created in 2017
during the bartlett school of architecture ucl
by anthony ko chun ming
HETEROTOPIC
UNFOLD
“ALL RIGHTS RESERVED”
www.anthonyko.co.uk
遺忘這世界
Your World of Amnesia Living in high dense cities like Hong Kong, everything is ephemeral and could change at any time. Would you also forget about places that are erased by the developers and accept the fate of things going into oblivion. We should live like a scavenger, collecting things we consider valuable in different ways before it will be taken away. We have the responsibility to regulate our collective memories instead of letting outsiders to filter what Hong Kong is.
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Hong Kong’s Coat of Arm Stamps are no longer made after the handover. Pro-Beijing Chinese government gives no chance for people to reminiscent about the past.
In the demolished Kowloon Walled City, kids play around the architecture which isn’t built by a licensed architect. It is just an agglomeration of fragmented small buildings into a cluster.
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In Hong Kong, buying a flat or even renting it is already hard enough to make people change it as their aim of living. When even finding a home is so difficult, how can we even talk about preserving your memories.
Often nicknamed as ‘Red Fish’, the hundred dollar bills are widely considered as a middle class or working class way to prosperity. Living in a world that everything is money go first, how could we really assess the true value.
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There are many objects that Hong Kong people considered as memories of old Hong Kong. These objects often express the strive of Hong Kong from being a fishing village to an international port. Neon signages that extend to the streets and Chinese made plastic ball.
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A Chinese propaganda poster saying ‘Welcome Hong Kong back to China’s rule’. How ironic is that China is actually altering the political and ownership of Hong Kong step by step.
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The nominated contestants for Hong Kong chief executive both are found to have illegal architecture in their apartment. Media hired cranes to inspect their properties from outside.
Wanchai is continually replaced by new developed properties that are ridiculously unaffordable. Not only your neighborhood is changed but also the harshness of living.
Planes flying across the top of Kowloon Walled City are often depicted in Hong Kong’s movie. It shows the skeptical view and desire of Hong Kong to leave the city due to the political intervention from China.
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1. Hong Kong’s Coat of Arm stamp, 2. Hand made of a hundred dollar bill, 3. Tiny single bed, 4. Kids from Kowloon Walled City, 5. Souvenir from the vanished Hong Kong, 6. Welcome back to China!, 7. Cranes for Media Inspection, 8. Erasing Wanchai, 9. Planes flying above Kowloon Walled City
不完美的婚禮
The Undesired Marriage The relation between the United Kingdom, China and Hong Kong is exactly what Michael Foucault defined as Heterotopia. The layered history makes people confused whether we are chinese, british or hong kong-ese. Economic development of China became like a cultural removing agent in Hong Kong when it start to invade it’s real estate and development market. So basicly the relation of China and Hong Kong is that, Chinese government want to show the world that they can tame Hong Kong into one of their cities.
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Mailbox from the British rule period are continually removed from the city. They are like the symbol of British’s presence in Hong Kong, and how it diminishes to a point where new generation would forget about this period of Hong Kong.
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I.M Pei was invited to design the Bank of China when he was going to retire from his architect’s journey. He tried to refuse but the offer was made by an influential chinese official, so he have to accept it. Although the design is actually made by his sons.
Bank of China and HSBC Main Building, both are politically charged with the handover. One good thing of British rule is that they granted Hong Kong the way to capitalist system.
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Letterboxes are often seen in old Hong Kong blocks. These letterboxes come in different colour and designs. It reveals the chaotic or freedom to choose their own taste. While this letterbox culture starts to vanish, it also implies our freedom of speech.
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To show full loyalty to Chinese government, the woman had to wear badges that contains Chinese communist icon. Why do we need to bow down to superpower instead of choosing what we want.
The woman within the collage is holding a dagger from a famous Chinese historic event, where a guy hide his dagger within a scroll and attempt to assassinate the king. The development in Hong Kong could be an attempt to remove the colonial history.
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Continual addition of skyscrapers to the Hong Kong skyline indicates the removal of more old Hong Kong. While celebrating these brand new architecture, can we bring back some of the lost ones.
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Different from the towers, the giant buddha is another very Chinese culture brought into Hong Kong. How China continue to gift Hong Kong actually disrupts it’s own nature.
Starting from a fishing village to an international port, and now a global city. Does it mean we could keep eradicating everything that contributed to Hong Kong for the sake of development.
