Accomplished Malaysian-born Australian architect John Chow has built an enviable reputation for concept-centred designs in the retail and hospitality space since setting up his own studio, Metagram, in Hong Kong in 2017.

A former winner of PERSPECTIVE’s 40 Under 40 Awards, John is one of six new judges for this year’s A&D Awards. We asked him a few questions about his journey so far….

PERSPECTIVE: You studied architecture in Australia and continue to work with the Australian Institute. How has this shaped your views and approach to architecture and design?

JOHN: Australia, particularly Sydney, is known for beautiful properties facing some of the best views in the world. With the majority of projects being small scale free-standing housing, Australian trained architects often gain very holistic, start-to-completion project experience, from structure right down to interior detailing. Holistic project experience early in my career has meant that design has always been very real to me.

Architectural designs must not only look good on paper conceptually but also be crafted with the physical experience in mind. My involvement with the Australian Institute of Architects has helped me maintain a network of architects and designers with similar mindsets, collectively pushing practice forward.

PERSPECTIVE: You founded your own company here in 2017. Why Hong Kong and how much was that a leap of faith?

JOHN: Hong Kong is a wonderfully vibrant place for business. Having been in Hong Kong since 2012, it quickly became evident to me that the city had a strong appetite for new experiences in the built environment. With so little space, ‘the quality of place’ becomes a very important concept. As a result, I could see that there would always be opportunities for a good designer locally.

Being born in and having family in Malaysia, I could see that the “Made (or Designed) in Hong Kong” brand held, and still holds, serious weight in the region. It gives a Hong Kong based studio international reach, whilst having a vibrant domestic market to keep busy.

PERSPECTIVE: Can you share a project that you are particularly proud of, and tell us why?

JOHN: I’m particularly proud of a cafe design Metagram completed in 2023 called Alchemy Origin (pictured above) on the ground floor of Two Taikoo Place in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. The project site, while not large, possessed the most complex shape and site conditions I had ever encountered. It was amazingly difficult to resolve an elegant design which we achieved through the use of a curved axis expressed along the cafe’s ceiling.

I was thrilled by the end result and the project has been extremely well received by both the general public and the design community, even winning a bronze award in the A&D Awards in 2023 amid some seriously talented competition.