With stunning views across the Shatin racecourse and training paddocks, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s first-ever Corporate Training Centre was designed as a state-of-the-art hub for professional learning & development.

“The College” delivers a wide range of teaching & learning settings, future-proofed against the ever-changing business environment, as well as embracing newly emerging forms of digital learning.

The designers began their task with research & analysis into the prevalent ‘learning styles’ for professional development globally, followed by a deep-dive into how the Club’s present & future skills-based learning needs might be better accommodated. Working closely with the Club’s Head of Learning & Development, we conducted a ‘gap analysis’ that identified numerous opportunities for creating optimised learning settings.

The rectangular doughnut floorplate encloses a landscaped roof garden, whilst its perimeter overlooks the racecourse. In response, we developed a concept of ‘inner & outer cloisters’, much as medieval monasteries inspired learning and deep thought through their cloistered solitude.

Facilities include both formal and informal learning spaces, meeting rooms, a restaurant, and a multipurpose town hall. Training rooms of varying sizes and modes are bounded by a diaphanous wall of coloured, clear and milky glass, admitting daylight whilst avoiding distractions from the informal learning spaces pocketed along the cloisters that overlook the racecourse.