cheungvogl

Cheungvogl is a multilingual and multicultural international design studio founded by Judy Cheung and Christoph Vogl in 2008. The practice’s creative team is based in Hong Kong with site offices in China and Germany.
Their architecture encompasses multiple fields of design, ranging from urban scale through to details of interiors and products. The studio is currently working on projects of different scales in Japan, China, Germany and the Americas. Their projects are renowned for their seamless and subtle approach to amalgamate art into architecture.
Judy Cheung and Christoph Vogl consistently redefine boundaries between architecture, art and design. Their projects not only experiment with architectural phenomenon, they often express certain sensitivity through reinterpretation of non-material substances. Their passionate engagement with ‘time’ as an integral part of the palette forms a new typology within the limitless context of space and experiences. They interrupt and express time as an extension of life, which is simply engaged in our everyday experiences. Time is not a measurable ‘unit’; its vague existence is undoubtedly beyond the physical parameters of lengths, widths and heights. Quality is not measured by cubic meters; it is the feeling of contentment, the emotions that one remembers. The simultaneous engagement between time, architecture, art and culture is their passion and commitment.
Prior to founding Cheungvogl, Judy Cheung and Christoph Vogl worked with Lord Norman Foster in London on conceptualization and realization of major projects in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, New York, Australia and North Africa. Collectively, they designed, realized and participated in more than 100 international projects varying in scales, which include Wembley Stadium in London, Sama Dubai Towers in Melbourne, Sama Dubai Towers in Casablanca Morocco, EO Tower in Dubai, Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan, Madison Avenue Tower in New York, Centralised Science Laboratories in Hong Kong and University of Student Housing in Pennsylvania.
Judy Cheung currently lectures Art, Design and Architecture at the Hong Kong University Space and Middlesex University, United Kingdom.

Cheungvogl: Architecture is the structure of anything.
The making of architecture is more than searching for an aesthetic form. From conception to realization, the design process transforms a theoretical approach into a sensible build product. The rationalization of the process is a rigorous analysis of needs, breaking down the elements into parts and subsequently finding a holistic approach to the problem. It is a complex study of how architecture could be used to enhance our cultural dynamics, how new insertions could embrace changing social needs, and how new inventions could create a more sustainable future.
We continue to question, research and analyse the notion of fundamental needs versus fashionable trends. Our research methodologies differ depending on the social, cultural, historical, economical and functional contexts. By thinking deeper into traditional heritage and modern technologies simultaneously, we begin to explore, articulate and respond to every questionable conditions of life. We are fascinated by the ordinary things or situations that most people take for granted.
Design is an attitude that exists in every aspect of our lives. Through the making of architecture, we amalgamate science into art; art into architecture; architecture into the poetics of space. The amalgamation between theory, exploration and practice offer us a versatile structure for endless possibilities.
This structure is without boundaries.

Awards

Design for Asia DFA Awards 2012 Merit Award: Aesop, Lane Crawford, Canton Road, Hong Kong

German Design Award 2013, Rat für Formgebung, The German Design Councils Premier Prize Nomination: Aesop I.T Installation, Hong Kong

Frame Magazine, 2012, Top 3 Most Popular Installations: Aesop I.T Installation, Hong Kong

Asia Tatler, 2012, Top 5 Pop-up Retail Spaces International: Aesop I.T Installation, Hong Kong

Condé Nast Traveller Innovation & Design Awards 2011, Category: Infrastructure
The panel, comprised of experts from the arts, science, technology and media who created shortlists of the very best selection of innovation and design ideas from around the world selected Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan by Cheungvogl alongside projects and designs by Kazuyo Sejima, Issey Miyakei, Herzog & de Meuron, Álvaro Siza, David Chipperfield, Norman Foster, David Adjaye, Karim Rashid, Jean Nouvel, Bernard Tschumi and Ai Weiwei.

