New Design Spot in Sham Shui Po Seeks to Nurture Creative and Design Talents, Foster Cross-Industry Collaboration and Exchanges A Creative Hub for Design and Fashion Inspiration

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 November 2024 - Located in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong Design Centre's (HKDC) new landmark, DX design hub (the Hub) will host its launching party on 3 December 2024 (Tuesday), officially opening to the public from 4 December (Wednesday). The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is responsible for strategy formulation, coordination, and supervision of the hub while HKDC is responsible for operating the hub. This Hub aims to serve as an important base for nurturing design talent in Hong Kong, and to promote deep collaboration and exchange among designers, businesses, various industry associations and professionals. Through a series of diverse design-related programmes, the Hub will showcase the impact of design and exceptional instances of design in practice. By collaborating with the local textile industry, independent businesses and creative communities, the Hub fosters and create new synergies and contribute to the transformation of Sham Shui Po into a vibrant and unique creative community.

Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC shared: "The 'D' in DX design hub stands for design and diversified design disciplines, while 'X' signifies 'multiply' and 'crossover'. The launch of DX design hub is an important milestone for Hong Kong Design Centre. We hope that through DX design hub, we can foster communications and collaborative partnerships across the various creative and design fields, as well as between the wider creative design industry and the business sector. This will enrich Hong Kong's creative culture, and encourage problem-solving and decision-making through design thinking, thereby amplifying the power and ubiquity of design throughout our society. DX design hub will create a space for everyone to immerse themselves in design and creativity, and offer emerging designers and creative workers opportunities for development and showcasing their talents."

DX design hub conducted its soft opening on 25 October, and will be officially accessible to the public starting December 4. Hong Kong Design Centre will host a launching party on the evening of 3 December 2024 (Tuesday), welcoming HKSAR government officials and design industry representatives from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to introduce them to this new creative and fashion hub. The occasion will also mark the official commencement of the Hub's signature programme, the 'GBA Creative Fortnight'. This programme aims to showcase Hong Kong's prowess in creative design , and promote creative and business exchanges between Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Hub's launch will also synergise with other design programmes taking place concurrently, such as the opening of Business of Design Week 2024 Summit on 4 December, and a series of other design activities hosted by HKDC throughout the month, infusing the entire city in a celebratory atmosphere of creativity and design in December.

The Hub is located at 280 Tung Chau Street, Sham Shui Po. In the 2017 Policy Address, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government proposed new measures, and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau recommended reserving approximately 3,600 square meters of commercial space across five floors at the redevelopment project of Tung Chau Street by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in Sham Shui Po to establish a design and fashion base., The Hub aims to inject new momentum to the local economy by striving towards three main objectives: nurture emerging design talent and fashion designers in Hong Kong; leverage Sham Shui Po's heritage as a traditional hotspot for clothing and textile wholesale and retail, and combine design, fashion, garment production and retail to create new synergies to become a focal point for design and fashion both within the district and across Hong Kong; and further the development of tourism in Sham Shui Po.

The Hub spans five levels from the ground floor to the fourth floor, with a total area of 3,600 square meters. The fourth floor will serve as headquarters for the HKDC, while the ground to third floors will be divided into different zones for hosting a wide variety of design-related activities such as seminars, exhibitions and workshops. The space aims to enhance the public's awareness of design, facilitate communication and resource sharing among the design and creative industries, and foster more creativity and collaboration opportunities for society at large. These zones include The Square, The Fashion-Pop, The Box, The Gallery, The Design Museum, The Annex, The Steps, The Lounge, The Barn and The Fashion Spotlight.

Following the official opening to the public in December, a lineup of events will be hosted at the DX Design Hub by HKDC to showcase the charm of design:

HKDC holds exciting exhibitions and events throughout the year at the DX design hub. To foster industry development and support industry associations, HKDC collaborates with industry associations from Hong Kong, the Mainland, and overseas. Joint exhibitions, seminars, and networking event will be held at DX design hub. To enhance the collaborations with different industry associations through DX design hub, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with individual industry association including Hong Kong Architecture Centre, Royal Institute of British Architects (Hong Kong Chapter), Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association, Textile Council Of Hong Kong, Graphic Arts Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Furniture and Decoration Trade Association, Hong Kong Association for VR AR and The Professional Validation Council of Hong Kong Industries for utilising DX design hub as a platform to promote industry exchange and development.

As the newest design spot in the area, the Hub will highlight Sham Shui Po as an inimitable aspect in the tapestry of Hong Kong society, with its unique heritage architecture, and its traditional role as a hotspot of fabric resources for designers. The Hub will enhance the district's existing multicultural atmosphere, attract more individual businesses to set up shop, and nurture a diverse and inclusive cultural community in the neighbourhood, fostering positive interactions and making Sham Shui Po a must-visit creative hotspot for locals and tourists alike. At the same time, the Hub will also serve as a model for traditional businesses by demonstrating how design and innovation can drive transformation, provide consumers with a novel experience, and capture new sources of revenue.

Hashtag: #HongKongDesignCentre

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About DX design hub

Operated by Hong Kong Design Centre, DX design hub in Sham Shui Po nurtures emerging design talents and fashion designers, fostering creativity and collaboration. Showcasing the synergy between design disciplines, it serves as a vibrant platform for community engagement and creative tourism. The Hub offers exhibition spaces, activity spaces, and a retail area for designers to gain hands-on experience. It functions as a central workstation for HKDC and design-related Associations, leading initiatives to promote fashion and diverse design projects. With a mission to inspire creativity and innovation, we aim to enable the Hub to become the creative anchor in Hong Kong with various specialized zones including The Square, The Fashion-Pop, The Box, The Gallery, The Design Museum, The Annex, The Steps, The Lounge, The Barn and The Fashion Spotlight.

The construction work of the Hub is undertaken by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), ensuring a state-of-the-art facility that supports our vision. The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is responsible for strategy formulation, coordination, and supervision, guiding the Hub's initiatives to align with industry needs and aspirations.

About Hong Kong Design Centre (www.hkdesigncentre.org)

Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in leveraging the city's East-meets-West advantage to create value from design.

To achieve our goals we:

• Cultivate a design culture
• Bridge stakeholders to opportunities that unleash the value of design
• Promote excellence in various design disciplines

About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (www.ccidahk.gov.hk )

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating startups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong's positioning as the East meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to some of HKDC's activities/projects only, and does not otherwise take part in such funded activities/projects. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication and relevant materials/events (or by members of the project teams) are those of HKDC only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.