrival of several bluechip

galleries such as White Cube and others, the

city is now considered one of the thriving and

expanding international capital art markets.’

She admits that the Middle East has a lot

of similarities when compared it to Hong

Kong. ‘[Dubai] is similar to Hong Kong in the

sense that the city is dominated by finance

and property businesses, yet there is a strong

creative scene emerging’, she tells us. ‘There

is a group of people who are leading the

way for more diversity and dialogue for art

and culture. Being able to understand both

western and eastern cultures enables us to

produce work that has a cross cultural appeal.’

Huthart’s recommendations when visiting

Hong Kong are places such as Sin Sin, a local

atelier; Blindspot Gallery, a contemporary art

space promoting photography, and Saamlung,

a commercial gallery and project office

space, all of which hold regular exhibitions.

‘In a city that has a highly developed arts and

creative scene, such as London, Paris or New

York, it can be more inspiring but also more

challenging to be seen or heard among the crowd.

We’re excited to be a part of the changes that are

taking place, and also to contribute as much as we

can in the ways we know how - by being creative.’

04

Teakha, a tea and zakka bar located in Sheung Wan

05

Blindspot Gallery opposite to the Police Married Quarters, an art exhibition space-to-be

04 05

08

EATHeirloom

This two-floor space located

in the heart of Sheung Wan

is adorned with a tasteful

mishmash of vintage-like

furniture and ornaments, from

tin flower pots to a full-sized

bicycle wheeled, Heirloom

Eatery is a great space that’s

brimming with fun and

fantastic ideas. Choose from

a comprehensive selection of

salads, sandwiches and western

mains on the menu, as well as

Mexican favourites.

INFO 226 Hollywood Road

Sheung Wan

www.heirloomhk.com

BROWSEKonzepp

Konzepp is a great little shop

located in the Sheung Wan

district on Hong Kong Island.

Besides its bright yellow facade,

it has a boutique-y feel to it,

typical of many of the small,

independent retail spaces

appearing in this ‘up-and-

coming’ area of Hong Kong.

Customers are able to shop,

meet up, listen to music, read

design and fashion magazines all

whilst sipping various green tea

concoctions.

INFO50 Tung Street

Sheung Wan

www.konzepp.com

SHOPHOMELESS

Popular amongst the districts'

key creatives, Homeless is one

of the leading lifestyle stores

that sells a range of furniture,

lightings and designers’ home

decor accessories. The idea

behind homessless was to

create a space where people

can find products that their

home currently lacks. The shop

is stocked with over 3,000

items covering a wide range of

lifestyle categories, making this

store very popular.

INFO29 Gough Street

Central

www.homeless.hk

SLEEPThe Jervois

The Jervois is the perfect

place for travelers seeking a

sophisticated place to stay at

close proximity to Hong Kong’s

most frequented destinations.

Located on Jervois Street

in Sheung Wan, the hotel

apartment offers guests ideal

access to Hong Kong`s most

exciting attractions. Central’s

exclusive fine restaurants,

luxury shopping centres and

prestigious office towers are

just a stone throw away.

INFOJervois Street

Sheung Wan

www.thejervois.com

BROWNBOOK PICKSDanielle continues her story and tells us her four favourite places to eat, browse,

sleep and shop in the Sheung Wan district, an area that she spends most of her time

09

TIMELESS FASHIONHong Kong might not have been Jordanian fashion designer Rad Hourani’s first market choice, but with his innovative collections attracting the right crowd, he is staying put

WRITER

Danielle Simpson

Fashion designer Rad Hourani is a world citizen

in the true sense of the word. Of Jordanian and

Syrian parentage and growing up as an expatriate

in Canada, he now balances his time between

Paris and New York.

With such a rich and varied upbringing,

Hourani feels that this nomadic life has only

had a positive impact on the direction of his

career. ‘I don’t think we need to divide things

by gender, seasons, rules, religion, race, nationality

or age’ he says, ‘I think that as a society we’ve

been extremely programmed and that is what I’ve

learned from being everywhere and nowhere.’

Known for his androgynous style, Hourani

designs for himself. ‘I believe that using what

you would like to wear as a starting point to

the design process is the most truthful and

straightforward approach. It certainly allows me

to stay focused on my aesthetic statement and to

continually assess my commitment to wearability,

functionality and comfort.’ Having finished his

education after high school, Hourani decided

to become a fashion stylist, where he learnt to

analyse the construction of the clothes he was

styling and how the marketing process worked.

With this knowledge he started to design the

sort of clothes he would like to wear without a

specific customer, or indeed gender in mind.

‘Since my debut in 2007, everything I have

designed is unisex. There’s not one line for men

and another for women – all my pieces are made

to be worn by everyone. I don’t work to seasons

either, my collections are titled by numbers and

my pieces are always symmetrical, geometrical,

graphic and modern. Quality is of the utmost

importance to me.’ Since his first collection in

2007, Hourani’s clothes are sold in Hong Kong at

I.T, a store dedicated to selling the most cutting

edge fashion labels from around the globe and

Joyce, the upwardly mobile fashion crowd’s store

of choice. With the fashion industry in Hong

Kong being eclectic, trendy and experimental

his two lines – Rad Hourani, which experiments

with new shapes and fabrics in a couture-like

approach and RAD by Rad Hourani, which

focuses on using silhouettes in different materials

and a more casual transformable fit - continue

to go from strength to strength. ‘I feel that the

new generation in Hong Kong has a great way of

thinking and moving forward,’ he says. ‘I believe

they are open minded and modern and that’s

why the collections are so successful there.

When Joyce proposed a collaboration with

me, I designed a collection based on my classic

styles which nurtured a very organic and natural

relationship.’

