Three ultra-luxury projects in Shanghai and Hong Kong set record benchmarks amid an otherwise lack luster market. A record HK$2.2 Billion house sale and twin Shanghai sell-outs underscore the creating value-driven, multi-discipline approach of architect and interior designer PLPL
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Three ultra-luxury projects in Shanghai and Hong Kong set record benchmarks amid an otherwise lack luster market. A record HK$2.2 Billion house sale and twin Shanghai sell-outs underscore the creating value-driven, multi-discipline approach of architect and interior designer PLPL
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architects
SHANGHAI, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a year where both the Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese luxury property markets faced considerable headwinds, a quiet through-line connects three of the region’s most remarkable sales successes. While the headlines have focused on the financial figures—record residential transactions and back-to-back sell-outs in Shanghai—the underlying narrative points toward a disciplined, site-specific approach to design and a measurable impact on asset value.
The practice behind these three projects, Philip Liao & Partners Limited (PLPL), has largely operated outside the glare of industry promotion. Yet the market reception to their recent work suggests a firm whose design methodology—rooted in context, user focused customization, and value creation—has translated directly into premium valuation and record absorption rates.
6 Deep Water Bay Road: The Harbor Lifestyle as Architectural Logic In late 2025, Swire Properties announced the sale of the two houses at 6 Deep Water Bay Road for a combined HK$2.2 billion, translating to roughly HK$147,010 per square foot. The figure stands as one of the highest benchmarks for luxury residential property in Hong Kong in recent memory. The site, a single verdant lot on the hillside overlooking Deep Water Bay, comprises two distinct houses.
For this project, PLPL was entrusted with the architecture, interior architecture, and the curation of soft furnishings. Rather than imposing a singular stylistic stamp, the design focused on optimizing the experience in “Deep Water Bay living”. The architecture prioritizes the relationship between the interior and the South China Sea horizon. The 40m continuous wrap-around glass façade does more than maximizing sea view; it calibrates the quality of light and the grand perception of space across the expansive living space and south facing terraces and sun filled pool decks. The horizon edge of the 25m pool also features a first transparent edge which is a first in Hong Kong, allowing the swimmer views of the golf course, the beach and the bay. The design achieved a serene environment that is a natural extension of the hillside and bay. “The architecture reflects the curve of the bay, the stepping of the mountains and the green of the hills,” explains the architect. Eng: https://www.swireproperties.com/en/media/press-releases/2025/20251222_6dr/
Lujiazui Taikoo Yuan Residences: Fluidity on the Bund, Flexibility Within On the Huangpu River in Pudong, the Lujiazui Taikoo Yuan Residences (developed by Lujiazui Group and Swire Properties) have logged cumulative sales of approximately RMB 15 billion, with over 95% of launched units sold across multiple phases. PLPL’s appointment here was comprehensive, covering the schematic master plan for the residential portion, as well as the schematic architectural design and interior design for all apartment units, clubhouses, common areas, and the sales gallery. The planning thinking was people-centric and deeply site-responsive. From the earliest master-plan stage, the layout was configured so that the rear residential towers could also enjoy views of the Huangpu waterfront. A landscaped “green bridge” dotted with skylights physically connects the whole neighborhood (including the sites behind) to the riverfront, and the master planning scheme incorporating eight large circular sunken courtyards to channel natural ventilation and daylight, and ground-level planting into the lower levels makes for high quality and eco friendly spaces throughout. This resource-conscious distribution of the best natural assets to every space underscores the architectural logic from the outset.
PLPL’s Schematic Architectural Design on a sculptural, curving “Papillon” form, a gesture that mirrors the curving flow of the adjoining river. Despite this dynamic, wave-like exterior, PLPL maintained a rigorous commitment to practical, rectilinear interior planning. The 388 unit type, for instance, features a dramatic 13.5-metre-wide lateral living hall and corner cantilevering balconies providing good privacy separation from neighboring balconies and ‘float’ above the river with a 270 degree view. Yet the internal room configuration remains steadfastly traditional and functional. This was achieved through close coordination with structural engineers and all other specialists team. By maximizing the use of non-load-bearing partitions between key rooms, the design allows future occupants to adapt the space to their own living patterns—whether opening up the plan entirely or creating more intimate divisions. The collaboration extended to the millwork, with PLPL working directly with Arclinea to integrate a kitchen that performs as efficiently as it looks. In a subtle but telling detail, PLPL created for the project Arclinea’s first rounded-edge kitchen prototype—a feature the manufacturer had not previously offered. Following its 2024 debut here, Arclinea launched its first rounded-edge kitchen island series at the 2026 Milan Furniture Fair.
The fact that master-planning, architecture, and interior design were in the hands of a single architect-led, multi-discipline practice generated a palpable synergy and resonance across the three design scopes, lifting the overall quality and, ultimately, the project’s market value. From an industry observer’s standpoint, this also reflects the developer’s foresight in commissioning a multi-discipline firm with integrated master-planning, architectural, and interior design capabilities to shape Lujiazui Taikoo Yuan Residences. The outcome has effectively set a new benchmark—a model other developers may wish to follow—and points to the consistent logic behind PLPL’s project results. Eng: https://www.swireproperties.com/en/media/press-releases/2026/20260417_tkyr-5th-batch/
Jinling Residences: History and Adaptability in the City Center Across the river in Puxi, within the historic fabric of central Shanghai, Kerry Properties’ Jinling Residences achieved a total sell-out across two phases, with cumulative sales nearing RMB 22 billion. Here, the context shifted from open water to the dense, cultural backdrop of Yu Garden and the Bund.
PLPL’s response was a study in spatial flexibility contained within a rigorously formal envelope. The design merges living and dining areas with a fully open multi-functional space to create a grand, 17-metre-wide panoramic vantage facing the Lujiazui skyline. While the layout adheres to the principles of traditional Shanghai residential comfort—rectilinear, efficient, and practical —the design here for adjoining rooms separated by non-structural walls introduces a layer of playfulness. The spaces can be reconfigured as private studies, extended entertainment zones, or secondary family rooms without renovation. This concept of “configurable” luxury, where the building supports transform ability rather than fixation, is further extended into the communal areas, which include two Shikumen-style clubhouses that anchor the project firmly within its urban setting. Eng: https://www.kerryprops.com/files/news/en/jinling-residences-phase-iii-achieves-another-strong-launch-three-consecutive-successful-openings-with-cumulative-sales-approaching-rmb-22—billion__en.pdf
Value Added design driving positive Outcome. In a 2025 market environment where transaction velocity was generally sluggish, the performance of the above sites provides very positive signals to the real estate industry. PLPL’s “Value Creation in Design” in master planning, architecture and interior design contributes to strong market success across different cities.
