Commercial Design, Interior Design, Retail Design, Restaurant InteriorsFlorence LMarch 12, 2025Interior Design, Retail Space Design, Bar Design

ARTIFACT || A Hidden Bar in Hong Kong Inspired by Underground Cisterns

Commercial Design, Interior Design, Retail Design, Restaurant InteriorsFlorence LMarch 12, 2025Interior Design, Retail Space Design, Bar Design

Stepping into Artifact, Hong Kong’s latest speakeasy, feels less like entering a bar and more like slipping into another dimension.

Concealed behind a secret passage inside BaseHall, the city’s luxury dining destination, this intimate 1,000-square-foot cocktail lounge is a striking study in surreal geometry and atmospheric design. With its cavernous curves, rib-like arches, and an ethereal interplay of light and shadow, Artifact transcends traditional bar aesthetics to become an immersive, almost cinematic experience.

A Hidden Escape from the Bustling City

Tucked away in Jardine House, a landmark skyscraper known for its iconic circular windows, Artifact is a world apart from the frenetic energy of Central’s nightlife. The journey begins with a clandestine entrance, where guests pass through an industrial-inspired passage lined with porthole-like openings and textured concrete walls. A rotating surveillance camera silently observes as patrons make their way through, enhancing the feeling of stepping into a secret domain.

*A passage lined with perforated tiles evokes the feeling of stepping into an industrial vessel, reinforcing the space’s hidden-world aesthetic.*

From here, the experience shifts into the unexpected. The next threshold is an acoustic chamber, where walls are clad in speaker-like tiles, a meticulously designed feature that blocks out the noise from BaseHall. The repeating grid of circular perforations creates a disorienting, almost otherworldly effect, as if one has slipped into the echoing hull of a submerged vessel.

A Design Language Rooted in Rhythm and Flow

Once inside the main bar, guests are enveloped in a space inspired by underground water reservoirs—an aesthetic that merges the industrial with the futuristic. NCDA, the design studio behind Artifact, employed sweeping fibreglass arches to create a visual rhythm that echoes cisterns' vast, ribbed vaults. These forms stretch towards a mirrored ceiling, which amplifies the sense of height and depth, making the intimate space feel dramatically expansive.

*The bar’s rib-like architectural structure is mirrored above, creating an illusion of infinite height.*

*At the heart of Artifact, a custom walnut bar glows under an artificial sun, adding warmth to the futuristic design.*

The palette is deliberately restrained—warm, muted tones accented with walnut and plush ivory upholstery. Custom-designed seating takes on organic, sculptural silhouettes, seamlessly integrating with the bar’s architectural flow. At the center, the focal point of Artifact emerges: a walnut bar bathed in the soft glow of an artificial sun. This circular skylight—a paradoxical design feature in an underground setting—casts a golden radiance reminiscent of a sunset drink enjoyed beneath the open sky.

A Harmonious Fusion of Past and Future

Beyond its visual drama, Artifact subtly nods to Hong Kong’s architectural legacy. The circular apertures in the space reference the Jardine House façade, ensuring that this contemporary hideaway remains connected to the city’s history. Meanwhile, the choice of futuristic furnishings—sci-fi bar stools, geometric lighting, and intimate booths that feel almost cocoon-like—grounds the experience in a vision of what’s next.

*Glowing circular apertures and minimalist furniture enhance the bar’s surreal yet intimate ambiance.*

The design seamlessly merges imagination with functionality, transforming what was once a challenging corridor space with a low ceiling into a visually arresting, immersive cocktail bar. Each element, from the handcrafted textures to the curated lighting, reinforces the sense of discovery—offering guests not just a drink but a departure from the ordinary.

In a city celebrated for its dynamic nightlife, Artifact isn’t just another bar. It is a portal to another realm, an experience that lingers long after the last sip.