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The Design Trust Futures Festival 2025: The Art of Transformation unfolds from 29 March to 18 June at the iconic Murray House in Link’s Stanley Plaza. Presented by Design Trust, the festival brings new perspectives to one of Hong Kong’s most cherished heritage sites. Channel 823 speaks with Marisa Yiu, Co-founder, Lead Curator and Executive Director of Design Trust, alongside local architect and participating exhibitor William Lim. Together, they offer personal reflections on curating a historic space and share their creative insights.
The Design Trust Futures Festival 2025: The Art of Transformation gathers more than 60 visionary designers, artists, architects and curators from across the globe, presenting a dynamic collection of works that span disciplines and mediums. Among these are 21 site-specific creations conceived exclusively for this event.
From the outset, Marisa was drawn to the historical resonance of Murray House, a Victorian-era building in the heart of Stanley. She was certain this was the right place from the beginning and feels immensely pleased to be hosting the exhibition in such a meaningful heritage site. “Murray House is a three-storey architectural gem with immense historical significance,” she explains. “Stanley itself is both idyllic and exotic—with scenic beaches, a charming pier and lively shopping malls, markets and pubs. It also hosts exhilarating annual events, such as dragon boat races. This coastal neighbourhood not only attracts tourists from afar, but also offers a fertile ground for cultivating and promoting collaborative artistic, cultural and community endeavours.”
The festival encompasses five curated exhibitions and several public installations strategically positioned throughout the historic building and surrounding waterfront. With a nod to Stanley’s seaside charm, the curators have adopted lightweight interventions, transforming the space into a platform for dialogue and speculation—on the future of urbanism, spatial storytelling and creative discovery.
“Our curatorial vision seeks to explore spatial construction and the intersections of design and architecture to reimagine urban heritage and our relationship with natural environments,” Marisa notes. “We also aim to confront contemporary issues surrounding sustainability and placemaking through the lens of artistic practice. These endeavours have meaningful implications not just for city-building, but also for the growth of the cultural economy and creative industries.”
As part of the Design Trust Futures Festival 2025: The Art of Transformation, local architect William Lim presents a new work entitled Murray, Displacement + Transformation. Created specifically for the exhibition, the painting marks his first artistic engagement with Murray House. To inform his creative process, he made repeated visits to Stanley, drawing from the area’s natural beauty and layered history.
“Murray House is architecturally striking,” he reflects. “In my painting, I’ve tried to balance its historical essence with a sense of imaginative openness, capturing both what it was and what it could become.”
With its classical colonnades and waterfront setting, Murray House has become a popular subject for photography, frequently appearing on social media as a “must-visit” destination in Hong Kong. William offers a few tips from an architect’s lens: “To frame the building’s exterior, try incorporating the beach or pier to show how the architecture engages with its environment while highlighting its historical characteristics. Inside, the vintage corridors and balconies offer beautiful perspectives and atmospheric depth.”
The festival has drawn both art aficionados and curious travellers; but for William, the experience extends beyond aesthetics. His involvement has sparked a deeper appreciation for the building’s potential as a cultural venue: “Murray House could serve as a shining example of adaptive reuse in Hong Kong,” he suggests. “By day, it might host educational activities such as workshops in music, dance or visual arts. By night, it could transform into a venue for concerts or fashion shows. The combination of commerce, community and creativity offers boundless possibilities!”
