China Context by Dean Williams

/ urban China

35° 0’ 0” N, 103° 0’ 0” E

/ Hong Kong Population 7,055,071

/ Shenzhen Population 8,615,000

/ Guangzhou Population 12,000,000 / Tianhe Village Population approx. 40,000

22° 16’ 42” N, 114° 9’ 32” E

72,/(7

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Density: 16,576/ sq mile

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Fragrant Harbour Hong Kong, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, and a true economic powerhouse, was once just a small fishing village on the edge of the South China Sea. Various dynasties laid claim to the region throughout the early centuries, turning Hong Kong into a successful trading center and military outpost. Everything changed in the mid-19th century when the British arrived, turning this quiet, out-of-the-way village into a modern, vibrant and sparkling jewel of a city that still flourishes today. Unfortunately, at the onset of World War II, the Japanese invaded Hong Kong, forcing the British to completely surrender. Food shortages were widespread, and nearly a million citizens had perished by the time the United Kingdom regained control in 1945. Hong Kong thrived following World War II, as industrialization rapidly increased, labour costs remained low, and the population grew. No aspect of Hong Kong's economy was forgotten during the British colonial era, and many of the new changes brought forth shaped the future for Hong Kong. In July of 1997, the British (via a long-standing agreement) officially returned control of Hong Kong to China, and it became a Special Administrative Region (or SAR) of China. In the exchange, China agreed that until 2047, Hong Kong (as is), will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters, except foreign and defense.

Central Plaza Completed in 1992, Central Plaza was the tallest building in Asia until 1996 and remains the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world. Soaring 78 floors over Wan Chai, the bright neon rods on the top of the tower change colour every 15 minutes after dusk, and its triangular floor plan allows the vast majority of the offices to have harbour views.

Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Built on reclaimed land on the Wan Chai waterfront, this is one of Hong Kong's major exhibition venues. The building underwent a significant extension in 1990s to include one of the world's largest curved roof structures and was chosen for the handover ceremony in 1997, when Hong Kong's sovreignty was handed over from the UK.

Hopewell Centre The Hopewell Centre was the first circular skyscraper in Hong Kong upon completion in 1980. On the 62nd floor, restaurant Revolving 66 completes an hourly 360-degree rotation.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Forces HQ Built as the British Army's HQ in 1979 the CPLA building was sited on a narrow stem to dissuade attackers from scaling its water-facing front.

Bank of China Tower

Exchange Square

Two International Finance Centre

The first building outside the USA to break the 1,000ft mark upon completion in 1990, the Bank of China Tower was designed to resemble growing bamboo shoots. Critics attacked its negative feng shui, noting its resemblance to a meat cleaver aimed at the nearby HSBC building.

Home to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Credit Suisse and various diplomatic consulates, the Exchange Building's facade features alternating Italian granite and silver reflective glass.

The second tallest building in the city behind the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon. In 2003 it put up the world's largest advert on it's facade – for the FT, Cathay Pacific & HSBC – which was 230m long.

Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

HSBC Main Building

City Hall

The Center

One of the leading arts institutes in Asia, HKAPA's alumni include hundreds of Hong Kong TV and film stars, and the complex regularly hosts free dance and theatre performances.

The bank's fourth consecutive HQ on Queen's Road, designed by Norman Foster.

This 1962 Bauhaus design sparked a significant change from Hong Kong's predominantly Victorian architecture..

Completed in 1998, The Center is best known for its impressive computer-controlled lighting system that displays over a million combinations of colours and patterns at the top of the building.

The view from our hotel window directly reflects the high density of development in Hong Kong.

Buildings of all heights and styles sit directly adjacent to one another, forming an urban patchwork city.

With jaywalking a finable offense, the road network, despite its chotic drivers provides a sense of order within the city.

There is still room for nature to flourish within the city, albeit in carefully defined and restricted spaces.

The public ferry between Kowloon and Macau offers a unique perspective of the dense urban development that is Hong Kong.

The waterway and harbour between Hong Kong mainlaind and Kowloon serve fishing, leisure and tourism purposes.

Wealthy land owners can afford to leave land underdeveloped, whereas those who are poorer are left fighting for space.

Stuck in the middle: a residential building has become surrounded by the busy highway and now sits shoulder to shoulder with office developments.

Construction workers slowly but surely disemble the precarious bamboo scaffolding attached the facade of this new 150m residential tower.

There is a different approach to construction site health and safety in China.

East meets west: familiar high street names mix with the unfamiliar and chaotic looking Chinese streetscape. These type of streets are non uncommon.

