Frank Gehry has completed his first project in Asia, the 12-storey residential tower Opus Hong Kong.

The architect said he was not a fan of designing luxury housing but was persuaded to take on the project by Swire Housing.

“Artists are do-gooders. We want to make it nicer for everyone,” he told Bloomberg TV.

“I don’t particularly enjoy doing rich guys’ houses and have avoided that all my life.

“This is somehow different. There’s a different culture here. Chinese families live in high-rise buildings. In the US you don’t have family living in high-rises. Trying to make a house in the sky is interesting.

“Hong Kong lends itself to this because you are looking at this incredible landscape of the harbour and the city.”

The Pritzker winner recently completed the tallest residential tower in America, 8 Spruce Street in New York.

Swire chief executive Martin Cubbon said Opus cost $27,000 per square foot, significantly above what he said were the typical Hong Kong costs of $4,000-$20,000/sqft.