Thesis Report
Preserve through demolition
Reveal the history of Post-war mass housing through controlled disassembly
Fu Yat Him, Horta UID: 3035422374 Advisor: Kurt Evans 14 June,2019
Preserve through demolition
Reveal the history of Post-war mass housing through controlled disassembly by Fu Yat Him, Horta (UID:3035422374, M.Arch 2) u3542237@hku.hk Supervised by: Kurt Erik Evans A thesis submitted to the Department of Architecture, HKU in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture Faculty of Architecture The University of Hong Kong June 2019 -3-
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Table of contents
Chapter 1: Abstract........................................................................6 Chapter 2: Thesis Urgencies.........................................................10 Chapter 3: Site selection and research..........................................14 Chapter 4: Case study and evaluation...........................................30 Chapter 5: Demolition and its impact...........................................46 Chapter 6: Design and execution..................................................58 Chapter 7: Speculating 2021.........................................................72 Chapter 8: Conclusion: Research significance..............................92 Chapter 9: Reflection.....................................................................94
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1 Abstract
The thesis questions the role of architectural preservation when it encounters with post war mass-housing, which is at the risk of extinction.
By contextualizing the research in the last remaining 1960s generation resettlement housing in Hong Kong, Shek Lei, it is found that these sites have housed specific livelihoods in the past yet unable to be traced from the nearly abandoned concrete structure. Extending the building life through any mean of program injection or spatial intervention on the generic structure would not help to preserve the essential chapter of urban history. -6-
It results in the design of controlled disassembly as sequenced farewell events, and reveals separated architectural elements of the mass housing into sight before the building is fully erased. Instead of restoring depicted narration of site history, the design serves as a platform to evoke old inhabitants to imagine their past livelihood by the subtracted and incomplete space, and thereby allowing them to react and exchange their memory to those who are interested in these urban histories.
As a result, the process
itself will achieve an autobiographical preservation- transferring site knowledge with the absence of form. The building is erased for remembering.
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Statement Diagram Specific Urban livelihood in post-war mass housing which has housed million of resident vs. Generic mass produced Concrete Frame Structure being extinct -8-
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2 Thesis Urgencies The thesis question is highly relevant to the recent conservation discourse as mass housing built around the world in the post-WWII period are decayed and disappeared in extensive scale. Unlike to building erected before the war, post-war mass housing adds certain conservation controversy base on their age, aesthetic reading and the social perception.
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Mass housing as a short-life urban fabric Mass housing is conceived as state intervention to resolve the post-war housing shortage in both Western and Eastern Bloc context. Majority of them were standardized in design to shelter large amount of homeless and migrants to the cities at the quickest way, and accommodated the economic recovery and growth in the cities. They were designed in utilitarian thinking which minimum amenity were installed to reduce construction cost1. In some states like Soviet Union, the mass housings built in 1950s60s were even planned to be temporary and expected to be replaced by better housing after 20-30 years2. With the rise of neo-liberalism and the dissolution of Soviet Union, most of the states have withdrawn their ambition to manage the mass-housing erected between 1950s1970s. They resulted in quick deterioration in building services, facilities and security of the properties, and many of cities have started to clear the mass-housing built in the era3.
Controversies of listing post-war mass housing as heritage While mass housing is a disappearing urban fabric, they were considered as
Florian Urban,“Mass Housing in East and West Germany – Controversial Success and Ambivalent Heritage ” Docomomo E-proceedings 4, Sep 2011,35-39 2 Kuba Snopek, Belyayevo Forever: A Soviet Microrayon on its Way to UNESCO List, Moscow, Berlin: DOM Publisher (2015) ,32 3 Urban, “Mass Housing”, 35-39 -111
“Controversial Success and Ambivalent Heritage 4 ”. On the one hand, they are appreciated as a welfare policy during the post-war economic growth. On the other hand, they are criticized as monotony, out of context, and even conceived as modern slum. For instance, the implosion of Pruitt–Igoe housing is even used to represent the failure of modernism 5 . Therefore, they are sometime considered as unwelcomed heritage6. While in the context of Hong Kong, the building of mass housing is still practiced by the government extensively. Yet the early generation housings built in 1950s-1970s have been redeveloped due to batch structural defects found and increased expectation of housing environment. Only a few of the early generation mass-housing is remained in Hong Kong, but they are difficult to listed as heritage based on the existing evaluation framework 7 .
The role of architectural preservation to the post-war mass housing
remained as a question which is discussed in the next chapters.
Ibid. Stephen Cairns and Jane M. Jacob, Building Must Die, A Perverse View of Architecture, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London: The MIT Press,(2014),205 6 For example, the display of partial section of Robin-hood Garden in 2018 Venice Biennial was criticized as “Art Washing” See: Tom Ravenscroft, "V&A Director Defends Robin Hood Gardens Display at Venice Biennale against Claims of "art-washing"," Dezeen, May 31, 2018, Accessed June 13, 2019, https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/31/va-tristram-hunt-defends-robin-hood-gardens-venice-architecturebiennale/. 7 Under the current heritage listing framework in Hong Kong, the grading assessment by Antiquities and Monuments Office focused building mainly built before 1950. See Jasmine Ling, Valerie Wan and Marilyn Ma, “Is Hong Kong overlooking the irreplaceable value of its post-war architecture?”, Hong Kong Free Press, 29 December 2018 -124 5
Agenda of demolition It is important to define the agenda for this thesis in order to evaluate different design method in responding to the thesis question. According to Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of preservation is neutral: The act of keeping something the same or of preventing it from being damaged The term does not refer to a specific way and purpose to keep something, whether the aim is to inform about the historic knowledge, or to be promoted as commercial glimpse. The agenda of preservation set in this thesis is rather aimed at informing the historic knowledge. Firstly, it is aimed at facilitating a better understanding and research of site history. Secondly, the act of preserve should trigger a transfer and archive of such understanding about the site. Finally, it will lead to the ultimate purpose of reflecting the history associated with the building or site in order to project to the future. Such agenda will be considered as the evaluation framework in both case study and design in the following chapters.