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1. Mailbox during British Rule, 2. Photo of I.M Pei and Bank of China, 3. Bank of China and HSBC Main Building in Hong Kong, 4. Local Hong Kong Letterbox, 5. Quipao worn by Chinese woman, 6. The Giant Buddha on Lantau Island, 7. Chinese Communist’s Badges, 8. Some of the Tallest Skyscraper in Hong Kong, 9. The Original settlement of Hong Kong
空殼的鬼
Ghost in Our Shell Identity crisis is often a major problem in Hong Kong. There are different documents that Hong Kong people have that reveals the layered history and dilemmatic situation. How could we live in a world where we are no longer pure Chinese that believes or obey under communism. How can we go back to China when we’ve come across capitalist system. Are we going to give way to China by obeying their rules and laws, and eradicate our complex background.
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In the new trailer of Ghost in the Shell, the clones have this mask which opens at the middle to unfold the two side of it. Hong Kong is basicly the same, with a complicated background and two conflicting history.
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Hong Kong’s architecture are expressing the formalist aspect of the people. When you go up, the plan continues the same arrangement which creates a facade of same alignment.
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‘E’ is a permanant residence of Hong Kong, due to this aura of Special Administrative Region he needs to apply for Home Permit if he wants to travel to China. He doesn’t really consider himself as a Chinese, neither do they.
6. Despite the complex procedure to get back to China, Chinese government still managed to put their emblem on the passport of Hong Kong. ‘E’ thought he isn’t regarded as a Chinese due to the special region state.
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Although Macau is also considered as a Special Administrative Region like Hong Kong. Macau accepted the amendment of laws to give China’s direct control on their politics which the Basic Law Article 23.
British National (Overseas) Passport or BNO was issued in 1987 following the Hong Kong Act 1985 in which a new class of British nationality was created. Hong Kong people see it as a insurance in case of political change after 2047.
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The fear of China’s overtaking Hong Kong made many Hong Kong scholars and rich people fled to other countries like Australia, Canada, US and of course UK before the handover in 1997. This is the permit to re-enter Hong Kong
Mainland Travel Permit of ‘E’ took a long time to create. He needs to take passport photo at places that the Chinese board control ‘approve’, which is their own branch. How ridiculous is it to even restrict the freedom to take a photo.
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1. Mask of the Clone in the new Ghost in the Shell, 2. Michael Wolf’s photography on Hong Kong’s building facade, 3. Hong Kong Permanent Residence Card, 4. Hong Kong Passport, 5. Hong Kong’s British National (Overseas) Passport, 6. Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents, 7. Home Visit Permit in Book Form, 8. Hong Kong Re-entry Permit
小販之愚
The Falsitude Booth Deployable designs are often seen on the streets of Hong Kong. Not only as a money making medium, it also alterates the state of the street. The common green stall in Hong Kong is collaged into a book or newspaper selling booth in which the surveillance on speech in Hong Kong is getting threatened by Chinese government’s intervention. Can these deployable or dissipated urban furniture serve as a ‘Flashmob’ tool to deliver actual news instead of giving way to the absolute power.
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Lee Po was the owner of Causeway Bay Bookshop in which he also publish political sensitive books about China. He was politically retributed by China’s government via illegally bringing him back to China from Hong Kong.
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Green Hawker Stalls is a symbolic local culture of Hong Kong. Each of them sell different things ranging from food to antiques and even jewellery. How could such a culture of deploying the city be reinvented.
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An old guy claimed himself as ‘King of Kowloon’ and continually vandalizing light poles or walls around streets of Hong Kong. His use of Chinese caligraphy with unorthodox style marks the start of occupying the street in Hong Kong contemporary culture.
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Causeway Bay Bookshop was being closed after Lee Po and other owner gone missing. It raises international concern as some other owners have citizenship in countries such as denmark.
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Crab by Ai Weiwei is a slang term for Chinese censorship. China now not only censor their own territory but invading the freedom of speech in Hong Kong that shouldn’t be intervened.
Folding chair in Hong Kong is a common object for neighbors to gather around. It is used by restaurants or hawkers to allow customer sit right outside their working area.
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Propaganda poster of China that says ‘Follow Mao’s idea forever’. It is a common scene in China that people have faith in the communist government. While in contrast, Hong Kong people fear of China’s takeover.
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1. Lee Po who got ‘kidnapped’ by the Chinese Police, 2. Causeway Bay Bookshop Signage 3. Craby by Ai Weiwei 4. Green Hawker Stalls in Central 5. Folding Chair that are often seen on the street of Hong Kong 6. Chinese Caligraphy of the Kowloon King 7. Propaganda and Pro-Beijing groups that infiltrate Hong Kong now
紫荊花之下
Under the Orchid Tree Chinese government likes to pretend generous and claim that they gift Hong Kong something when it is usually a demonstration of control and power over Hong Kong. The Golden Bauhinia Square is one example where the golden sculpture express only the China’s culture where everything should be in gold. Under the Orchid Tree would recreate this square into an actual park where people can really enjoy the waterfront by having outdoor activities. There will be no more golden bauhinia but living ones.
