What is Hong Kong Architecture, and how these architecture constructs Hong Kong’s identity? I always thought Hong Kong architecture is in lack of culturally uniqueness and identity. However, Abbas (1997) has concluded a few characteristics of Hong Kong buildings and revealed the culture that they represents: the culture of disappearance.
Hong Kong, just as many other Asian cities like Tokyo, have undergone major destruction and construction continuously. However, while this process is being catalyzed by natural or man-made disasters in the case of Tokyo (Tsutsui, 2010), in Hong Kong, economic development and market restructuring is the main culprit. Throughout the hundred years of history, Hong Kong has developed from a small fishing village to port, then to an industrial centre, then lastly an international financial centre, and architecture in each period are really different with each other. For example the Bank of China in the era of finance and the Mills in the industrial times. They are all sights that brings people’s “memory to the past” in a visual manner. As time passes, we could now observe the juxtaposition of the new and old, the continuity and discontinuity within such a small city.
Abbas(1997) has categorized Hong Kong architecture as The Merely Local and The Placeless, which the former are the one built in earlier stages, having more historical value, and the later one are those modern buildings with no local identities that are also dominating the city nowadays. Despite the fact that the older buildings have been demolished and replaced by new ones, Hong Kong, if we look in another way, may not be loosing its identity, but further strengthens the identity of constant disappearance and change. Just like what Gianni Vattimo has once said “progress becomes the routine”.
While Tokyo’s destruction and reconstruction has been depicted in Japan’s monster film as an representation of Japanese resilience and believe on progress (Tsutsui, 2010), Hong Kong’s continuous destruction and constructions could also be reflected as the dynamic nature of Hong Kong, and the symbol of Hong Kong people’s characteristic of high adaptation to changes.
Couldn’t this be seen as a unique identity of Hong Kong too?
Name: Yu Ko Chieh
UID: 3035934157
Well done! I enjoy how you compared your thoughts before and after reading the material. ‘Disappearance’ and the ‘everchanging social and urban landscapes’ are in fact what characterize HK as HK. However, I would tend to be more careful when making judgement saying ‘modern buildings with no local identities’ as this is really a strong statement, which, in fact, the modern architecture that resemble almost no visual appearance with local culture, may reflect HK’s active involvement in globalization and being part of the international community. All in all, it is still a very good piece of reflection.