Christie’s snaps up former CEO of rival Sotheby’s as auction house prepares to move to bigger space in Hong Kong

Ching’s appointment comes at a time when the London-based, French-owned Christie’s is preparing to move its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong to a bigger space in The Henderson. The move will allow it to expand its gallery and office space from the current 38,000 sq ft footprint in the Alexandra House to 50,000 sq ft spread over four floors.

In fact, the new space will enable a new business model for Christie’s by allowing it to host auctions year-round, as opposed to its current approach of holding two auctions a year in 80,000 sq ft to 100,000 sq ft of space at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) in Wan Chai.

Both The Henderson and Alexandra House are in Hong Kong’s main business zone of Central, the former on Murray Road and the latter on Chater Road. The decision to remain in Central, rather than moving to the West Kowloon Cultural District where Hong Kong’s newest museums are located, was a conscious one given that the company’s clients will find the district convenient when scouting for art pieces.