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Bauhinia Blakenia marks the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule. Since 1997 the flower appears on Hong Kong’s coat of arms, its flag and its coins.
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As there are a soaring rise in number of mainland Chinese tourists recent years, they’ve created much trouble to the local Hong Kongers. That is when people nicknamed these tourists ‘Locust’, which means they are being disruptive and disrespectful.
Of course not all of them are impolite, but most of them would have similar attitudes. Such as asking for taking photos in a rude way, letting childrens to poop on the ground and dragging their suitcases on everyone’s shoes.
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Golden Bauhinia Sculpture is definitely a paradox itself. It represent a living object but turning it into gold that is something without life. This ‘Gift’ from China had no use at all, except mainland tourists would visit it and take picture to show they’ve been to Hong Kong.
Tiananmen Square massacre is originated from the student protest in 1989. Chinese government use tanks against student who can’t even fight against them. The square’s lighting system was shut down and students are being killed, and the news was censored.
Wanchai Southorn Park has a similar arrangement as the square, but one difference is that it converges to the middle that is a sportsground. What if we take down the Golden Bauhinia and turn something more useful and interactive.
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1. Bauhinia Blakeana which is the City flower of Hong Kong, 2. Locust is a term to describe the mainland people who are very impolite and disrespectful, 3. Mainland tourists making an embarassing or inconvenient situation to Hong Kong, 4. The Golden Bauhinia Sculpture, 5. Tank at the Tiananmen Square massacre, 6. Wanchai Southorn Park
噪音廣場
Square of Noises ‘Umbrella Revolution’ took place in 2014 and three years after this internationally renowned incident, is there any changes to the confrontation between the Pro-beijing Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong people. As everything will just end in futility, may be there is only need to have rooms for people to express their anger knowing that nothing will change in the end. What about the police who suppose should be neutral in the protest, why are they adopting violence on the peacful protestors. Are they part of us...
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Wall of police who were confronting student protestors at the umbrella revolution. Are they on our side as they abuse their power own protestors who didn’t fight at all.
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The Cenotaph is a war memorial built in 1923 to commemorates the dead in the two world wars who contributed to Hong Kong. Soldiers contribute to Hong Kong people by giving protection, what about police.
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Hung Hom Tunnel was occupied by the protestor during Umbrella Revolution, they created informal architecture like using bricks to form blockage against police cars.
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Umbrella was once an ordinary object, and after the protest it became a symbol or a meaning of subversion. By which I mean the distortion of daily objects into a completely different purpose.
Rocky Road in Hong Kong is a popular place for movie due to the slope of stairs. When one walk from Central to mid level, you also notice the change of classes. Rich people live on the hill and so on.
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Lion Hill always symbolizes hard work in Hong Kong culture. During the protest, some protestor hanged a large banner saying ‘We want universal suffrage’, demonstrating the determination of Hong Kong people.
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Lennon Wall was actually at the entrance stairway of the Government Headquarter. During the protest, people stick memo paper on it with their wishes and desire of freedom.
Gates were opened in sideway back in the days, these gates contains the name of the owner or shops. It creates an impression or meaning of belongingness and characters to the users and visitors.
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1. Police line up against protestors in the Umbrella Revolution, 2. The Cenotaph of Hong Kong, 3. Hung Hom Tunnel that was blocked by the Protestors, 4. Rocky Road in Central, 5. Subversion of Umbrella, 6. Lion Hill, 7. Old Hong Kong Shop’s Gate that folds sideway, 8. Lennon Wall in the Umbrella Revolution
豬塔
Tower for the Ignorant Swines ‘I’ve stacked these old keystone to the collective memories of Hong Kong to reveal the erasure of local context through different types of development from transportation, reclaimation to new buildings. I intended to design this as a didactic architecture where visitors can learn about the eradicated past through experiencing the architecture. It could be a way to educate and alter the values of ‘Hong Kong Pigs’(Slang to people in Hong Kong who are politically apathetic)
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Listed as Grade I Heritage in Hong Kong, Blue House distinctive color was accidental as the storage of Hong Kong only have the blue paint from Water Department
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Tung Tak Pawn was always considered as a keystone to Hong Kong people’s memories. Developers wanted to demolish it, and conduct the demolition sneakily at night time to avoid being seen.
Hong Kong Tramways is the tram system and earliest form of public transport in Hong Kong. There are proposals now that suggest to abandon such old yet iconic transport to give ways for development of highways.
