AvroKO project director on doing the interior design for 1880 Hong Kong

With chic restaurants and creative workspaces, the new 1880 social hub in Quarry Bay is sure to make you feel like a kid in a candy store. The interior design certainly reflects that sentiment; drawing inspiration from the sugar refinery that once occupied the site and making playful references to local sweet treats. AvroKO project director Patrick Ho talks to Haley Sengsavanh about his approach to the space and reveals some of its hidden details 

Step inside 1880 Hong Kong and your eyes will immediately be drawn to the unique and luxurious interior design. From the glorious light fixtures to the lush wall coverings, everything in this four-storey venue is a feast for the eyes. Located at Two Taikoo Place in Quarry Bay, the latest outpost of the popular Singapore-based social club 1880 offers members full access not only to this space but also 70 other reciprocal clubs around the world, along with wellness and travel benefits such as discounts at exclusive fitness facilities and luxury hotels. But the best part about 1880 Hong Kong? It’s the first to introduce the brand’s newest concept, 1880 Social, allowing non-members to explore and utilise the first three floors. 

If you’re looking to unwind after work, there’s a sports bar, pool table, gym and spa. Feeling hungry? You’re spoiled for choice between four unique restaurants, a cocktail bar and more. And if you’re looking to host a professional event or finish up some work, there are boardrooms, conference venues, an upscale social lounge, and even creative facilities such as podcast studios and a green screen room. In fact, project director and lead interior designer Patrick Ho jokes, “You only [need to] do a small guest room next door, and we get the full boutique hotel!” 

A project designer from award-winning hospitality design firm AvroKO’s Bangkok office, Ho says the main inspiration behind 1880 Hong Kong was the intricate machinery of the Taikoo Sugar Refinery that began operations in 1884 on the site now occupied by Taikoo Place. As you walk through the club, you can even visually follow the journey of raw sugar cane as it turns into various sugar products. For instance, the smooth, fluted details and pops of green in the decor recall sugar cane stalks in verdant fields. 

“With 1880, they wanted to create this place where people can have amazing conversations and also events,” he says. “So we’re using the sugar refinery [concept] to give the guests and the client a different experience for each different room.” 

If you follow the candy-wrapper-inspired wallpaper down a corridor on the second floor, it will lead you to Té Bo, a restaurant that serves modern European cuisine with an Asian flair. One of the private dining rooms features a spectacular custom light fixture, shaped like a large swirled peppermint, hanging directly above the bar. 

Ho says these bespoke touches are very in line with AvroKO’s design practices. As for the reason behind this bold design choice, he explains, “The chef is a star, and we wanted to create a spotlight. It’s his platform, it’s his stage, it’s his showcase. So we just created that additional lighting there to really enhance that feature, to give the chef a star moment, and [create] interaction with the customers and guests.” 

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There are other visual nods to the local culture and history. Also on the second floor are Hoi Polloi, a contemporary Southeast Asian restaurant, and The Sports Bar, which serves American diner classics. The design for both spaces integrates geometric shapes to pay homage to the famous Monster Building, located just blocks away from 1880 Hong Kong. The pops of colour throughout the space – from green chairs and dizzying prints to glowing red-orange lights around the bar – serve as a touching tribute to the multicolour Sugarman stalls. 

Although Ho has never lived in Hong Kong, he has visited many times. Aside from the design, he says the offerings at 1880 Hong Kong were all created with local people in mind. “I think we were looking for a space where, after work, people can find enjoyment and find gathering away from the typical office look – away from the urban jungle but also using urban concepts in a different type of element.” The entire design process took two years, and Ho notes, included in-depth research into the local food culture. 

For instance, Ho and his team kept in mind that many people here unwind after work by grabbing a drink, which he says is similar to the “mega city vibe” in New York. Throughout 1880 Hong Kong, there are four bars with varying vibes and offerings. Given that this space is designed to “inspire conversations that change the world,” Ho recognised bars as a familiar social gathering space. “That kind of bar moment is very important,” he says, “because it’s where the magic starts, the trends are made.” 

The first three floors house all the aforementioned spaces, built for both optimal work and play. The fourth floor is the private members club, featuring Quarry Gym led by professional athlete Max Woodward, a biohacking- focussed spa, a member’s lounge and two private dining rooms, and 1880’s signature restaurant, Leonie’s. If possible, Ho suggests members walk up the spiral staircase to the fourth floor to “experience that feeling or transition from that co-working space [on the third floor into] the members club”. When you arrive, you’re greeted by a warm caramel-inspired canopy, a large chandelier that emulates crystallised sugar cubes and wild wallpaper to reflect the urban jungle setting. 

A large wall that serves as a wine cellar separates the main members club from Leonie’s, creating “a gateway” for guests to walk through. Stepping inside will immediately transport guests into yet another kind of environment: a Milanese villa. This neighbourhood-style eatery also features an “indoor terrace” with greenery and even a view of the ocean. Under the direction of chef Colin Buchan, Leonie’s has been lauded as one of the top dining destinations in Singapore. The menu features unique fusion dishes, such as squid ink tagliatelle with XO sauce, chicken schnitzel with yuzu mayo, and an apple tarte Tatin featuring white miso. 

Leonie’s design reflects this exceptional cuisine. When Ho and his team were tasked with blending design influences from Italy and Hong Kong, with the overall sugar refinery concept and 1880’s branding, they started researching. With the jumping-off point being a Milanese villa, they learned about bocce – the ball game typically played in gardens. Combining this concept with one of Hong Kong’s nicknames, they came up with the unique theme of “Pearl of Orient Hits the Bocce Court.” Looking upwards, you’ll find a grand coffered ceiling dotted with spherical lights, masterfully referencing pearls, bocce balls and sugary candies, and imitating the famed Hong Kong skyline all at once. 

While some of these features might seem hidden to guests, that’s part of the venue’s charm – each detail is waiting to be discovered, layer by layer. In fact, the 1880 logo is hidden in plain sight across the entire space. “1880 gave us their graphic, and we started playing with different options to show the client that this logo can be interpreted in different forms to create a more unique branding touch,” Ho recalls. For example, the sliding door into the private dining rooms on the fourth floor and the lighting within all recall the organic curved shapes of the numbers eight and zero. 

While some of these features might seem hidden to guests, that’s part of the venue’s charm – each detail is waiting to be discovered, layer by layer. In fact, the 1880 logo is hidden in plain sight across the entire space. “1880 gave us their graphic, and we started playing with different options to show the client that this logo can be interpreted in different forms to create a more unique branding touch,” Ho recalls. For example, the sliding door into the private dining rooms on the fourth floor and the lighting within all recall the organic curved shapes of the numbers eight and zero. 

With all these special bespoke touches, it’s no wonder that despite Ho’s illustrious 16-year career, this is his favourite project to date. “The clients had a vision of
one space that also functioned as this little village,” he says. “It’s definitely in its own category of a unique members club experience. It’s also a nightclub, a restaurant and an event space.” 

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