KAT-Ohno, Tokyo, Japan, Invited Competition, 2010, First Prize

Exhibitions

TDW Exhibition, Tokyo Designers Week 2012, Tokyo, Japan: Shinjuku Gardens, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

'Picturing "Home-for-All"' Exhibition, 2011, Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, Imabari, Japan : “Home-for-All”, Toyo Ito, Riken Yamamoto, Hiroshi Naito, Kengo Kuma, Kazuyo Sejima.

Selected publications

Books

Space Plus +, English, ISBN 9789881635204, Sandu Publishing, Hong Kong, 2013
Process, English / Korean, ISBN 978-89-6801-004-0, DAMDI Publishing Co., South Korea, 2013
DIDI - Design Idea Dictionary, English / Korean, ISBN: 978-89-9111-91-2, DAMDI Publishing Co., South Korea, 2012
On Show - Temporary Design for Fairs, Special Events and Art Exhibitions, English, ISBN: 1584234946, ISBN-13: 9781584234944, Edited by Sandu, Gingko Press, United States, 2012
On Show - Temporary Design for Fairs, Special Events and Art Exhibitions, English, ISBN: 978-988-15704-9-9, Sandu Publishing, Hong Kong, 2012
Our “Home-for-All” design ideas, plans and all, compiled by Toyo Ito, Riken Yamamoto, Kengo Kuma and Kazuyo Sejima, Japanese / English, ISBN: -, Tokyo, Japan, 2012
Visions of the Future, Architecture for the 21st Century, English, ISBN: 9788499361024, ISBN-10: 8499361021, Loft Publishing, Spain, 2011
Visions of the Future, Architecture for the 21st Century, English, ISBN: 978-981-428-635-0, PageOne Group, Hong Kong, 2011
REMODELLING, Case Study of Remodelling, English / Korean, ISBN: 978-89-91111-78-3, Damdi Architecture Publishing, South Korea, 2011
Façade Greenery, Chris van Uffelen, Chinese, ISBN: 9787214070418, Jiangsu People's Publishing House, 2011
Façade Greenery, Chris van Uffelen, English, ISBN-10: 303768075X, ISBN-13: 978-3037680759 , Braun Publishing, Switzerland, 2011
Plus DESIGN, Beautiful Design for Living, selected by Miquel Abellan, English/Spanish, ISBN: 978-84-15223-04-7, Monsa, Spain, 2011
Automobile Architecture, Chris van Uffelen, English, ISBN: 978-3-03768-073-5, Braun Publishing, Switzerland, 2011
My Green City, Back to Nature with Attitude and Style, English, ISBN: 978-3-89955-334-5, Published by Gestalten, Berlin, Germany, 2011
New Commercial Architecture, Chinese, ISBN: 9787503860676, China Forestry Publishing House, China, 2011
New Commercial Architecture, English, ISBN: 978-988-19610-7-5, Sendpoints Publishing, China, 2011
Evolving Design, Collection of the Best Evolving Architecture, Volume 1, English, ISBN-10: 8977483727, ISBN-13: 978-8977483729, 2010, CA Press, South Korea, 2010
Portfolio, Special Issue 8, English / Korean, ISBN: 978-89-91111-61-5, Damdi Architecture Publishing, South Korea, 2010
architecturemangadiary, cheungvogl, edited by Akiko Watanabe, English / Japanese, ISBN: -, Hong Kong / Japan, 2010