Competition for the attention of potential customers is rife and uninhibited, all space between buildings is expolited. Ironically, the extreme level of advertising has an adverse effect on passers by, leading them to have to ignore their cries for attention.

One example of the many vendors, pop up markets and game players that are dotted around the Hong Kong streetscape.

View from the bottom of the 412m tallTwo International Finance Centre.

The tram takes you from one side of Hong Kong to the other for about 20p, the route showcases the wide variety of living and working conditions within the city.

The environment and atmosphere changes dramatically upon entering the financial district. Here a skyscraper is reflected in the steel and glass facade of the Bank of China Tower.

The Bank of China Tower provides a reference point on the Hong Kong skyline, with its flashing vertical I beams and crossbracing.

Voews from the top of Victoria Peak overlook both Hong kong Island and mainland China.

/ Hong Kong Population 7,055,071

/ Shenzhen Population 8,615,000

/ Guangzhou Population 12,000,000 / Tianhe Village Population approx. 40,000

22° 33’ 0” N, 114° 6’ 0” E

72,/(7

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Density: 13,000/ sq mile

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Deep Drains Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China’s Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China’s first and one of the most successful Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Shenzhen’s modern cityscape is the result of the vibrant economy made possible by rapid foreign investment since the institution of the policy of “reform and opening” and the establishment of the SEZ in the late 1979, before which it was only a small village. Both Chinese and foreign nationals have invested enormous amounts of money in the Shenzhen SEZ. More than US$30 billion in foreign investment has gone into both foreign-owned and joint ventures, at first mainly in manufacturing but more recently in the service industries as well. Shenzhen is now considered one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Being southern mainland China’s major financial centre, Shenzhen is home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange as well as the headquarters of numerous high-tech companies. Shenzhen is also one of the busiest container ports in China.

A typical Shenzhen shopping arcade recieving itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s morning deliveries - all delivered onn trolleys from the main road.

The density and sheer number of people living in Shenzhen is mind boggling, especially when you consider each window likely represents a large family and the lives they lead.

The facades of residential buildings are animated with various ancillary objects aswell as providing advertising space for family businesses and precious private outdor space in the shape of narrow balconies.

Access to the residential section of these buildings is gained by the narrowest of staircases, which appears to have been added retrospectively.

Community organised traditional Chinese dancing class in the streets of Dafen.

The favoured method of low cost goods transport - able to carry a shocking amount of goods when expertly secured.

By simply raising street drainage points by 500mm, street seating is created, cheaply and innovatively animating the streetscape.

Pool tables lay covered in the middle of the street, available for anyone to use.

The streets of Dafen start to become filled with painting studios as you walk into the arts district.

The view through the Dafen arts district towards the arts museum shows the high number of painting shops and studios that line the streets.

/ Dafen art village, Longgang District, Shenzhen

/ civic building precedent Dafen Art Museum - URBANUS Architects Dafen village is best known for its replica oil painting workshops and manufacturers, it exports to Asia, Europe and America bring in billions of RMB each year to the area. The Dafen Art Museum focuses on reinterpreting the urban and cultural relationships between the inhabitants of Dafen Village, and the surrounding area. A typical art museum would be considered out of place in the context of Dafenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peculiar urban culture. The museum attempts to provide a breeding ground for contemporary art whilst at the same time blend with the surrounding urban fabric with its spatial connections, art activities, and and presence within everyday village life. The architectural strategy attempts to create a hybridized mix of different programs, combining art museum, oil painting galleries, shops, commercial spaces, rental workshops, and studios under one roof. Several pathways through the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public spaces create opportunities for accidental interaction. The museum is sandwiched by commercial and public programs are intentionally used to for visual and spatial interactions between different functions. Exhibition, trade, painting, and residence can happen simultaneously, interweaving to create whole new urban mechanism.

The replica art produced in Dafen is exported across the world at relatively low prices. The art village is a gated community home to thousands of artists.

A family work together to produce pieces of art.

The view looking out from the Dafen Art Museum entrance towards the art village.

The museum is nestled into the landscape and uses differences in levels to achieve cross programming.

The civic square to the front of the building has been used to host mass painting sessions and community activities.

Although a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;civicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; building, the entrance is guarded by a private security officer.

It looks as though the security officer doubts the relevance of his own role - occupying himself on his phone for the entirety of the time we were there.

The entrance lobby is a high ceilinged well detailed space capable of holding prestigious arts and community events however it appears worn down and in need of refurbishment in parts.