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3 Site selection and research To conduct research and apply design test, the thesis has to select a site which can fulfill the condition concerned by the thesis question, where it shall be an exemplary site with a disappearing mass-produced housing type. As a result, a site in Shek Lei, Hong Kong is selected to study.
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Last remaining 1960s resettlement housing in Hong Kong The site consists of last two remaining 1960s generation resettlement housing blocks which is scheduled to be removed by 2022. They were constructed in 1966 and adopted the “Mark IV” standard design model- a model which has been widely constructed across the Hong Kong territory. Together with similar variants “Mark V” and “Mark VI”, the generation of housing model featured with 16-storey high slab block which has firstly popularize the use of elevator and private lavatory. They were considered to be the second-generation public housing in Hong Kong with self-contained unit design and were employed to compose the resettlement districts built between 1964-1974 by Resettlement Department in both Hong Kong Island (e.g. Chai Wan), Kowloon (e.g. Tsz Wan Shan) and New Territories (e.g. Yuen Long). Out of the 143 blocks constructed, all of these housing model has been demolished before 2012 except the remaining two blocks which is studied in this thesis.
Cultural Significance of the site Having extensively erected around Hong Kong, the 1960s generation resettlement housing estates has housed over a million of inhabitants between 1960s-2000s. The design of this type of site, in addition to the wider social context, has housed a specific way of livelihood which is represented by various media such as TV drama and movie -15-
frequently. For example, the long corridor of the slab block has inhabited life beyond circulation uses as the post occupation management by the Resettlement Department was loose. It was adapted to be a place for social interaction when the choice of entertainment form and space was limited at the time. It was also a place to hide the crime which led to the promotion of Self-policing by the residents. Especially through the TV Drama series "Below the Lion Rock" broadcasted through the 1970s, the life inside these resettlement housing sites have incubated the "Lion Rock Spirit", which refer to the way Hong Kong growing to prosperity from the adverse environment. Although it is debatable whether the spirit should be praised, and such narrative is inadequate to represent the full history of the site8, the life inside the type of site is undoubtable an essential part of Hong Kong urban history.
Disappearing Cultural trace However, with the changes of resettlement housing policy in 1996, the site selected to study has been converted to intermediate housing for emergencies sheltering of Hong Kong residents who are suffered from disaster like fire. The original inhabitants in the
8 For example, the discovery of sub-standard construction quality on most of this generation housings due to corruption has become a major issue in the mid-1980s. Yet, it is less mentioned in the site narrative officially to avoid criticism. See: W.F. Wong, 公屋醜聞 : 一名記者的追查實錄. [Public Housing scandal: a reporter investigation] Hong Kong: Step Forward Multi Media, 1999. -16-
resettlement era (1966-1996) has been rehoused in new public housing, and the Housing Authority has imposed a set of strict control in manage the site which resulted in the disappearance of traces of resettlement livelihood. It included reverting all post occupation alternation of building element (e.g. window and door), closing the ground shops, repainting the façade and banning residents from occupying the corridor with furniture. In addition, the demand of intermediate housing has dropped over the years, which kept the occupation rate to the two blocks continuously low. In sum, these factors have transformed the site to a nearly abandoned and generic condition. Plus, even the Mark VI/ V/ VI type blocks were an evolutional change in mass housing design in the 1960s, many of the architectural feature is extended to successor like “old slabâ€? model in the 1970s public housing estate development. The cause of difference between resettlement estate and 1970s public housing estate lied between the stricter management policy and the better provision of community amenity in the latter estates9. Therefore, preserving the last resettlement blocks is less convincing simply by their architectural quality. Difficulties to life extension Meanwhile, the site has less potential to extend its life due to economic and structure factors. Economically, the site has potential to increase its density from the current 5.0 Y.M. Yeung, J.Y. Wang, and Hong Kong Housing Authority, Fifty Years of Public Housing in Hong Kong: A Golden Jubilee Review and Appraisal, Hong Kong: Chinese University Press for the Hong Kong Housing Authority, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, (2003).19 -179
Floor Area Ratio to the statutory 6.0 Floor Area Ratio, which is considerably beneficial to redevelop to increase public housing provision. Structurally, the housing blocks in the site has suffered from serious concrete aging as they were built in the age of corruption and water shortage, which cannot be maintained beyond 2022. As per the estimation by Housing Authority, restoring the structure to safe condition costing 80% to the cost of rebuild a new one, and it can only last until 2037 even restoration is carried10. Moreover, the study has found that the building service system is unable to support high residential occupation in the current electricity consumption patterns by the inhabitants. As a result, the extension of life to the site must be grounded with sufficient reason and benefits. The concrete structure itself is inadequate to reflect the site history due to its unidentical building technology and material expression, which made the argument of preserving the physical site from a cultural point of view to be weak.
