HSS Pocket Park, An Oasis in Historic Downtown Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 27 September 2023 – Nestled within a cluster of renovated pre-war shophouses known as High Street Studios (HSS) along Jalan Tun HS Lee is HSS Pocket Park – a lush, green oasis where people exploring the area can take a break, and escape the heat, noise and traffic congestion. It was intentionally created to balance the burgeoning development of commercial spaces with equally vital public spaces.
“Downtown KL needs more than just hipster cafes – it needs more public spaces,” says Ng Ping Ho, Director of the Kindness of Strangers Hospitality Group, who manages the park for private owners. “We decided to create a park modeled after pocket parks in major cosmopolitan cities around the world, where urban spaces are reclaimed and transformed into green community spaces. Even though Pocket Park is a privately owned space, it’s open to people from all walks of life.”
Recalling the inspiration behind HSS Pocket Park, Ng muses, “In 2011, on a trip to New York City, I chanced upon the tiny Paley Park tucked between all the skyscrapers. There was a gushing waterfall, tall leafy trees, and people having lunch, reading or taking a break. With the sound of flowing water and sunlight filtering through the trees, it had a stillness that felt a world away from the bustle of the city. We felt that the time was right for a space like that in KL.”
HSS Pocket Park occupies a compact 935 sq feet courtyard space within a complex of pre-war shophouses known as High Street Studios. The row of shophouses was originally a backpackers hostel that closed during the pandemic, converted to a mixture of retail and offices for small independent businesses in 2022. Derived from the original name of Jalan Tun HS Lee, High Street now houses the Kuala Lumpur offices of Think City, independent bookstore Riwayat, popular LOKL Coffee Co, creative Gahara Batik, and Gambus, a music store featuring traditional instruments. Cyclists frequent the park on weekends because there is ample space to park their bikes.
HSS Pocket Park was made possible with the support of Think City’s Downtown Kuala Lumpur Grants Programme in 2021, an initiative designed to crowdsource urban solutions that will accelerate the transformation of Downtown Kuala Lumpur as envisioned in the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Cultural District Strategic Masterplan, while strengthening the social and environmental resilience within Downtown Kuala Lumpur.
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