Print media

Pasajes Architectura, 127, April 2013, Spain - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
l'ARCA International, Monografico N. 3, January 2013, Italy - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Harper’s Bazaar, December 2012, Hong Kong - Aesop, Hysan Place, HongKong
Sites Archi, No. 221, September 2012, France - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Lake Como, No. 29, Summer 2012, Italy - Aesop, Lane Crawford, Canton Road, Hong Kong
Interior Design, ID China, July 2012, China – Aesop, Hong Kong
CBN Weekly, July 2, 2012, China - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Frame, Issue 86, May 2012, Netherlands - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Tatler Homes, May 2012, Philippines - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Hinge magazine, Vol. 200, 2012, Hong Kong - Aesop by Cheungvogl Architects, Hong Kong
Maru, 119, February 2012, South Korea - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Vision, January 2012, China - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Surface China, 37, January 2012, China - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
CityMagazine, Issue 423, December 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
MPW, Ming Pao Weekly, December 3, 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Jessica Code, December 2011 - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Me, December 2, 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Metro Daily, December 2, 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
New Monday - Honey, December 2, 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Next + One, December 1, 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, November 25, 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Milk, 540, November 24, 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Lifestyle, SCMP, November 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, I.T Installation at Hysan One, Hong Kong
Time Out, November 2011, Hong Kong - Aesop, IFC, Hong Kong
IA&B, Vol. 24, April 2011, India - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Conde Nast Traveller, Design and Innovation Award 2011, United Kingdom - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Mark magazine, No. 31, April 2011, Netherlands - KAT-Ohno, Tokyo, Japan
Ocimag, No. 44, February 2011, Spain - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Gartenart, Ausgabe 2/2011, Germany - Interview, Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Citta Magazine, February 2011, United States - Seven Chambers Gallery, Dalian, China
MH, No. 392, February 2011, Hong Kong - CDM, Manta, Ecuador
Frame Russia, January 2011, Russia - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Frame, Issue 78, January 2011, Netherlands - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Noblehouse, Vol. 20, January 2011, South Korea - CDM, Manta, Ecuador
Monitor, 62, January 2011, Russia - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Domus China, January 2011, China - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Casas&Mas, No.139, December 2010, Mexico - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Hinge magazine, December 2010, Hong Kong - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Interior Design, 128, November 2010, Taiwan - Sheikh Zayed Library, Dubai, UAE
Noblehouse, Vol.18, November 2010, South Korea - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
GER, Jaargang 3, Nummer 10, October 2010, Netherlands - Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan
Architectura y Diseno, 119, 2010, Spain - Benetton, Teheran, Iran
Designing ways, Issue 125, 2010, South Africa - Benetton, Teheran, Iran
Construction Week, Issue 334, September 2010, UAE - Sheikh Zayed Library, Dubai, UAE
Rum magazine, June 2010, Sweden - Nunnmps, Chicago, Illinois, US
IA&B, Vol. 23, May 2010, India - Nunnmps, Chicago, Illinois, US
C3, 309, May 2010, South Korea- KAT-Ohno, Tokyo, Japan
Concept, Vol. 133, May 2010, South Korea - KAT-Ohno, Tokyo, Japan
Architectura y Diseno, 112, Especial 10 anos, 2010, Spain - Umarmung, Tokyo, Japan
Frame, Issue 72, January/February 2010, Netherlands - 2 Houses, Tokyo, Japan
Betonart, 25, January 2010, Turkey - 2 Houses, Tokyo, Japan
Intro, 44, December 2009, Bulgaria – Umarmung, Tokyo, Japan
Onoffice, December 2009, United Kingdom - Nunnmps, Chicago, Illinois, US
Concept, Vol. 128, December 2009, South Korea - Nunnmps, Chicago, Illinois, US
Times Journal of Construction and Design, December 2009, India - Tokyo Reflections, Tokyo, Japan
Codigo, 54, December 2009, Mexico - Tokyo Reflections, Tokyo, Japan

Online media

Cheungvogl: Setting the Stage, Jessica Niles DeHoff, InDesignLive.Asia, March 2013
Cheungvogl, Collaborating with Aesop, Q&A by Anne-Wil Heijlaerts, FRAME, January 2013
Shinjuku Gardens, Tokyo, Japan, Interview by Pete Goldin, Parking World, December 2010
Top ten: White out, Stephen Killion, Architizer, November 2010
Designer spotlight: Cheungvogl, Padstyle, October 2010
Tokyo Reflections, Tokyo, Japan, Interview by Fritz Schuman for TokyoArtBeat, January 2010

