The Bodhi Tree, according to Buddhist tradition, is the holy fig tree under which Buddha sat to attain enlightenment. So, it’s fitting that the heart-shaped Bodhi leaf was the inspiration for a new IT research centre, designed by Hong Kong-based international architecture firm Aedas, on the banks of Nanhu Lake in Hangzhou.

One of the latest offerings from in-demand restaurant designer Kevin Yiu is an immersive Chiu Chow restaurant in Yuen Long with a whimsical nautical theme that references one of the city’s most celebrated designers, Chi Wing Lo. Yiu says he was amazed by Lo’s seminal work, Ark of World Poetry, essentially a floating library, and thought why not apply the idea to the world of gastronomy.

Can architects make good politicians? Absolutely, says Winnie Ho, who once designed commercial properties for local architectural firm Ho & Partners and is now Hong Kong’s Secretary of Housing. “I always see myself as an architect,” she says. And good architecture, like good politics, is all about putting people first.

One of the burning questions for architects and designers today is how to re-imagine the workplace to help companies lure employees back into the office after pandemic-induced bouts of remote working. The team at Benoy took on the challenge with its new Singapore studio, with a focus on flexibility, wellness and productivity, and is justifiably proud of the result.

In the 25 years since a Cathay Pacific A340 aircraft took off from Kai Tak for the last time, the former airport and its surrounds have been transformed into a thriving urban precinct with new hospitals, schools, parks, an MTR station, an international cruise terminal and later this year, two new stadiums. Now there’s a new landmark project, AIRSIDE, rising above Kai Tak station, which pays homage to the city’s manufacturing history and sets a new benchmark for sustainable design.

As the year draws to a close, new leadership teams are taking the helm of the Hong Kong chapters of two key industry associations, the American Institute of Architects (shown above) and the Royal Institute of British Architects.

While eVTOLs, otherwise known as flying taxis, won’t make their first “commercial” passenger carrying flights until the Paris Olympics next year, the futuristic aircraft and the vertiports from which they operate are ideal for densely populated cities like Hong Kong, according to a dynamic UK-based architect Andrea Wu, who’s now focusing on the emerging industry.

World-renowned for its ancient terracotta warriors’ museum, Xi’an has a spectacular new attraction that could well become another must-visit experience for visitors. The Aedas-designed Xi’an Lovi Center, a mixed-use development which opened in June, is a sight to behold.

Hong Kong and Seoul are both densely populated, global cities with rich cultural influences. Following the latest instalment of AIA Hong Kong’s instructive “Emerging Voices Series”, it’s clear they share something else in common: at least four emerging architecture firms with a passion for pushing the boundaries of conventional design and finding new ways of doing business.

Imagine being asked to connect two new underground rail lines to one of Hong Kong’s busiest MTR stations without disrupting existing services or the surrounding area. Sounds impossible? Not for global design and engineering company Arup which achieved all this and more at the expanded Admiralty station on Hong Kong island.