Hong Kong 01. " 黃遠輝：石籬中轉屋維修成本高 改建公屋更符成本效益” [Stanley Wong: High maintenance cost of Shek Lei Intermediate Housing, higher cost efficiency to redevelop into public housing]." Hong Kong 01, March 29, 2018. Accessed June 12, 2019. -1810
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Last of the 1960s resettlement housing The selected site is the last remaining 1960s resettlement housing in Hong Kong, which contains 2 Mark IV slab blocks. The resettlement housing in similar setting has once been widely distributed around Hong Kong and housed a million of inhabitants. Yet all of them except the selected site has been cleared away. -20-
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A representable generic setting in the 1960s estate The site plan of the existing site is highly similar to other 1960s resettlement estate, which include enclosure by slab blocks, available of standard designed school and minimum amenity. -22-
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Life in second generation resettlement estates as represented by mass media Frequently represented by different media such as TV drama and movie, this kind of site has housed a specific livelihood by millions of residents over the late 20th century. Although the narrative in media does not represent the full story of the site, it is undoubted that the site has the cultural significance to Hong Kong urban history. -24-
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Site development timeline The timeline indicates the site development in parallel to Hong Kong public housing transformation. Noted that the site has been converted from resettlement housing to intermediate housing in 1996. The original resettlement residents have been relocated. -26-
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Repetition of 1960s The Mark IV , Mark V and Mark VI resettlement housing models are adopted in extend urban settlement at the fringe. Over one hundred of highly standardized blocks with same 16-storey height, facade language are built at the period.
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Common space under strict management The life typically featured in this kind of resettlement housing is the post occupation adaptation to common area such as corridor. In the resettlement years, Housing Authority take less care on the alternation such as the change of home doors, metal gate, or even placing home furniture like majong table along the corridor. This made the dull corridor activated as a community space in the past. However, with advance personal entertainment and the regained control of habitation by Housing Authority, the corridor returned to circulation utility again. -28-
4 Case study and evaluation Conservation of post-war mass housing as built heritage is becoming an active practice around the world, and attempts have been made to save the physical structure of the mass housing in various ways. The following part will select cases of different approach and evaluate their effectiveness in achieving the preservation agenda set in the thesis.
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Extension of habitation Action has been taken to many representable mass-housing sites to revert the decaying livelihood. Kuba Snopek who is interested in the history of Belyayevo, the first Khruschevka Micro-district in Moscow, has attempted to save the site through introducing artwork and renovating the landscape to the site11. He aimed at embracing residents’ sense of belonging to the site, which would extend their willingness to stay. As a result, a linear evolution of site history can be continued and transferred to the understanding of next generation. Yet, the method is only applicable to site where it is still in high occupation. To the site in abandoned condition (i.e. the site of study in this thesis), it is merely possible to invite the old inhabitants who have moved to better living environment to rehabilitate the site again. Adaptive reuse Common to conservation of building in other period, many representable post-war mass housings have been reactivated and preserve physically through injection of new program and users. For example, Mei Ho House, the first-generation resettlement housing in Hong Kong built in 1950s was acquired to converted to youth Hostel. The process of its adaptive reuse has included restoration from decay, partition and façade
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Snopek, Belyayevo Forever, 1-125
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change to fit in the new hostel function and addition of building services such as lift to cater new users. Overall, the building structure and mass proportion has been kept, but the renovation has removed the traces of decay. With a process of gentrification through introducing new users, the building itself cannot express its historic traces easily. The building structure may give little hints to the old users to link with their spatial impression, yet the reorganized program is totally irrelevant to old layout space. More importantly, to those who are unfamiliar with the site history, a renovated concrete structure is too new to identify itself from the contemporary development. It is merely possible to evoke their interests to understand the reused structure without the supplement of other form of media12. Aside from the effectiveness of evoking historic reflection, adaptive reuse of post-war mass housing is also highly expensive and inflexible. Most of these housings were built to fit the purpose of quick housing at the time it was constructed, floor ceiling and shear wall structure were planned with tight dimension to house a planned number of inhabitants in single compartment. When the utilitarian function is no longer demanded, the housings require comprehensive structure alternation and reconfiguration to fit for new purposes. The adaptive reuse of Mei Ho House into a hostel can only be financially
K.Y.Ng, “在美荷樓反思歷史進步主義──徙置大廈裏未被述說的故事” [Reflecting Historical Progressivism at Mei Ho House- The unnarrated story at Resettlement Housing Building]. Culture Study@Lingnan University. 46: May 2015. -3212
success by its convenient urban location.
Partial preservation and exhibition While considering keeping the full structure is expensive, partial preservation and exhibition is employed to Robin-hood Garden and various Hong Kong Housing Authority redevelopment project. For Robin-hood Garden, a portion of its structure was acquired from its demolition and displayed in the Venice Biennial in 2018. By exhibiting the section of the corridor and apartment unit, it attempted to generate public interests to understand the architectural concept “Street in the air� and the site history through the event. Yet, the preserved portion is too small to allow visitor to locate themselves within the context of original housing development. The exhibition highly relies on other media to support the curator’s narrative13. Meanwhile, in So Uk Estate, Hong Kong, part of the estate facilities including a landscape podium and housing podium was kept and integrate into the public housing redevelopment. As the old inhabitants are relocated to other district and new inhabitants merely know about the site history, partial preservation of the old concrete structure is difficult to contrast with the new development next to them. Jessica Mairs, "V&A Acquires Entire One-bedroom Flat from Robin Hood Gardens," Dezeen, November 9, 2017,, accessed June 13, 2019, https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/09/va-museumacquires-robin-hood-gardens-flat-alison-peter-smithson-news-london-uk-architecture/#disqus_thread. -33-
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An underlying cause limiting the effectiveness of partial preservation could be related to the building technology of post-war mass housing. The concrete frame technology is still commonly used in contemporary development, it is hard to identify whether the small portion of old concrete structure is a monument or a newly built guard house.
Remodel the old setting as a displayed object Alternatively, the Housing Authority has set up “Cultural Walkway” in some estate redevelopment project like Ngau Tau Kok Estate and Lam Tin Estate. By objectification of some of the photos of the old community, 1:1 scale of some old housing units and restaurants’ compartment are modelled and displayed with detail furniture layout along the covered walkway in new development. Therefore, it can present the historic narrative of the old community to the new inhabitants in a non-abstract way. However, it shall be understood the history of a site has been complex. For instance, furniture setting to every family could be greatly different. Users from different background can perceive the image of the site differently, which makes any restoration of the site can only represent a very small portion to the overall history of the site14. The selective restoration is sometime intended to romanticize the past, which close the
Mo Ai, “牛頭角下邨 — 一個失敗的保育”,[Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, a failure conservation project], Standnews, August 19,2015, accessed June 13, 2019, https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/牛頭角下邨-一個失敗的保育/ -34-
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visitors’ imagination of the site past through a critical way.
