Project: Music Children Foundation - LYSCW Music Children Centre
Award: Publicly Accessible Interiors - Education, 2024
Location: Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Design Practice: Richards Basmajian Interiors
Client: Music Children Foundation
Richards Basmajian Interior’s design for Music Children Foundation (MCF), an NGO aiming to provide free musical education for underprivileged children in Hong Kong, provides it with long term premises for the first time. The scheme provides space for administrative activities along with three practice and teaching rooms while a further facility space provides the Performance Training Centre and Concert Hall.
The design relied on creative use of a limited budget and available resources, using inherited fixtures, donated materials, reused furniture as well as contributions from suppliers and consultants.
End-of-line stock of acoustic wall coverings, panels, vinyl floor tiles and carpet tiles donated by suppliers were used to provide professional quality practice and performance space. While a range of room sizes and shapes offer class rooms of various sizes, community and family support space, choir and orchestra practice space, performances and events space.
Design highlights
The interiors were designed to provide a warm, homely and youthful atmosphere. In addition to the walls and entrances which were painted in MCF’s signature purple, murals were created to reflect the value of MCF. The History Wall in the Pre-function area tells the story of MCF since its inception through lyrics dancing through the music of time. Graphic materials for the wall came from the MCF archives and include collections of photographs and cuttings from press articles.
The concert hall provides a stage for professional musicians and required sophisticated design with acoustic considerations. Careful location of sound reflectors and ceiling baffles was considered according to the calculations and free advice offered by acoustic specialists. Lighting was carefully set-out for appropriate ambience in various situations.
Photo credit: Tyson Chan, Gold Name Photography
DIRECTOR: Bernice Leung
SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER: Emily Wong
ASSISTANT INTERIOR DESIGNER: Kenneth Kong
CAD TECHNICIAN: Chan Wai LongConstruction Company:
Law Wing Kee Construction & Decoration Co.
LIGHTING DESIGN: Zodiac Lighting
ACOUSTIC ADVISOR & SUPPLIER: Innovasia (HK)
Bamboo International
OPERABLE WALL SUPPLIER: JEB