Publication for the Transformative Hong Kong | The Collateral Event At The 18th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale Di Venezia

Interdisciplinary Design

The exhibition “Transformative Hong Kong” for the 18th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale 2023, set out to highlight the city’s architecture community and their approach to sustainable design. Hong Kong is geographically limited and known for its highdensity urban environment, bringing unique pressures to bear not only on its terrain but also upon the architecture community’s approach to design thinking on sustainability. We as a society need collective dialogues about the future of Hong Kong. The timing for this exhibition is crucial as Hong Kong finds itself once again in the midst of transformation as the city embarks on major development of new areas including the Northern Metropolis and the East Lantau Metropolis. Idea of temporality in landscape and transforming cityscape is not unique only to Hong Kong. However, the timespan and pace in which the city continues to transform itself, driven by larger economic forces, distinctively contrasts with that of other cities in the region. Ultimately the exhibition presents a snapshot of “Transformative Hong Kong”, a concise architectural exhibition that gives an understanding of local situation in this particular time and the multifaceted social challenges faced by the architecture and design community today.

The premise created by Leslie Lokko for the 2023 Venice Biennale, “The Laboratory of The Future”, questions the role of architects and designers as agents of change. The Transformative Hong Kong curatorial narrative started with three different areas of transformation: “Territorial”, “Architectural” and “Public Space”. Given the diverse elements that make up the economic, social and geographical fabric of Hong Kong, we chose to embrace this complexity through interaction and dialogue with the exhibitors.

The approaches to design thinking adopted by our exhibitors in their respective practices were central to the curatorial process. The discussion process took on a life of its own. Faced with the unknown future, the discussion evolved towards approaches to resolving design problems rather than potential solutions. One such discussion turned on the idea of tool creation as central to the design process. Tools often impose a making process that can impact and influence language of design. However, new tools are also specifically developed to facilitate design for manufacture and to optimise construction processes. “Modular Design – A Sustainable Future” (Arup), centres on the creation of a design tool with smart city application technologies to facilitate the creation of modular structures which can accommodate future growth. Another exhibit, “Media Ceramics” (Klein and Leung) explores prototyping and digital fabrication, combining 3D printing with a light-sensitive chemical surface finishing tool. The machine pushes the boundary of complex geometric processing and has potential for a variety of functions.

A separate set of discussions centred on the role of architects in the creation of public buildings. In today’s changing society, evolving lifestyle and changing building use trends raise questions about assumed functions of this building typology. Architects are challenged to explore new and innovative ways for public buildings to remain useful longer and to be more sustainable. A theoretical model of spatial production using participatory and public engagement as an essential part of the design process is proposed in “The Harbour – A Reimagination” (Lead8). The model approaches the adaptive re-use of iconic Star Ferry buildings through a combination of commercial planning and education-led public engagement exercises, while “Common Ground – Constructing Civic Spaces of the Future” (Building Narrative and Kris Provoost Photography) their approach centred on exploration of existing place qualities and environmental conditions. “Catalysing Paradigm Shifts”, Rocco Design Architects Associates Limited’s proposal for the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, reflects its response to the local community in Ngau Tau Kok. Their design approach incorporating flexible and multi-functional planning stems from the practice’s unique understanding of Hong Kong’s public space conditions that Rocco Yim describes as “tales of paradox” in the context of the regeneration of the Kwun Tong District.

Discussions with the younger emerging practices focused on exploration of material ecology. “Recycled Plastic Waste Public Seating” (HIR Studio) is a design research project exploring sustainable resource management in collaboration with the local community, collecting and recycling waste materials to produce public furniture. “Moving Bamboo” (Shinohara and Chan) is a site specific installation based on material design investigation and the value of traditional crafts. Located in the venue’s courtyard the installation was constructed by groups of students and young designers from Hong Kong. Inspired by today’s mobile lifestyle, “Laboratory of Mind and Hand” (Cheung) has dedicated fabrication facilities furthering their ongoing material research process into use of flax fibre to create lightweight and compact seating.

Finally, dialogue with Justin Hui for his multimedia installation “Unsettled Ground” focused on visual storytelling as a medium for design investigation. Using the media of photography, text and sound, the installation allows for a unique experience, raising intriguing questions about shifting boundary lines and links between Hong Kong and Africa.

Representations of exhibition design and its visual identity being integral part of the experience as both curators and designers, we also saw an opportunity to minimise environmental impact while still delivering engaging experiences. Prioritising the reduction of resource consumption, waste generation, and carbon emissions to fulfil the requirement that the exhibition needed to be staged in two locations, in Venice and then a Response Exhibition in Hong Kong, we developed a traveling format using a purpose-built transformable wooden crate performing the dual function of container and display structure, an effective solution for use of limited resources.

The exhibition reflects the interdisciplinary nature of spatial production where approaches to design thinking are determined by Hong Kong’s idiosyncratic conditions and circumstances. Hong Kong is not alone in its search for a sustainable future. Whilst the solutions proposed by our emerging designers and long established practitioners have been formulated in response to Hong Kong’s specificities, we foresee the applicability of many of these solutions beyond Hong Kong.

Sarah Lee and Yutaka Yano, SKY YUTAKA

2024.05