US-based Spaced Agency has completed a new community headquarters for the non-profit organization Welcome to Chinatown in New York City. The innovative design transforms a former plumbing fixtures store into a flexible social hub called the Small Business Innovation Hub, using cultural references and adaptive design elements to serve the diverse needs of the local community.
The project presented unique challenges due to the narrow, deep, and windowless nature of the space. To address these limitations, studio founder TK Justin Ng implemented three primary design components: a full-length curtain, mobile wooden carts, and two large shelving units. These elements work together to create a highly adaptable environment that can accommodate everything from small business incubation to large community events.
The centerpiece of the design is a striking curtain that runs the entire length of the space, beginning at the back, curving outward toward the center, and hugging the wall near the entrance. This curtain divides the hub's deep-blue meeting rooms and lounge area from a gallery space and open area in the entryway. When needed for larger events, the curtain can cover the gallery wall, allowing the entire space to be rented out as one continuous venue.
The mobile wooden units draw direct inspiration from Chinatown's cultural landscape. "These carts also map very directly back to iconographies of Chinatown, with the carts being like dim sum carts, but also street-side street vendor carts," Ng explained to Dezeen. The silver curtain material echoes the metal security gates that form storefronts throughout Chinatown, creating a visual connection to the neighborhood's architectural character.
Color choices throughout the space reflect Chinese cultural traditions and aesthetic preferences. The deep blue walls were specifically selected to offset red furniture and decorative objects, as red is prevalent in Chinese culture and associated with major holidays like Chinese New Year, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity. This thoughtful color palette creates an environment that feels both contemporary and culturally grounded.
Material selection also reflects cultural considerations, particularly in the choice of cherry wood for the large shelving units. Ng selected this wood for its historical prevalence in Chinese furniture construction. The windowless environment of the hub actually protects the cherry wood from rapid darkening that would occur with sunlight exposure. "If this shelf were out in daylight, within a few months it would be fully darkened," Ng noted. "Because there's no natural light, the time span of the project can feel longer – it stretches out the ageing of it."
The design philosophy emphasizes organic growth and community ownership of the space. The shelving units are designed to serve as receptacles for objects that the community will gradually add over time. "The Hub can sometimes feel a little bit blank, and it's not blank because of nothingness, but rather in anticipation of the filling in by the community," Ng explained. "It's a characterful framework that allows and encourages accumulation and expression by the people who use it."
Welcome to Chinatown, the non-profit organization that will occupy the space, focuses on bolstering small businesses, fostering economic resilience, and driving community-led placemaking initiatives to support the historic Chinatown neighborhood. The new hub will serve multiple functions, including operating as a small business incubator, event space, co-working facility, and community center.
Spaced Agency, founded in 2022 by designer TK Justin Ng, is an East Coast-based studio that specializes in "using artful research to design places rooted in context and possibility." This project represents the studio's commitment to creating spaces that respond thoughtfully to their cultural and physical contexts while serving diverse community needs. The photography for the project was completed by Naho Kubota.