Light is brought into the gallery with a series of carefully positioned square tunnels. These tunnels deliver a high concentration of carefully controlled light.

The square tunnels serve a dual purpose - on the first floor they double up as art studios.

An example of the precision with which light is controlled within the museum.

The roof of the building is home to artists studios, which also serve as light tunnels for the museum below.

The exterior of the artist studios have been decorated by local artists.

A view into an artists studio on the roof of the art museum.

A key aspect of the museums design was its connectivity with the local community - the building was intended to provide new connections to link existing neighbourhoods.

Despite the good intentions of Urbanus architects, the connection points have all been closed off.

Here, a family sit on the steps intended to link two communities despite a police barrier attempting to prevent them from doing so.

/ OCT Loft Creative Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen

/ gentrified Shenzhen: a fresh approach to Chinese urban regeneration Overseas Chinese City Creative Culture Park - URBANUS Architects For most of the past decade, the architecture firm Urbanus has been slowly transforming one of Shenzhenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first factory complexes into a lively, mixed-use district catering to the needs of start-up companies and creative professionals. The multiphase planning, design, and preservation effort in the Eastern Industrial Area of the Nanshan district echoes the changes overtaking Shenzhen as a whole, as the city moves from an industrial era to a period of creative entrepreneurship, from muscle to brains. But instead of tearing down the old factories and warehouses, Urbanus proposed recycling them as incubators for new companies and enterprises. This approach not only is more environmentally sustainable than throwing away the existing buildings and starting with a clean slate, but it has proved to be good for the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business, reports the Urbanus partners Liu Xiaodu, Meng Yan, and Wang Hui. Throughout both phases of the project, Urbanus has made sure that the streets, passageways, and public spaces in OCT LOFT connect not only the people working within the development but also the communities surrounding it. Because these communities include a broad range of socio-economic groups, OCT LOFT provides an attractive alternative to the privatized enclaves that many other developers are building around China today.

Having converted ex industrial buildings into successful office space, the architects Urbanus have claimed some central office for themselves.

Looking at the entrance into the office for Urbanus architects.

The area is home to relatively high end shops and restuarants.

An example of one of the many public spaces designed into the masterplan for the area.

Where there is gentrification there is Starbucks.

An example of one of the converted industrial workspaces that has been turned into a resturant with minimal intervention.

Graffiti is allowed.

The streets are lined with sculpture and pieces of art, some of which are for sale from nearby shops.

/ Hubei Urban Village, Luohu District, Shenzhen

/ the urban village condition Hubei Urban Village - Shenzhen Hubei Village, just east of Dongmen, is a remarkable slice of Shenzhenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, living in the present. Occupying an entire city block, its history stretches back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It survives as possibly the last example of local architecture in the downtown area from before Shenzhenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beginnings as a special economic zone in 1978. How this village has escaped the wrecking balls and redevelopment that has spanned most of the city, one can only guess. Walking the village lanes is like being teleported to a country village, far from Shenzhen. Incense burners and images of Buddhist deities decorate the walls, inside and outside the homes. Laundry hangs out to dry in the narrow alleys. Laughing children run about casually and carefree, playing games. Old stone carvings eroded by the weather line the building exteriors. Just across the street from this village of quaint alleyways and traditional homes, a golden skyscraper in the image of a rocket ship towers above - with a BMW showroom on ground level. Framed by the narrow lanes, several idle, unfinished skyscraper skeletons near Dongmen loom in the distance. Other new construction projects, decorated with cranes in action, skirt the neighborhood. The contrast between the new and old is striking.

The village is made up of deep narrow alley ways which seem flled with objects and are teeming with life.

Two school children negate the alleyways home after school.

Extract fans, drying clothes and modes of transport line the alley ways, life is for all to see on the streets.

Glimpses of the surrounding skyscrapers remind you of the surrounding context and location within the city.

The village appears unorganised due to its informal nature, but an electricity bill posted in the doorway of a family home suggests otherwise.

A glimpse through a window shows a group of people playing mahjong.

The alley ways begin to resemble a market place as you move towards the center of the village.

School children stop by a sweet shop on their way home through the village.

The sense of cimmunity is high in the village, all doors are left open, whiich directly lead into living and dining rooms.

Family life is played out in the alleyways, with little distinction between the street and the living room.

The centre of the village is a bustling market which completely overwhelms the senses.

Small lamps are used to light the market, even though it is the middle of the day.

All number of fresh foods are available with stall owners all trying to gain your attention.

The network of alleyways opens up towards the periphery, of the village, allowing you to regain your senses and sense of direction.

