When James Edwards decided to buy a city pad, he knew he wanted 'the Andrew Bell touch'.
'I wanted a sleek contemporary penthouse feel that was quite masculine,' says the Australian legal counsel.
He compiled a collection of magazine cuttings and handed them over to Bell, who has renovated and sold about 20 flats in Hong Kong. Bell undertook the job of converting the 1,000 sq ft shell, with a roof of the same size, into a compact and functional space. The renovation took almost two years to complete, mainly because of construction difficulties.
The Glenealy flat has an attractive aspect, overlooking both Central and the Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
'The location is absolutely A1,' says Edwards. 'It's amazing in the morning: you get woken by the monkeys.'
Bell installed an internal spiral staircase to provide direct access to the roof, where comfortable seating completes a prime setting for evening gatherings and dinner parties, lit by Central's skyline. Also on the roof are a spacious stainless-steel kitchen and an open-air rain shower, subtly tucked away in a corner. Privacy is provided by teak panels that also hide pipes and a washer-dryer.