Would you spend the night in a concrete pipe in Hong Kong?

A Hong Kong architect has designed a unique form of micro-accommodation inside concrete water pipes. James Law of James Law Cybertecture designed the OPod – a 2.5-metre diameter concrete water pipe kitted out as a micro living space – to be an affordable housing solution in one of the most densely populated cities on earth.

It’s a concept that could be rolled out to hotels, says the architect. ‘I think OPods can be a very cool new type of hotel which can be built very quickly and have very funky interior designs,’ he says.

The architect adds: ‘The idea behind the OPod was to find an innovative way to build a house very cheaply and make it affordable for young people of Hong Kong. ‘I came up with the idea when I saw large concrete water pipes left over on a construction site, and thought these would be a quick and inexpensive starting point for a micro living house that can be created by inserting a livable interior inside them.’

Each 100-square-foot OPod has a bed, a toilet and shower, and a tiny kitchen space. The tubes can either sit on their own or be stacked tightly on top of each other. They can also be moved easily.

The OPod is currently on show at Fly the Flyover 01, 126 Hoi Bun Road, Kwung Tong, and is open between 10am and 8pm every day until 1 April. The OPod will then be exhibited at the Hong Kong Design Institute in the Tseung Kwan O district.

By Cathy Adams