/ Shenzhen Civic Centre, Futian District, Shenzhen

/ civic building precedent: covered programme Shenzhen Civic Centre - Li Mingyi Architects Shenzhen’s Civic Centre is unmistakable with its 91 thousand square meter footprint and 210 thousand square meters of floorspace all of which is covered by a large undulating roof held above all programme with a complex network of steel trusses and the support of two primary coloured volumes towards its center. The true nature of the building is revealed on the side which backs onto the main road, where the change in levels across the site beome apparent. The centres soaring roofline is meant to be evocative of the Republic of China’s mythical wingspan, however it is known to the local Chinese simply as ‘the big hat.’

The Guangzhu Civic Centre is unique compared with its surroundings, in form, colour and use.

The roof is pierced with two large volumes which serve as circulation elements with views into the lower floors.

The undulating roof is supported by a large number of cross braced thin columns on plynths.

The building is fronted by a large â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; square which is monitored by security guards.

Views through the civic centre frame the nearby Lianhua mountain.

The middle of the centre provides a tranquil breathing space in the middle of the busy city of Guangzhou - removed from the traffic and mass crowds.

The northern facade of the building shows the complexity of the project which is hidden from the south.

/ Hong Kong Population 7,055,071

/ Shenzhen Population 8,615,000

/ Guangzhou Population 12,000,000 / Tianhe Village Population approx. 40,000

23° 8’ 0” N, 113° 16’ 0” E

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Density: 4,425/ sq mile

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Wide State The city of Guangzhou, known as Canton during colonial times, is situated at the inner harbour of the Pearl River Delta, a low-lying piece of land at the junction of the His, Pei, Tung and Pearl rivers flowing into the South China Sea. Along with Hong Kong and Macau to the south, it is one of the three main cities in this agriculturally significant region woven by streams and canals. It was founded in the 3rd century BC during the first of the great Chinese Dynasties, the Qin Dynasty. It is now the capital of the Guangdong Province and serves as the southern gateway of China.

The motorway cuts through the city but does not divide its inhabitants as there are regular bridges which stitch the halves together. A central embankment provides links with public transport.

The streets of Guangzhou are extremily busy, despite is lower density.

Some parts of Guangzhou feel much more sparse than other Chinese cities such as Shenzhen.

Dense shopping districts glisten in electricity.

To migrant workers, a tricycle provides a means of transport, income and can even be somewhere to sleep.

/ Shamian Island, Liwan District, Guangzhou

/ historical Guangzhou Shamian Island, a European enclave Shamian Island was an important port for Guangzhouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foreign trade from the Song to the Qing Dynasty. From the 18th to the mid 19th century, the foreigners lived and did business in a row of houses known as the Thirteen Factories, near the present Shamian, which was then an anchorage for thousands of boat people. Shamian became a strategic point for city defense during the period of the First and Second Opium Wars. In 1859, the territory was divided in two concessions given to France and the United Kingdom. The Island is connected to the mainland by two bridges, which used to be closed at 10pm for security purposes. The English bridge to the north was guarded by Sikhs, and the French bridge to the east was guarded by Vietnamese French troops. Trading companies from Britain, the United States, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Japan built stone mansions along the waterfront. The construction on the island is characterized by climate-adapted but Western-plan detached houses with hipped roofs and large verandahs.

Public space under the highway is used for informal gatherings of Chinese men who wish to play board games and socialise.

Elderly men adapt a public bench to play mahjong.

Shamian Island is full of european looking buildings which have been adapted to better suit the Chinese climate.

Great attention has been paid to the streetscape with a wide central boulevard with high levels of greenery and places to sit.

The abundance of European architecture means Shamian Island is a popular destination with newly wedded couples looking to create a European styled wedding album.

A view of the central boulevard, dotted with statues and places to sit.

Where there is gentrifiction there is Starbucks.

Different european styles from different eras stand shoulder to shoulder .

Bounded by the river, Shamian Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique identity is accentuated.

/ Guangzhou Opera House, Tian He District, Guangzhou

/ cultural building precedent Guangzhou Opera House - Zaha Hadid Architects In 2002 an international architectural competition was held for the design of a new performing centre in Guangzhou. The competition attracted high profile architects including Coop Himmelb(l)au, Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid - each of whom produced detailed designs. Zaha Hadid’s ‘double pebble’ proposal was announced the winner. The theatre has become the most successful performance centre in southern China and is one of the three biggest theatres in the nation alongside Beijing’s National Grand Theatre and Shanghai’s Shanghai Grand Theatre. The project cost 1.38 billion yuan (approximately £146 million). The opera house’s freestanding concrete auditorium set within an audacious exposed granite and glass-clad steel frame took over five years to build, and is said to have been inspired by water eroded pebbles found at the bottom of the nearby Pearl Delta River.