The four cases study above concluded that preservation of physical site of post-war mass housing is highly difficult. The extension of structure life is over abstracted to trigger the interests to study about the site history, while a top-down restoration of the spatial experience can just transfer a narrow understanding of site.
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Reviewing extension appoach through timeline The three timeline diagrams are representing 1. Extension of Habitation 2. Adaptive reuse 3. Partial preservation respectively. Both of them are considered not effective to achieve the preservation agenda set in the thesis. -36-
Monument
Construction
Occupation
Deterioration
Substitution
Gentrification
First Life
Save before Abandonment
Demolition
Abandonment
Connected through Building structure
New User
Adaptive reuse/
New Narrative
Construction
Occupation
Deterioration
Substitution
Gentrification
First Life
Monument
Demolition
Abandonment
Connected through Building structure
New User
Adaptive reuse/ New Building
Visual Consumption Cost ineffective/ Valueless of the generic
New Narrative
Demand for memory Consumption? An unawared monument
Construction
Occupation
Deterioration
Gentrification
First Life
Original occupants relocated to elsewhere
Substitution
Monument
Demolition
Abandonment
Connected through Building structure
New User
Adaptive reuse/
New Narrative
(Image Source: Kuba Snopek, Belyayevo Forever: A Soviet Microrayon on its Way to UNESCO List, Moscow, Berlin: DOM Publisher (2015))
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Project "Belyayevo Forever" The project is proposed and conducted by Kuba Snopek, he invited artist to paint with conceptual art which can represent the site identity in order to embrace residents' sense of belonging.
(Image Source: HKYHA, YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel, (2013))
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Mei Ho House The adaptive reuse project is conducted by ADRG. Facade renovation and layout modifaction was carried out to fit the new hostel function. -38-
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(Image Source: Jessica Mairs, "V&A Acquires Entire One-bedroom Flat from Robin Hood Gardens," Dezeen, November 9, 2017)
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Robin-hood Garden in Venice Biennial During the demolition of Robin-hood garden in 2017, part of the section was kept and transported to exhibition at 2018 Venice Biennial
(Image Source: Mo Ai, “牛頭角下 邨 — 一個失敗的保育”,[Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, a failure conservation project], Standnews, August 19,2015)
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Redevelopment of Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate In the covered walkway of Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate redevelopment, Housing Authority attempt to remodel an old restaurant and display to the residents. -40-
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(Image Source: Wong Kit Yan, “重 建蘇屋邨預計明年中落成 保留 「蘇屋三寶」”,[Redevelopment of So Uk to be completed by next year, Three selected piece of old So Uk is kept.], HK01 , December 18,2017)
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Redevelopment of So Uk Estate Part of the old facilities, including a pavilion, guard house and a portion of housing podium was preserved and integrated into the So Uk Estate redevelopment. -42-
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The many ways to draw the site The reading of the site can be diversed, which could be represented by different drawing methods. Some claim the site used to be utopian and modern when it is built in 1960s, with clean and functional lines of facade. While other may claim the site is cultural rich by expressing how people alternate the facade to adapt their ways of living. Alternatively, some may consider the site is out of time by seeing the marks of decay. Simply examine the ways to draw the facade can result in different drawings. And therefore, any restoration of certain picture is incapable to reflect the full narrative of the site. -44-
5 Demolition and its impact If conserving the building is ungrounded with current parameter, the scheduled demolition of the site is imperative in 2022. Yet, it does not mean architecture has nothing to do with, and people have to search for the documentation and archive of site history through other media. There shall be a consideration of extending demolition from a technical operation to an event which can recall site history.
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Mobilization of historic discussion and reflection through demolition In many cases, a site with rich historic encounter could catch public attention not until demolition is commenced. At violent level, demolition can trigger crisis of identity debate through valuating the building going to be torn down. For example, the 2006 Central Star Pier demolition has raised debate on its preservation, and extended to public protest at the final days of the pier. Despite the pier is finally removed, the event has mobilized users to get their last chance in experiencing the site, and provoke them to express their memory perception to the public. If this pier had not been demolished, it would have remained as a unaware transport infrastructure in users’ daily life. At gentle level, the confirmation of Yue Man Square (Kwun Tong, Hong Kong) demolition in 2019 has successfully gathered young generation, media and old occupants to share their view towards the past of the site of mixed development. Such concern and interest to the site have never been as productive as the 2019 demolition deadline since the site announced to be redeveloped in 2007. Through a farewell ceremony leaded by community organization “Living Kwun Tong�, the site has been transformed to be a platform for guided tour and cultural demonstration. The organization leaded visitors to understand the spatial organization of the site and experience the domestic business by inviting hawker to demonstrate their special skills -47-
of works. The event resulted in active archive of site history by the participants, and generate discussion to the relocation and renaissance of hawker business. To explain with such phenomenon, demolition means the disappearance of physical trace to site history. It will evoke the sense of emergencies to site users to refresh their memory associated with the spatial experience, as such experience will become abstract without the physical trace after demolition. On the other hand, demolition can also call for the foreigners who are interested in the site to document the spatial evidence of the site at their best effort, as the reflection and research on site history can only rely on such documentation and the oral narration by the site users in the future.
