MEET ME AT THE BAR What Lies Beneath

Arts enthusiast Fiona Tam is the founder of Heath, a 40,000 sq ft retail, arts and culture destination now open at Chungking Mansions 

- Tara Sobti

When did this concept come to life?

I started this project when I was 23. I was a fresh graduate and I felt lost. I wanted to pursue art as a passion but I also realised I needed a “proper job” that ticked certain boxes in the eyes of my parents. This opportunity came up a year into the pandemic during a conversation with my dad, who had already acquired the space. As a well-traveled lover of the arts, including architecture, I have witnessed how spaces can be transformed into places that connect and inspire people. I wanted to create something meaningful that could promote an open-minded and accessible community.

What inspired the name Heath?

I named the space after uncultivated expanses of land where biodiversity teems under wiry heather shrubs. I envision Heath as a place of boundless potential and life. Fun fact: from a bird’s eye view, the main Chungking Mansions building is in the shape of an “H”.

How has your experience in the arts steered this project?