As with the flickering lights of the gas lamps that used to light our streets, the G.O.D.-designed Starbucks Bing Sutt on Duddell Street has closed for the final time. Unlike the gas lamps which remain, our Bing Sutt has been relegated to the archives of history.
This is, by no means, a strange occurrence in Hong Kong, a city where commercial decisions often trump sentimental merits. Notable examples such as the Lai Yuen Amusement Park (Demolished 1997) and Tiger Balm Garden (Demolished 2004) come to mind but Hong Kong is nonetheless, creating a 'new' history in the process… Ever pragmatic, the Hong Kong people are great at reinventing the past in the present as we bravely forge into the future. With the changes brought by the pandemic, many are dreaming of the better days of yore and GOD's nostalgic Hong Kong style designs has spearheaded this movement.
Want to know more about the G.O.D. x Starbucks Bing Sutt? Check out this South China Morning Post interview with G.O.D. co-founder and the original designer of this Bing Sutt, Douglas Young.