Creative destruction While the process of demolition is always considered as technical operation, Kevin Lynch argued it has cultural and aesthetic meaning: The wrecking of a building is already a spectacle. […] Could we design our buildings to wreck well- that is, not only to be easy to destroy but spectacular as well? […] There could be a visible event and suitable transformation when a place “came of age” or was about to disappear.15 In fact, there has been artist working on creative demolition in deliver message to
Kevin Lynch, What time is this place? (Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: The MIT Press, 1972) 178. -48-
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observer. It has been considered to be important contribution to historic preservation through designing the end of building16. For example, “Splitting” by Matta-Clark not only experimented of the physical reaction of cutting the house into a half, but also opened wider discussion on family value and neighborhood relationship in U.S. postwar context17.
And therefore, the thesis studies the potential of demolition process to
be extended to a cultural event in recalling the historic reflection by using the sense of emergencies of disappearance, which will achieve the preservation agenda set in the early chapter. Demolition Technology The concrete buildings are disassembly in a more controlled way due to the raising concern on the environmental impact to the urban density. Rather than using implosion or wrecking ball to knock the building down, the most common way to erase a building in Hong Kong is top-down demolition. It begins from erecting full height scaffolding around the building, and take down the structure by machine from top floors to lower floors. The sequence is calculated and submitted with a set of guidelines issued by Buildings Department to avoid spread of dusts, structure failure and falling debris18. To make sure workers to work in a close distance safe, temporary jacks support are always Jorge Otero-Pailos, "Creative Agents." Future Anterior: Journal of Historic Preservation, History, Theory, and Criticism 3, no. 1 (2006): Ii-Vii. 17 Imogen Racz, “Gordon Matta-Clark, Splitting, and the Unmade House” I.B. Tauris Publisher (26 January 2015) https://theibtaurisblog.com/2015/01/26/gordon-matta-clark-splitting-and-the-unmadehouse/ 18 Buildings Department, Code of Practice for DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS, Hong Kong (2004) -4916
installed to avoid the accidental collapse of slab and wall. More recently, the self-contained top-down demolition method is introduced. The method requires a scaffolding enclosure only to the top three levels of a high-rise buildings. Meanwhile, a hydraulic jack system is installed on those levels, which can be lowered progressively to the lower levels after the structure above is cleared. The system of demolition not only reduce the environmental impacts to the surrounding, but also allow the building material and structure take down piece by piece, which will increase material recyclability. An exemplary application has been taken place in the demolition of Bluevale and Whitevale Towers in Glasgow, and has been promoted to sites in Europe and Japan 19 . The application could become a trend with tightened environmental control in urban context. Therefore, there is potential to apply the system the thesis site when demolition start in 2021. By employing controlled demolition, proper inspection and rubbles clean up, it will allow opening the site for creative intervention during the work suspension period between stages of demolition.
Stefano Panseri and Riccardo Castracani, "The TopDownWay: An innovative system for Skyscrapers' Controlled Demolition," The Future of Tall: A selection of Written Works on Current Skyscraper (2015): 170-177. -50-
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(Image Source: Wikicommons, Protest site at Queen’s Pier on its last day, retrieved 20/5/2019 Apple Daily, Protester climb to the clock tower to confront with demolition, 1/12/2006 The Headline, New World intends to forced auction of the State Theatre, 22/10/2018 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research, PruittIgoe-collapses, retrieved 20/5/2019)
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Collage of demolition events The collage intended to argue demolition events were a factor making the site well-known. It includes the demolition of Queen's Pier and Star Pier in Hong Kong, The implosion of Pruitt-Igoe Housing, and the State theatre at the risk of erasure. -52-
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Demolition Technology The diagram explains the possible demolition technology which could be applied to the site in 2021, from the more violence implosion to controlled demolition. -54-
Kajima cut and take down Demolition - Require vertical transportation of building waste - Less environmental impacts to far distance - Require additional support jack during the process Insertion of computer controlled hydraulic jacks Building structure is removed from the lower floors
Protective screen cover up the top levels, which can gradually lowered as the upper structure removed
Self-Contained Demolition
Hydraulic jack holding the toppest floors while the lower floors are removed progressively
- Less environmental impacts - Allow more building component to be cut and recycle - Require additional support jack during the process
High-reach Excavator/ Wrecking Ball - Less demolition plan required - Demolition process exposed to public - Require large enclosure zone for debric collection - Dust generation
Building parts are totally destroy and require large debric collection area
Top-down Demoliton
- Least danger controlled zone required - Suitable for urban density - Allow partial removal - Required detail demolition plan
Scaffolding with catch fan require to avoid falling of debric
Covered walkway to ensure pedestrian safety
Implosion Demoliton
- Quickest way of removing multi-storey building - Strong visual communication to public spectator - Extensive danger control zone required - Building fabric are destroyed and unreusable
Extensive controlled zone to avoid the spread of exploded debric
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Demolition practice
Convention approach of taking building down
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Sectional Model, 1:100 The self contained top down demolition technology is proposed to employ. The model indicated the addition of hydralic support which can allow controlled subtraction. -56-
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6 Design and execution Through studying the impacts of demolition, the thesis proposes the design of a curatorial event in 2021 to activate the last remaining 1960s resettlement site under demolition into a platform to reveal site history. The subtraction methods and execution details are discussed and evaluated in the following chapter.
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2021 Biennial- Utopian Elements The design of the thesis is to curate the 2021 Urbanism/ Architectural Biennial in the site of Shek Lei. It is titled as Utopian Elements which is revealing the different architectural elements of the resettlement housing into the sight of public. For example, exposing the corridor and housing compartment through different ways of controlled subtraction. As a result, the visitor can see, engage, discuss and understand the history associated with the elements. The reason of titling the event as “Utopian Elements” is due to the historic significant of architectural elements in 1960s generation resettlement housing. Many of these elements were firstly popularized in the type of housing, such as tap to home and elevator. Utopian expectation to the functionalist utility was perceived when those elements arrived into inhabitant’s life, as many of them are still living in squatter huts in 1960s. It is meaningful to structure the historic review of element to generate thought on how inhabitants’ life associated with them.
