PROJECTS

The second half of the 2010s was a pivotal time for Christie's Hong Kong as it transitioned from 30 years as a regional outpost to an international flagship, central to the company's operations in the APAC region.

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With real estate prices on the small island at a premium, the format for selling art and objects had long relied on the city's Convention Centre - a popup location for a permanent roster of events. The restraints on time, space and flexibility had become increasingly untenable for the company's global calendar. 

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And so in 2019 began a major transformation project for the company and its operations in APAC, to establish a new headquarters and permanent saleroom in Hong Kong.

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In 2019, Hong Kong experienced mass public protests in response to a perceived erosion of autonomy under the concept of "one country, two systems". The protests intensified over a period of 6 months as peaceful demonstrations grew more violent, and riot police regularly stormed the Central Business District. Together with 4 senior colleagues, business continuity planning became our first priority with daily risk assessments and a regular roster of internal and external communications. 

 

In January 2020, Hong Kong became one of the first countries to be hit by Covid-19 and our Hong Kong office central to leading the response for the wider APAC region. Without an established operational blueprint, our business continuity committee developed risk assessment frameworks, WFH protocols and safety procedures that were eventually used by our global colleagues as the pandemic reached them.