This essay discussed ideas which are exorbitant city and generic city. Hong Kong have shown a lot in local films as exorbitant city previously under Abbars classification, which city fill with glassy skyscrapers and hang over neon/LED light advert boards that looks like a replica of each others. Compared to western cities like New York and London, Hong Kong developed much later. Classical tall buildings which were built in early 20 centuries were more commonly found in those western cities, and changing to glassy skyscrapers of today. Form the sky line of those cities, people could observe old and new, classic and modern high buildings mix together while Hong Kong only exist new glassy buildings, old buildings are not became heritage and reuse it, but destruction and built new residential buildings and tall office towers. We should reflect how to keep those old HK buildings and heritage, preserve old collective memories of architecture.
Murphy Wong Lok Kan
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What are some thoughts on avoiding the generic city? While Hong Kong has a unique character that on the whole does not present itself as generic, it possesses definite characteristic of the exorbitant city, based on economic development built on a financial base. Within this context, what persuasive ideas can you think of “to keep those old HK buildings and heritage, preserve old collective memories of architecture”?