Subtraction operation The event is not simply display about the architectural element separately, it also includes different operation to the subtraction, which can generate various kind of temporary space, and trigger certain event, activities and reaction to be happened. -59-
First, the early stage of exhibition will heavy relying on creating a ruin atmosphere to the element and space, for example to display a housing compartment in ruin condition. It is inspired by the concept of reflective nostalgia by Svetlana Boym20 which keep us a distance from the past and accept “the past is, in fact, past”
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A ruin condition of
a space gives the preception of incomplete and the death of the building is irreversible. Yet, through the visitors’ sensation to the scale and traces of partition, they can imagine what was happening in the displayed space and elements. Second, the exhibition reveals architectural element through isolation. For example, subtracting all housing compartment walls to isolate the corridor for display. The operation not only allows us to see the element separately, but also creates the opportunity to redefine the function of the element which can facilitate the event operation. Likewise, the isolation and suspension of the corridor would transform it as a platform for movie screening and symposium. It creates the opportunity for invited old inhabitants and visitors to exchange their view towards the site past and future, which facilitate more oral autobiographic of site history. Third, as the building is going to be removed totally, it means that any operation can be experimental under the safety frameworks. There is no worry to create space which
Svetlana Boym, The Future of Nostalgia, New York: Basic Books, (2001). Hal Mcdonald, "The Two Faces of Nostalgia," Psychology Today, (June 23, 2016), Accessed June 12, 2019, https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/time-travelling-apollo/201606/the-two-facesnostalgia. -6020 21
does not gain user and visitor acceptance. As a result, the later stage of the exhibition reveals architectural elements through inviting artist and architect to cut or accessorize with them. They can test with their idea of improving or redefining the function of the element, such that visitor can compare how it is transformed from the resettlement age, and discuss the possibility to apply the test in future architectural element design. The operation is progressed from satisfying nostalgic emotion to projecting futuristic vision, which make the event productive through reflection of history. In the next chapter, speculation of activities and artists’ work sample are suggested to further illustrate the possibility of the design proposal.
Execution partnership and sponsorship The design proposal has cross-disciplinary influence to architectural design and city history research.
It is proposed to be a collaboration event between Urbanism/
Architectural Biennial (UABB) who is interested about Hong Kong urbanism and Hong Kong Memory who is interested to curate a platform for documenting oral history. While the role of the architectural design in this thesis rely on the designing a platform which can call for historic reflection by subtracting space, the participation of both parties is the key to activate the platform. Therefore, the role of the thesis design is not restoring about history, but it is provoking an autobiographic process by old inhabitants -61-
and interested parties. On the other hand, the design proposal involves more time and operation cost than conventional demolition. Taking experience of previous UABB biennial in Shenzhen, it is feasible to be realized through inviting sponsorship such as suppliers of building elements, like lift or sanitary fitment contractor to promote their products during the process of reviewing the historic elements. Meanwhile, the proposal requires Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) to granted the site under demolition as exhibition venue. The role of HA has extended from housing provision to community caring in recent years. It has attempted to reveal history of old estate in the redevelopment project to build up sense of belonging of new community. By employing its site under demolition process to carry exhibition, it will strengthen the historic understanding of HA role and its properties over the years.
Preserve by absence Since the event is a public spectacle of demolition process, the discussion of spatial history of the last 1960s resettlement housing is organized systematically. The artwork and reaction of participants is expected to be documented by newspaper, social media and movie. There is no longer a need to keep any parts of the physical building structure as the site understanding has been transferred to those media. -62-
Alternatively, if any parts of the building are preserved physically, it shall be considered as a monument created by the witness by the event participants. Such preserved part is an agent linking to the proposed event, and thereby triggering people’s interests to review the documentation of site history throughout the demolition process.
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Brise soleil
Brise soleil
In Mark IV Slab block, some of the compartments are emptied with enclosure of sun breaker. With no specific function defined, it gradually transformed as a public space.
Private Balcony was firstly equipped in 1960s generation ( Mark III - Mark VI ) resettlement housing. It has been used as kitchen and laundry.
Corridor
To increase useable floor area, corridor of the second generation resettlement was internalized and linked with over 40 units with long corridor. Ventilation window of individual units opened at corridor side.
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Architectural Elements to be revealed The collage intended to argue demolition events were a factor making the site well-known. It includes the demolition of Queen's Pier and Star Pier in Hong Kong, The implosion of Pruitt-Igoe Housing, and the State theatre at the risk of erasure. -64-
Pipe Works
Tap water to home was firstly become a standard in the 1960s resettlement. It was evolutionary to have private toilet at home, as compare to share toilet in the 50s- generation.
Compartment
The standard of minimum living area per person has been introduced since this generation of housing. It was set to be 24 sq.feet in 1960, marking a transformation from emergency "shelter" to home provision in housing policy.
Openings
Elevator
With self-contained design of new resettlement housing, standard doors and windows are installed, while the resettlement policy allows user to change the configuration according to their needs.
With standard height of 16 storey in these generation of resettlement blocks, elevator was firstly introduced to facilitate vertical movements. However, the elevator stop only once every three floors.
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Operation Methods 1-2 Ruins and isolation of elements are the strategy used in the early phase of exhibition -66-
[IMAGINE THE PAST]
[DEBATE THE CURRENT]
Defunction
Defunction
Compartment of someone else
Corridor as connector
Transformation
Transformation
Ruin
Isolation
Resulting space
Resulting space
Expression of imagination
Knowledge exchange platform
Any setting in housing compartment are specified to some bodies' family. They cannot represent a common life of the million inhabitants who have lived in the type of housing.
As residents moved out, the life in corridor has been disappeared. The long and narrow walkway no longer act as the medium to connect.
