Paola Navone breathes new life into Hong Kong boutique Joyce

Since 1970, Chinese luxury retailer Joyce has been the go-to place for curious shoppers. For Italian architect and designer Paola Navone, Joyce’s prestigious outpost in Hong Kong is similarly significant. She lived in the city during a formative period in her career and, after calling both Asia and Africa her home, currently lives between Milan and Hong Kong.

When Joyce turned to Navone for the refurbishment of its Central branch, the designer was spurred by the thought of transforming a familiar space. She explains: 'Joyce is the most interesting shop in Hong Kong – it’s a point of reference with a very strong identity. I wanted to merge a new vision and spirit with the old one.'

Using her signature tham ma da (Thai for 'everyday') technique, Navone’s design connects Joyce’s four floors by filling the space with seemingly ordinary elements taken from the everyday, and elevating them to points of interest. In the lower ground floor's menswear section, Navone lets her favorite colour (blue) and her trademark fish motif catch the eye. Here, the rich hue contrasts with the industrial finish on wooden floorboards and metal piping.