[Field-Homework 3] Disappearing City: Fenwick Pier, Wan Chai

 

Video Link: https://youtu.be/irbdSJ6k73I

Introduction

The demolition work of Fenwick Pier began in February 2022 and is still continuing to this day. This photographic stills video focuses on capturing the Fenwick Pier Fleet Arcade’s appearance before its demolition work. Such photos were taken in late 2021 and early 2022, right before its announced closure and plans for urban redevelopment. The video aims to describe some features and to provide some historical background of the embodiment of colonial Hong Kong.

Fenwick Pier, which opened in 1974 British Hong Kong, met its end on 11 February 2022. It was originally built by George Fenwick at Johnston Road, and moved three times due to various reasons before it was rebuilt at its present location at 1 Lung King Road, Wan Chai in 1970.

As the demolition work of Fenwick Pier began in 2022, I was unable to record a video of the site. Therefore, I compiled the photos I took and added narrative to it to produce a short video using still photography instead. The photos were taken in two different trips, one in late 2021 and the other in early 2022. In my first trip, I used my phone camera to capture the exterior and interior of the building, from afar and close up, to capture the overall appearance of the building. In my second trip, I brought my camera with me and emphasised on capturing the details of the features that especially impressed me, to focus on my own experience and perception.

Method of Research

Apart from site visit, I also conducted internet research, I have read news articles, checked the wikipedia page and the official Instagram site of Fenwick Pier @gatheratfenwick.

From the news articles, I could learn more about the opinions of different stakeholders, the concerns of the affected individuals, and the overall progress about the demolition. The articles included interviews with business owners, including Anthony Wong, the owner of the tailor shop Fu Shing and Sons, which was located in the Fleet Arcade. In those interviews, the business owners expressed the sentiments about having to leave this place and the memories behind. In the video, there are photos of the sign of Fu Shing and Sons.

From the wikipedia page, I could learn more about the history and structure of the pier and the fleet market. In the four-storey market, there were shops that had been in business since the opening of the pier, retailing different kinds of goods, including alcohol, suits, jewellery. There were also services provided for the navy troops stopping by, including banking and postal services.

From the social media page, I could not only learn about the history, the present demolition progress, but also the future of Fenwick Pier. The official instagram page organises events such as art projects to record and exhibit Fenwick Pier as its role of historical monument of the Hong Kong community. It serves as a digital showroom to the general public. From their posts, I was able to find up-to-date information about the pier, even though the pier is not there anymore, its history remains.

Method of Production

To produce this video, I had to gather photos of no longer existing pier. I looked through my digital files for the photos I took in my two site visits to Fenwick Pier before its demolition. I also compiled some photos of the demolition process I found on the internet into the video.

In my first site visit to Fenwick Pier in November 2021, I used my phone camera to capture the appearance of the fleet market. On the exterior, I avoided taking the photos of from a flat, linear and symmetrical angle. Instead, I tried to take them diagonally, to not only include the height and length but also the width of the building, in this way, the space and dimensions of the building are captured more effectively. I also took the photos from different distances, height and angles to show different parts of the building, also to bring more sense of space to the photos by allowing comparison with nearby objects such as other buildings. In the interior, I tried to capture every object with my phone, taking many photos of the staircases, shops, lockers and signs. In my first trip, I was going for an objective approach, trying to record history and to record evidence to show that I have been there before.

In my second visit to the pier in January 2022, I decided to not merely record history but also my own experience as well, I believed that using a film camera for photo shooting would be more appropriate. I was then going for a more impressionist approach, to utilise camera settings to capture my own perceptions of light and colours, to highlight the objects in the market.

In this photo capturing the washroom sign, the sign is illuminated by natural light. I decreased the exposure compensation of my camera to dim the background shadows and in a sense, highlight the washroom sign. Such method is increase contrast between the white wall and the background to simulate the focus of my vision on the sign.

As for this lobby photo, I used a 20mm-wide lens, so a broader area of the lobby floor can be included. This is to capture the spaciousness of the lobby and the texture of the floor by showing the reflections of the LED lamps. By capturing this large, empty area, it is shown that unlike tourist hotspots, this historical monument was not crowded and had few visitors.

Conclusion

The demolition of Fenwick Pier undoubtedly means a huge loss of historical and cultural value to the Hong Kong community. Given that the monument was built in British colonial era, it embodied valuable features of old Hong Kong such as architectural, art and living style.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenwick_Pier

https://www.instagram.com/gatheratfenwick/

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3163913/last-days-fleet-arcade-fenwick-pier-hong-kong-hang-out

https://www.scmp.com/video/scmp-originals/3164113/hong-kongs-fenwick-pier-be-demolished-after-serving-foreign-navy

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Mok Tsz Fung

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