Hong Kong

On Hong Kong Island the horizontal expansion of the city is limited by water and mountains, so the city grows vertically and also folds over on itself.  A central corridor of stairs and escalators weaves through a narrow street passage up the hillside, hovering above street level, below the tower level, in a tier of marketable urban space.  It is the axis of the entire city.

My stay in HK was marked by several brief sling-shot excursions away from the city.  Upon my arrival, my friend Yvette and I crossed over the Kowloon side by ferry.  The next day we took a further leap by ferry to Macau.  On my own time, I took the train all the way to the Shenzhen border and another day to Lantau, where a complex of outlet malls, tourist attractions, and luxury condominium towers is being developed adjacent to the airport.  The architecture seems to be oriented towards the terminal and views of planes landing and taking off return the experience to the once spectacle of past airport viewing decks.

Our nights in Hong Kong usually consisted of a fantastic meal, ranging from traditional Chinese to Portuguese infusion to do-it-yourself 'hot pot' (Chinese fondue).  Yvette and I also took in the city by riding around on the trolleys, enjoying rooftop cocktails, climbing atop the Peak for a panoramic skyline view, and wandering the streets.  David Erdman and Clover Lee of davidclovers, for whom Yvette is interning this summer, also offered some insight into the city and its architectural community, including a peek into the thesis projects reviews at Hong Kong University.

Hong Kong is a spectacular city where everything is clean and efficient, yet the streets have not lost their grittiness nor their chaos.  Just go to Mong Kok or Causeway Bay.  Puddles on the ground imply something dripping from above and buildings are tangled together in a web of pedestrian skyways.  To avoid the streets, people travel by bus, train, and the historic trolley (still just 2HKD flat rate!) to get around.  Fashion is key, and just about every office tower is a mall at the base.