5. 6. Queen’s Pier named after Queen Victoria witnesses the ceremonial arrival of all Hong Kong governors since 1925. In 2007 it was closed by the government to enable land reclaimation.
Star Ferry was moved from it’s old pier next to City Hall to the new pier outside International Finance Centre. The passenger number has drastically fall, also the shutdown of Edinburgh Pier lead to the outrage of Hong Kong citizen.
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Ai Weiwei’s 12 Zodiacs is a critique on the Chinese culture where people associated their birth years according to the 12 animals in the zodiacs. Also, ‘Hong Kong Pigs’ is a popular slang to describe people who are politically apathetic and unaware.
Souvenir Watch from Shanghai where Chinese migrants in old days brought them along to Hong Kong.
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1. Blue House in Wanchai, 2. Tung Tak Pawn, Wanchai 3. Old Version of Trams in Hong Kong 4. Queen Pier, Central 5. Star Ferry which connects between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon 6. Signage in the Queens Pier 7. Pig Head, Ai Weiwei’s 12 Zodiac Head 8. Souvenir Watch, Shanghai Brand
貴重物的墓地
Cenotaph for Our Memories Everyday in Hong Kong something will be erased, we might not notice because we are engulfed by the city. The reconstruction of a stepped landscape where people could place their own properties within and keep them from the change of time. Such everyday product like letterbox or gates would also worn out one day due to technological advancement, is there anything that is eternal?
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Entrance Gate of old housing buildings serve as the separation and also letter assortment space for dwellers.
King Georg IV has this iconic ramp that many movie take scenes from as it is the ‘Rare’ oasis of such generous public design.
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Bamboo is widely used by Hong Kong construction worker in the making of scaffolding before building process starts.
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The clock tower was proposed to be demolised in future despite it’s contribution and relation to Hong Kong people as a symbol of handover.
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Letter molding is a traditional culture of Hong Kong that is endangered. These technology start to lose it’s position due to development.
The Pokfulam Cemetery is one of the most surrealist presence in Hong Kong, as it is constructed along the topography of the hill, forming levels of platforms for graves.
Red market lamps are seen everywhere in Hong Kong’s street market, they are imported from China but now became a symbol of street culture in Hong Kong.
The Pokfulam Cemetery is one of the most surrealist presence in Hong Kong, as it is constructed along the topography of the hill, forming levels of platforms for graves.
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In the 90s, there are always market along the seaside where people go and buy food or even toys and other goods. These markets often have a facade frontier made of bamboo and vibrant crafted banners.
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1. Entrance Gate of Common Hong Kong Old Housing, 2. Entrance Ramp at King’s George IV Park, 3. Pok Fu Lam Cemetery, 4. Bamboo Scffolding in Hong Kong, 5. Tsim Sha Tsui’s Clock Tower’s Clock, 6. Old Hong Kong’s Letterbox that now has Vanished, 7. Chinese Letter Molding, 8. Hong Kong Market Plastic Lamp, 9. West Kowloon District Bamboo Pavilion
飲一啖維多利亞港 A Sip of Victoria Harbour
A new trending Hong Kong slang ‘Eating Peanuts’ refers to the attitude of people giving no attention while mocking at incidents that happened within Hong Kong. There are a large amount of people being inert to the social and political sides of Hong Kong, that is continually being eroded by Chinese government’s intervention. If this is what the majority wants, should we accept it and let the superpower to take over us?
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The house full banner is from New Light Cinema which was once the most popular place in Hong Kong, how does these change impact people in the city?
Hong Kong Junk Boat was once the trading vessels for the Victoria Harbour, now only one remained for tourism
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Crop from a Shanghai poster in Hong Kong, it delineates the high life of people With these often feminized image of Chinese woman
Eating peanuts is a new slang in Hong Kong for the ignorant attitude of some Hong Kong people
Again, another set of Chinese girls drinking alcohol with some gentlemen. So Hong Kong can just mock at their own problem?
China School drawing depicting the changes of Hong Kong’s coastline, revealing the changes from a ordinary fishing village to the current city famous for high density
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7. We often neglected the occupation of Japan in Hong Kong other than Britain and China. Here is a Japanese boat in war time.
In old days, all companies would hire graphic designers to tailor made their own brand design and packaging. This is the frame of a cigarette package.
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1. Hong Kong Junk Boat, 2. ‘House Full’ Banner in Full Light Cinema, 3. Hong Kong Milestone Brand Peanuts, 4. Woman in a Shanghai Advertisement Poster 5. Chinese Girls depicted in a Poster drinking Alcohol, 6. China School’s Hong Kong Drawing, 7. Japanese Ships in Wartime, 8. Cigarettes Package in 80s
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