On the ground floor of a gloomy old concrete building, a 30-square-metre, Aussie-themed café brightens up the whole neighbourhood with its terracotta, blood-orange and off-white colour scheme. A large window reveals a welcoming community hangout, and, above the entrance, another frames the setting sun each evening. Ceramic tiles are on the walls, and the triangular café has a casual Down Under conviviality with two benches facing one another as beverages and light snacks are prepared on a wood counter.
Absence from Island is a multidisciplinary design studio founded by experienced Hong Kong and London-based architects Tang Chi Chun and Ho Siu Ting Etain, who carry out projects of every scale, budget and nature.