Resonance

"Cheungvogl: Setting the Stage
The Hong Kong based studio sees architecture as a framework for life to happen. Jessica Niles DeHoff has this report.
"We never intended to establish a design manifesto or a design language as we do believe that every project has to react to its individual challenges and context," begins the architect Christoph Vogl, partner (along with Judy Cheung) in the young firm Cheungvogl.
The design practice is based in Hong Kong, with satellite offices in Mainland China and Germany, and has an international approach to design. But there is something that links the work across settings and scales. "The common thread is the way we look at architecture as a framework for life to happen, similar to a stage set that provides the audience with an open interpretation for the play itself. Architecture only begins as it starts to evolve, transform and inspire people and its communities around it," says Vogl.
The office has tackled everything from small-scale residential work to large institutional projects, but in Hong Kong the designers are perhaps known best for their retail environments for Australian natural-cosmetics company Aesop.
Vogl believes that even a retail space can become an extension of public space. "Retail generally occupies the spaces around the most frequented public areas in our cities," says Vogl, "This omnipresence also means that retail holds a responsibility for contribution to quality of life in these public spaces. In these means, retail should not be exclusive, but open and inviting. The visit to a store should not make someone feel obliged to buy a product, but provide the opportunity to see, feel and touch."
Other notable retail work includes the Benetton flagship in Tehran, where Cheungvogl used a translucent wrapper to hint at the veils worn by Iranian women. "We investigate and analyse all aspects and facets of the brand's specific characteristics as a 'personality'," Vogl says. This helps to balance the aesthetic desires of the client with those of the architect. "With this understanding we like to show our clients new ways to communicate and engage with their customers to enhance the brand's identity. In successful retail design, architecture is more to be seen as a communication tool, where we enhance the brand's language with our own vocabulary."
In projects for institutional clients, particularly in the arts, Cheungvogl has enjoyed more freedom for tectonic expression. A recent concept for the exhibition venue Dubai 7 is a stripped modernist presence with traditionalism at its heart. Vogl explains that it makes "a strong reference to traditional Arabic architecture; the exhibition space is formed around an undulating vertical landscape that provides filtered light into the interior spaces as a reinterpretation of the organisation of traditional Arabic courtyard houses". Yet the building's concrete mass also uses contemporary solar technology for cooling.
Meanwhile the concrete structure of Shinjuku Gardens, a parking garage and gallery space in Tokyo, is masked by greenery. Vogl clarifies the aesthetic and functional logic of the decision: "Rather than simply leaving the facades open for natural ventilation to avoid the cost of mechanical ventilation, we introduced a living enclosure of grass. The green curtain does not only create a barrier between the parked cars and the outside, but the changing appearance throughout the seasons also enhances its neighbourhood with a green oasis amongst the dense urban context."
The generosity of the urban gesture is typical of the office's projects, all of which seek to use architecture as a tool for improving everyday life for the building's users as well as for neighbours and passersby. Vogl phrases it in terms of responsibility: "As architects we have the possibility to create change, rather than to only have our opinion or talk about it."
Cheungvogl has just completed a master plan in Chengdu, China and the office is currently working on other projects in China as well as Southeast Asia and Europe."
Cheungvogl: Setting the Stage, Jessica Niles DeHoff, InDesignLive.Asia, March 2013

"There is no one to mention Hong Kong without mentioning Cheungvogl, the German-Chinese architect duo, who create amazing projects."
PlazaMagazine, Boris Vasic, Sweden, December 2011

