This autumn, Design Trust presents a series of public programmes exploring Hong Kong’s architecture, urban history and island communities, bringing research and design closer to the city’s wider public.

Returning for its third edition, Open House Hong Kong 2026 opens more than 80 architectural sites across the city over three consecutive weekends: 28–29 November, 5–6 December and 12–13 December. The programme includes docent-guided tours, self-guided routes and cross-border initiatives exploring Hong Kong’s built environment and its relationship with the wider Greater Bay Area.

Also on the programme is Villa Moderne: In Search of Hong Kong Modern Homes, an archival research exhibition, book launch, public talk and tour series by Design Trust Feature Grant recipient Alex Yuen. Focusing on 24 post-war residential villas built between 1945 and 1990, the project traces how architects responded to Hong Kong’s distinctive hillsides and coastal terrain through a period of rapid change. The exhibition runs from 16–25 October at 15–17 New Street, Sheung Wan.

Meanwhile, Inter-island Festival 2026 returns for its third edition, using Hong Kong’s ferry network and outlying south-western islands as a framework for exploring coastal communities, island cultures and the idea of an interconnected archipelago. Design Trust returns as Foundation Partner, with the programme including the premiere of The Island of Chicken Wings, a Design Trust Seed Grant documentary examining the island of Peng Chau’s social and economic transformation through the story of a long-standing local restaurant.