By removal the furniture and painting, the compartment become generic again. The identification to the space turned to be room size, height proportion etc.
By self-contained demolition, all old structure are removed except the corridor. The corridor will be hanged by the temporary jack structure, and isolated for display.
By self-contained demolition, all old structure are removed except the corridor. The corridor will be hanged by the temporary jack structure, and isolated for display.
By self-contained demolition, all old structure are removed except the corridor. The corridor will be hanged by the temporary jack structure, and isolated for display.
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Operation Methods 3-4 The later stage of the exhibition will invite artist to accesorize the element which will define a new meaning to them. -68-
[REDEFINE THE ELEMENTS]
[PROJECT THE FUTURE]
Defunction
Defunction
Horizontal pocket space
Utilitarian elements
Transformation
Transformation
Slab cut
Accessorize
Resulting space
Resulting space
Vertical pocket space
Socialize the elements
The Brise soleil was serve as a horizontal space for residents on the same floor to entertain. Since they have moved out, the pocket space no longer be useful.
Stair, door are originally built for circulation and seperation element respectively. Through occupation, they became place for neighbourhood interaction which cannot be restored today.
A slab cut that make the shaded sun space extended to vertical continuity. It will also articulate the shadow create by the Brise soleil.
Little change of these elements can further articulate to their function beyond utilitarian needs. Artist and architect are invited to modify the element.
A more playful and functional elements can be invented through the process which can trigger more social interaction. The event set for a prototype for future architectural elements.
Placing nets which can allow people to sit on, the pocket space become a place for visitors to rest during their vertical movement.
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Sequence models 1:200 The demolition will proceed with three demolition sequence 1. Using self-contained Top Down Demolition to control subtraction 2. Remove the self-contained system at the lowest three levels 3. Expose the footprint after clear the superstructure -70-
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7 Speculating 2021 To actualize the design concept, the part of the thesis speculates the event details and sequence in 2021 when the demolition of the last remaining 1960s resettlement blocks take place. It includes the expected participants, the work sample created under the platform curated by the thesis proposal and drawings in arguing the potential reaction to the events.
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Expected participants Through the package of the curatorial events, it is expected that the early stage of the event is mostly engaged by the old inhabitants who have experienced living in the similar resettlement districts and those who are interested about the resettlement history. While the designed event set up will trigger the old inhabitants’ imagination, those who are interested about the history of these sites can documented their reaction such as the oral narrative history. Proceeding to the following shows, it is also expected question regarding the future of Hong Kong residency. The selected site has a contextual relevance to the origin of health and safe standard in residential development which is still closed to the minimum requirement today. At the age of housing crisis, i.e. long queueing for public housing, the event can lead to discussion of the question like quicker versus quality housing provision / upward mobility22 etc. Furthermore, artist will also be beneficial in the event not only allowing their engagement with the end-of-life structure but also providing theme regarding to site history as the inspiration of their creation.
Relevant discussion has been covered in recent years, it is expected the question can be brought to the demolition venue when seeing the end of the resettlement era, see: Hong Kong 01, "徙置大廈進化成公屋 再進化是什麼？[Evolution of Public Housing from Resettlement, What Will Be the next Evolution?]." Hong Kong 01, March 29, 2018, Accessed June 12, 2019. -7322
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Potential Reaction The diagram indicated the expected participants in the events and their expected reaction
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Emergencies of disappearance
Mobilization of nostalgic emotion through demolition The demolition of last 1960s generation resettlement housing estate kicked off at the end of 2021. Through raising concerns by local conservationists one month before demolition start, they mobilized hundreds of citizens claiming the cultural importance of such type site, and fought for preservation. Meanwhile, UABB was granted to use the site to carry 2021/22 biennale in recall the site significance to Hong Kong Urban History. -76-
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Reimagining incomplete space
Reflection and reaction from the traces of ruins In the early phases of exhibition, architecture elements of the resettlement housing are revealed through the status of ruins. When the old inhabitants are coming back, they realized the place they stayed for a quarter of their life is really gone. Yet, the compartment footprint and structure still give their imagination how their family congested into the room. Artists invited them to imagine the furniture layout through tape. -78-
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Alternate historic understanding
Forum in exchanging knowledge of the site past, current and future The next phase of exhibition will generate new functional space through subtraction of architectural element, for example, exposing the corridor. This operation not only display the elements, but also articulate into a platform for old inhabitants and those who are interested in the site history to exchange and document the idea. Diversified historic knowledge is passed to the next generation. -80-
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Remembered by absence
Demolition as an autobiographic process The final stage of the demolition will be hawker bazaar on the ground footprint, which was originally shops. Artist are selling their creation and documentation through the half-year event. Through revealing the architectural element and space in the last 1960s resettlement blocks, its spatial history will be systematically narrated, documented and archived by other media. -82-
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Curatorial Poster The poster covers the elements of resettlement housing to be revealed during the biennial. It calls for the art work submission from inhabitants, artist and architects.
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Sample work The proposed sample work takes place during the reveal of compartment. Old inhabitants are invited to use tape to simulate their old furniture layout in their dwellings. As a result, their imagination through the room can be expressed through the help of artists’ works. -84-
2021-2022 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture(HK)
[Utopian Element] Elevator Corridor Compartment Balcony Pipeworks Toilet Doors Brise soleil Stairwell
Open call for submission!
Utopian Elements
[Tape your compartment!] Exhibition Period 15/3/2022-31/1/2022
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Sample work The proposed sample work takes place during the reveal of corridor. A symposium is conducted to let the old inhabitants to share their memory in the resettlement housing to those who are interested in the site history. Moreover, movie screening is taken place to showcase the drama and movie shoot in this generation of resettlement housing.
