PROJECT

Project Background — Grove Café @ Harbour Centre, Wan Chai

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Location & Strategic Advantages
Grove Café is situated inside the iconic Harbour Centre in North Wan Chai—one of Hong Kong’s core business districts. It lies adjacent to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and boasts an exceptional 180-degree panoramic view of Victoria Harbour. This prime waterfront location makes Harbour Centre a focal point for corporate headquarters, international business activities, and high-end tourism.

Despite Harbour Centre’s longstanding history as a shopping complex, its premium location and stunning harbour views have sustained its status as a landmark destination. To rejuvenate its commercial appeal and maintain competitiveness, Sun Hung Kai Properties, the landlord and management company, has embarked on a comprehensive renovation plan aimed at modernizing the entire retail and food and beverage (F&B) landscape within the mall.

Design Positioning & Challenges for Grove Café
As part of this renovation initiative, Grove Café has been selected to occupy a highly prominent corner spot within Harbour Centre. However, this project goes far beyond the scope of a conventional café fit-out. Grove Café’s design mission encompasses several strategic objectives:

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1. Brand Identity & Aesthetic Impact

   • To establish a distinctive and recognizable interior and exterior design, positioning Grove Café as a sophisticated, modern F&B brand.

   • The interior embodies contemporary minimalism, characterized by a warm and inviting atmosphere, achieved through elegant metal accents, wooden ceiling structures, and a thoughtful lighting design.

   • The store’s exterior must deliver a substantial visual impact to attract high pedestrian flow and international clientele. Remarkably, the illuminated signage and design features are so eye-catching that even observers across Victoria Harbour in Kowloon can easily recognize the café’s presence, creating a landmark effect.

2. Outdoor Space Planning

   • Close collaboration with the landlord’s design team has been crucial in planning an outdoor seating area featuring lush greenery and natural elements, transforming the space into a serene urban oasis.

   • The design incorporates a Pet-Friendly zone to cater to customers who frequently visit the nearby harbour promenade with their pets, aligning with Wan Chai North’s character as a leisure and recreation hotspot.

   • Outdoor design considerations include achieving adequate lighting for a warm and inviting nighttime atmosphere while ensuring safety and enhancing the overall vibrancy of the mall precinct.

3. Collaborative Design Process

   • Grove Café’s team does not solely direct this project. Instead, it is a co-development effort with Sun Hung Kai Properties’ in-house design team.

   • The design had to comply with broader architectural guidelines, fire safety regulations, and the overarching aesthetic vision of Harbour Centre, presenting significant challenges but also demonstrating the professional strength of the collaboration.

   • The landlord has expressed intense satisfaction with the results, viewing the café as a showcase example within the entire renovation scheme.

 

Market Positioning & Business Outlook
Grove Café primarily targets the high-end office crowd in North Wan Chai, serving business lunches, takeout orders, and catering to informal meeting needs. On weekends, the café also attracts families and pet owners who frequent the harbourfront for leisure, as well as tourists drawn to the proximity of the Convention and Exhibition Centre.

With Harbour Centre’s revitalization, Grove Café is expected to stand out as a prominent hotspot thanks to its unique design, premium service, and prime location.

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Forward-Looking Perspective
This project exemplifies not merely a mall renovation but a transformation in urban commercial space planning and landmark repositioning. As Hong Kong places increasing emphasis on quality of life and urban aesthetics, Grove Café’s integration of pet-friendly facilities, lush outdoor environments, and iconic lighting design points to the future of F&B retail spaces:

• Blending retail spaces with leisure, greenery, and social experiences

• Reinforcing the mall’s role as a community and urban lifestyle hub

• Leveraging landmark visibility and waterfront advantages to attract local and international attention

 

Ultimately, this project serves as an innovative testbed for redefining urban commercial environments, with significant implications for the future of high-end business districts in Wan Chai North and beyond.