The washed pebble like structures appear sunken into the landscape, which carefully wrap around the two opera house buildings.

Surrounding the main opera house building with a shallow pool of water provides two buildings for the price of one, aswell as animating the facade.

Inside, the external walls reveal their triangulated structure which envelope a smooth central structure in which the main theatre space and rehersal rooms are located.

Close inspection of the triangulated structure reveals the clever layering of services such as water and heating within the facade.

Exploitation of the slender handrail supports.

Recessed hand rail s add detail to the walls rather than being added afterwards.

Each seat within the auditorium is fitted with a small air conditioning unit to limit noise levels during performances.

Lighting rails are discretely fixed to the layered roof structure.

The main auditorium space.

The auditorium space is surrounded with an undulating roof form, pierced with spotlights which mimic stars.

/ Hong Kong Population 7,055,071

/ Shenzhen Population 8,615,000

/ Guangzhou Population 12,000,000

/ Tianhe Village Population approx. 40,000

/ Tian He Urban Village, Tian He District, Guangzhou

/ the urban village condition Tian He Urban Village - Guangzhou Tianhe village is part of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;villages in citiesâ&#x20AC;? phenomenon, which is a where a rural village has been encapsulated by surrounding rapid urban development. Tianhe village was once a farming village but has developed over the years to a village composed of residential blocks ranging in height from 5 to 8 storeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s - home to the migrant workers of Guangzhou. The residential blocks are located very close to one another creating a narrow and dark environment within the village broken up periodically by public squares. The spaces in between the buildings are appropriated and serve as important facilitatators of social interaction.

Walking into the village the buildings step closer overhead shutting out almost all daylight.

An entrance to one of the main arterial routes through the village - daylight is quickly shut out.

An unedited view inside the village.

The ground floor serves retail and service requirements as well as providing entrances into the residential areas above. Shop keepers spend most of the day in their shops and as a consequence, the ground floor serves as part living room, part shopping street.

Daytime in the center of the village.

The alleyways constrict and expand both in width and height at various points within the village, the organic and informal method of the growth of the village means this pattern of undulation is unpredictable.

Difficult to imagine how these pipes, or the air conditioning unit were installed or how they would be serviced if there was a problem.

Buildings are butted right up against one another. Despite this, windows exist in the narrowest of spaces. Some gaps are just wide enough to serve as pathways.

The boundary wall serves more than one purpose as you follow it around the village.

Washing is found drying all over the village, hanging from the most obscure of locations. Public drying of clothes aides in fostering a sense of community.

Electricity and telephone wires hang precariously above the walkways, unoficially connected to mainstream connections.

The bookshop, I imagine serves the community in a similiar manner to a library.

The village buildings have varying relationships with the boundary wall, providing rare open space.

There are a number of locations within the village where the buildings are not so tightly compacted, these locations are important as they are the inhabitants only access to daylight within the village.

An example of a niche void within the village.

A rare open space within the village is home to a tree which climbs s high as the residential buildings which surround it.

Three buildings were demolished at this location and it has subsequently been used to store larger objects for the community such as carts and bicycles.

Despite the dense condition within the village, it is very well looked after - the inhabitants have a strong sense of pride for their homes and appearance.

Fresh produce on sale adjacent to the market situated on the boundary to the village.

Migrant workers catch some sleep in a cafe forecourt.

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Taking a photo every 10 seconds outside the village temple provides an insight into the foot traffic along this major route along the border of the village.

The boundary wall is unfolded into a strip, revealing the varying space between the village buildings and the boundary wall.

There are five different boundary conditions around the site - the relationship the buildings have with the boundary wall dictates spatial use.

Understanding and observing the objects which the inhabitants store in the spaces surrounding their homes is of vital important ance in understanding the village itself.

Examples of the different relationships the buildings have with the boundary wall and the space inbetween.

This market straddles the southern border of the village and provides services for both migrant workers and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;citizens properâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Just outside the market, more fresh produce is on sale. This space is also used as a place to socialise.

Adjacent to the market. this open space/entrance to the village is transformed into an outside dining area at night time.

These buildings on the west boundary have a rare unobstructed view out of the village. They are also accurate examples of the four different types of building within the village.

To the west of the village, just outside the boundary sits this brick hut - probably the way in which all the buildings within the village started.