Hourani’s plans for the future involve

exploring more of Hong Kong’s diverse culture

and architecture. ‘When I visit Hong Kong, I

am very much looking forward to visiting the

Wong Tai Sin Temple and to learning more about

Chinese traditions.’

When it comes to his career, Hourani aims to

develop and expand his unique creativity and to

continue to serve the Hong Kong market with

his iconic, timeless designs.

010

ENTER THE BAYWan Chai used to be a quiet bay on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island.

Now a thriving district it is fast becoming a cultural hub

Some 150 years ago, Wan Chai, meaning

‘small bay’ in Chinese, was a quiet sandy little

bay on the northern shore of Hong Kong

Island. Over the course of a century it was

populated by fishermen and became a thriving

district in the centre of the business district.

The names of the narrow lanes and busy

streets are simple and functional. Electric

Street for example was named after the

power station that was built in 1889 and the

surrounding throroughfares are called Star

Street, Sun Street and Moon Street after the

elements of nature the fishermen relied on.

In 1922 the power station was demolished

and this sleepy suburb commenced its slow

evolution into a vibrant destination for

passionate artists and visionary entrepreneurs.

Today, the precinct around Star Street is one

of 15 sites on the Wan Chai heritage trail and

has become a quirky community of culture,

creativity and the arts. With an ambience that

could be compared to London’s Covent Garden,

a visitor is greeted by streets lined with stylish

galleries, chic furniture outlets, cosy cafes

and flagship restaurants; and the majority of

stores were launched by local entrepreneurs.

The smaller lanes of Wan Chai, only five

minutes from Star Street are following suit.

Among the skyscrapers that populate the area,

art lovers will discover ad-hoc exhibitions and

in the nearby Hong Kong Convention Centre

book fairs encourage the city’s budding authors.

Up town towards the Admiralty area and

alongside Queen’s Road East, the streets

become more affluent. The first agnès b

Librairie Galerie outside of Paris is situated

here and is becoming a big player in the art

scene. Other small galleries and boutiques

are also opening their doors such as Asia Fine

Art gallery, Goethe Gallery and Kings Gallery.

While Wan Chai is catering for the creative,

it is also home to another mosque; the Masjid

Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre

which opened in 1981. The white façade hides

its sheer size; spanning eight floors, housing a

masjid, a community hall, a library, a medical

clinic, classrooms and offices for over 700 people.

While travelling the streets you will notice

that long narrow trams run through the middle

of the congested roads. To really explore

Wan Chai, the best mode of transport is by

tram. A truly invigorating experience, to hop

aboard is to travel back in time, to experience

a journey once enjoyed by literary greats,

wartime spies and inspiration-seeking artists.

The tram is one of the earliest forms of public

transport on the island and is the only double-

decker tram system in the world still operating.

From the outside, it looks, more or less, the

same as it did 100 years ago, a good enough

reason in itself for taking a ride. And tourists

are sure to be charmed by its nickname - Ding

Ding Car - a reference to the bell used to warn

traffic and pedestrians of their approach. When a

beeper replaced the bells in 2000, a public outcry

led to the ‘ding ding’ bells being reintroduced

almost immediately. One of the tram stops in

Wan Chai is the Wan Chai market on Johnston

Road, complete with a dry goods market. It rubs

shoulders with tiny shops selling all kinds of dried

seafood and providing fresh goods to locals.

Located just a stone throw away is the constant

reminder that Hong Kong has thorny relationship

with its historical, crumbling buildings. The three-

story pre-war pawn shop, is one of the most

visible and gorgeous last survivors in Hong Kong,

had been left untouched for many years, it was

turned into a restaurant in 2007. There’s a huge

balcony on the second floor and a roof garden

on the third. If you’re there before midnight,

the best part is hearing the tram glide by.

01

A thriving outdoor market in Wan chai

02 - 03

Star Street Precinct, an artistic dining and lifestyle area in Wan Chai

030201

LISTINGS

SHOP

Lane Crawfordwww.lanecrawford.com

Madhouse Contemporarywww.madhouse.com.hk

Goods of Desirewww.god.com.hk

I.T. Storewww.ithk.com

Sin Sin Atelierwww.sinsin.com.hk

Harbour Citywww.harbourcity.com.hk

Shanghai Tangwww.shanghaitang.com

Kapokwww.ka-pok.com

Bauhauswww.bauhaus.com.hk

EAT

Hutongwww.aqua.com.hk

Sevvawww.sevva.hk

Spice Restaurantwww.spice-restaurant.hk

Press Roomwww.thepressroom.com.hk

Teakhawww.teakha.com

Bo Innovationwww.boinnovation.com

Al Molowww.diningconcepts.com.hk

Agnès B Le Pain Grilléwww.agnesb-lepaingrille.com

Jashanwww.jashan.com.hk

Habibiwww.habibi.com.hk

SLEEP

The Mercer www.themercer.com.hk

W Hotel www.w-hongkong.com

The Mira Hotel www.themirahotel.com

Madera Hong Kongwww.hotelmadera.com.hk

Langham Placewww.langhamplacehotels.com

The Upper House www.upperhouse.com

Luxe Manor www.theluxemanor.com

Tai O Heritage Hotelwww.taioheritagehotel.com

JIA Boutique Hotel www.jplushongkong.com

Hullett House www.hulletthouse.com

BROWSE

Wong Tai Sin Templewww.siksikyuen.org.hk

Hong Kong Heritage Museumwww.heritagemuseum.gov.hk

White Cubewww. whitecube.com

Blindspot Gallerywww.blindspotgallery.com

Saamlung www.saamlung.com

Asia Fine Art Gallery www.asia-fineart.com

Goethe Gallery www.goethe.de/hongkong

King’s Gallery www.kingsgalleryhk.com

State of the Arts Gallery www.sotagallery.com.hk

www.discoverhongkong.com