“One common obstacle is the question whether to preserve or to recreate – or at least, how much to preserve. It is a question of material, historical and emotional value of the past and the existing.”, cheungvogl
In 2008, Judy Cheung and Christoph Vogl founded cheungvogl, a multilingual and multicultural international design studio based in Hong Kong. Cheungvogl has participated in projects varying in scale in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. Their architecture often encompasses multiple fields of design, ranging from urban scale through to details of interiors and products. Their studio is currently working on projects in Japan, China, Germany and North America. Judy Cheung and Christoph Vogl consistently redefine boundaries between architecture, art and design. Their projects not only experiment with architectural phenomenon, they often express certain sensitivity through reinterpretation of materiality. Their passionate engagement with “time” as an integral part of their palette forms a new typology within the limitless context of space and experiences. Quality is not measured by seeing; it is the feeling of comfort that one remembers. The simultaneous engagement between architecture, art and culture is their passion and commitment."
Read the full interview and documentation of current projects: REmodeling, Damdi Architecture Publishing Co., Ltd, South Korea, ISBN 978-89-91111-78-3, September 2011

"Top Ten: White Out
[Tadao] Ando's lineage continues with other Japanese architects embracing the ideals of their elder, developing buildings that showcase simplified forms void of material differentiation. Japanese based architects, such as recent Pritzker Prize winning SANAA, have been able to showcase the countries critical regionalism all over the world. Back home a new batch of young architects are following in Ando's footsteps, embracing the creation of white architecture within the borders of this Island Nation. Hong Kong based Cheungvogl have been making a splash across the pond with their designs for the KAT-Ohno urban cultural center and 2 Houses project both soon to be located in Tokyo."
Architizer, November 2010

"When There Is No Sky Left - Dubai Seven
The first piece of architecture I want to look at is this fabulous concept by the internationally renowned architectural practice, Cheungvogl. The concept is meant to symbolize the city of Dubai, metaphorically speaking, as a flower growing out of the desert ground. The form of the skyscraper obviously lends itself to this concept. This rationale of using nature as inspiration doesn't stop there; the materials used to construct it will be inspired by simple bamboo. We understand that the structure is made up of multiple strands of fibre, tightly knitted together, identical to the make-up of the fibre in bamboo. This has been scientifically proven to provide greater strength for such a slender building. This slender, delicate piece will stand out like a sore thumb when placed between all the other bulky skyscrapers already built in Dubai, something I assume the designers were planning on. It's definitely designed to create a stir, and in my opinion it's pushing the boundaries once again."
ControlTheRiot, October 2010

"Designer Spotlight: cheungvogl
Cheungvogl is a creative partnership of two abstract thinkers in the architecture and design world. Judy Cheung hails from Hong Kong and has experience designing world-class buildings internationally. Her partner, Christoph Vogl, is from Cologne, Germany, and also has design and architectural experience that traverses many countries. Together, the two founded Cheungvogl in 2008. The pair believes in harmony found through the ambiguity of art and memory. What is truly a memory? Can memory be artful? And when does art blend seamlessly into our memories? These are the questions that drive these creative minds to build architectural wonders. Their style is spare and airy. They have designed a variety of landscape and architectural structures, including an outdoor ecosystem known as Shinjuku Gardens in Japan that is currently under construction. Utilizing space as part of the creative process, the designer duo has create something beautifully natural amidst a sea of skyscrapers and concrete. They have also designed a space-conscious house in New York that asks the question: "how do you inject NY into NY?" It focuses on secondary spaces - rooftops, gardens, balconies - and creates a new way of seeing space in a bustling, active city. The above pictured Umarmung chair updates the traditional idea of sitting on the floor in Japan, creating a soft pocket around someone resting on the ground. The design team behind cheungvogl is a talented pair, and one to watch in the future of cutting-edge architectural innovation. "
Padstyle, October 2010

contact

If you want to contact us, please send an email to the following address:

info@cheungvogl.com

Cheungvogl Architects
2301 Solo Building
83 Bedford Road
Kowloon
Hong Kong

by appointment only

Digital applications of less than 5 MB will be considered only.