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Sample work The proposed sample work takes place during the reveal of stairwell. Artist has accessorized the stair with wood slide in order to make it playful. Furthermore, the slab next to residual space of the brise soleil is cut and install with net. It transformed from a horizontal resting space to vertical resting space. -86-
Utopian Elements
[Corridor Symposium] Exhibition Period 1/1/2022-15/1/2022
Utopian Elements Utopian Elements
[Play the stairwell !] [Take a vertical Break!] Exhibition Period 1/3/2022-15/3/2022 Exhibition Period 15/3/2022-31/3/2022
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Sample work The proposed sample work takes place during the reveal of pipe system. Not only displaying the private toilet firstly appeared in this generation of resettlement housing, but also transforming the defunction pipe into recycle material for making new furniture. Visitor can purchase the recycle pipe furniture from the tailor.
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Sample work The proposed sample work takes place during the reveal of doors. The doors have multi meaning to the generation of housing. It is conceived as separation element when self-contained unit was introduced. Many residents kept their home door open for ventilation in later days, which triggered social interaction. Artist rethink how doors can encourage neighbor’s interaction in the future through modifying them. -88-
Utopian Elements
[Pipe and its new life] Exhibition Period 1/5/2022-15/5/2022
Utopian Elements
[Doors of integration] Exhibition Period 1/5/2022-15/5/2022
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Newspaper in documenting the event The event has raised social concern in 2022. A newspaper document the closing ceremony of the event. It becomes a piece of source for understanding the site history. -90-
8 Conclusion: Research significance Overall, the thesis has addressed the difficulties of preservation of post-war mass housing base on their generic design. It argued a top down restoration approach is highly selective and hardly reflect the full picture of site history. -92-
By comparing the effectiveness of different approach in preserving post-war mass housing, it this suggested that we shall see the positive impact of demolition, where the building end-of-life is a point triggering the emergencies of disappearance. Through the proposal of extending demolition from a technical operation to a cultural event, the thesis argued a further consideration of activating the temporary space generated through controlled demolition as a platform to discuss and understand a site history. By triggering the documentation by other media during the process, it will achieve aimed agenda of preservation – archiving and transferring the historic understanding of the site.
In extension, the thesis also opens question of building process and place making. The perception of the place not only lied on the building form and space itself, but also the geo-political contexts, engagement of different interest parties when it is decided to be built or removed. When people involve in the building process, the process itself is also an agent to define their sense of place.
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9 Reflection The thesis started with a loose idea of critique of nostalgia in January. It was assumed to directly response to the question through redesign the museum or streetscape in confront to the practice of restorative nostalgia. Yet, through the response of first review, it is understood that the critique to nostalgia is ungrounded by knowing their intention (e.g. nostalgia as commercial glimpse, museum narrative to facilitate governmentality). The criticism to those intention is side tracked from architectural discourse. -94-
Taking a step backward, I questioned why am I interested in working with the subject of post-war urban history. I am actually interested in reading the aesthetic and meaning of a decay vision of post-war modernism- state intervention in city reconstruction and expansion after the World War II- how were it perceived, how the expectation fallen, and how we see it when similar issue like housing crisis occurred again. Through conversation with my advisor, I have moved to focus a particular subject- post war mass housing. It is a representable subject to post-war modernism across the East and West and even Hong Kong. Tackling the preservation of it could make the thesis architecturally focus, at the same time further explore my interests on the vision of postwar modernism. By the constructive discussion of the ways of preserving post-war mass housing in the next review, the thesis moved to a solid argument to study the possible impacts and events which can generate from demolition. Finally, the thesis is composed with the design of a curatorial event under the demolition site of mass housing. Despite it did not attempt to restore any narrative about this piece of urban history, the designed event still able to express the vision I am interested in studying of post-war mass housing, and even bring to the discussion in the final review.
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改建公屋更符成本效益” [Stanley Wong:
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Ng K.Y. “在美荷樓反思歷史進步主義──徙置大廈裏未被述說的故事” [Reflecting Historical Progressivism at Mei Ho House- The unnarrated story at Resettlement Housing Building]. Culture Study@Lingnan University. 46: May 2015. Otero-Pailos, Jorge. "Creative Agents." Future Anterior: Journal of Historic Preservation, History, Theory, and Criticism 3, no. 1 (2006): Ii-Vii. Panseri,Stefano and Castracani, Riccardo. "The TopDownWay: An innovative system for Skyscrapers' Controlled Demolition." The Future of Tall: A selection of Written Works on Current Skyscraper (2015): 170-177. Racz, Imogen. “Gordon Matta-Clark, Splitting, and the Unmade House.” I.B. Tauris Publisher (26 January 2015) https://theibtaurisblog.com/2015/01/26/gordon-matta-clark-splitting-and-theunmade-house/ Ravenscroft, Tom. "V&A Director Defends Robin Hood Gardens Display at Venice Biennale against Claims of "art-washing"." Dezeen, May 31, 2018, Accessed June 13, 2019, https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/31/va-tristram-hunt-defends-robin-hood-gardens-venicearchitecture-biennale/ Snopek, Kuba, and Anna Zaytseva. Belyayevo Forever : A Soviet Microrayon on Its Way to the UNESCO List. Basics (Berlin, Germany) ; 39. Berlin: Dom Publishers, 2015. Urban, Florian,“Mass Housing in East and West Germany – Controversial Success and Ambivalent Heritage ” Docomomo E-proceedings 4, Sep 2011,35-39 Wong, Wah Fai. 公屋醜聞 : 一名記者的追查實錄. [Public Housing scandal: a reporter investigation] Hong Kong: Step Forward Multi Media, 1999. Yeung,Y.M. Wang J.Y., and Hong Kong Housing Authority, Fifty Years of Public Housing in Hong Kong: A Golden Jubilee Review and Appraisal. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press for the Hong Kong Housing Authority. Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies. 2003.
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Thesis review on 6/6/2019
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