商業與公眾利益的取捨 Give and take of commercial and communal interest 以人的角度出發/ 私有的特定公共空間不應只是一個換取更多建造面積的工具，而應以第一身的體驗為出發點。現時發展商提供只限於行人走道這個較低層次的功能，他們認為從商業角度來看公共空間有損鄰近商鋪的價值，所以我們難以找到一個舒適而方便的私有公共空間。但只有從第一身的角度去設計公共空間才可將其空間與商業空間連結，為人們提供一個完整的體驗，更能提升其商場的知名度與價值。一個吸引人來和享受的公共空間反而能夠刺激消費，而不是用方法去阻止人們去使用這空間。青衣城二期便是一個成功將商場與公共空間合作的例子。他們將商場的天台改造成5000平方米多層次的綠化空間，人們能夠經過商場來到怡人的綠化區域，享受著開揚的沿岸河景。 香港，這個世界上數一數二擠迫的城市，對每個室外或室內的空間都爭分寸土，卻不忘尋找一點公共空間讓我們好好享受一個下午。城市當然需要發展，但發展商也有他們的社會責任，不只是為換取建造面積而提供公共空間，而真正讓人享受的空間，這是我們的權利去擁有的。 _______________________________________________________ From the angle of user/ The dedicated POPS should be considered as more than a tool to gain extra areas to build more floors but from the angle of the user's experience. Most of the dedicated POPS provided by developers only reached the first layer objective to provide a space for people passing through. They are examined from the commercial angle that public space will affect the economic value of retail stores nearby. Therefore, it is rare to find a dedicated POPS that is pleasant to stay but also easily accessible. However, only when the public space is designed by the angle of user can bind the commercial and public space together to provide a comprehensive experience for customers. It could be possible to foster the reputation and value of the shopping mall. Rather than setting rules to pushing out people away from the public space, welcoming public space can already fascinate people to stay but also consume in the mall potentially. Maritime Square 2 in Tsing Yi is a delightful example that uses its spacious public park as the magnetism binds with its shopping mall. Located at the terraces, people are engaged to access the 5000 sq m stretching park on different levels through the mall to enjoy the view of the habour. As one of the most dense cities in the world, we are fighting for every inch of space we can have inside and in between buildings, but also a public space that we can pause and relax in the busy afternoon. We do need new development. Developers have their social responsibility not only to provide public spaces for their own interest of extra floors to build, but public spaces that people can really enjoy

你對唐樓的印象是甚麼? 🤔What is your impression of Tong Lau? 唐樓與洋樓/ 唐樓，唐樓我們就叫得多，你又知不知道唐樓為何叫做唐樓？其實香港的唐樓出現在1841年英國佔領香港之後。當時香港正值發展農業和漁業，並於太平山開始興建道路和樓房，這些作為華人聚居的建築被稱為唐樓；但又有另一個說法指出其實唐樓這個詞是在1880年代開始出現，唐樓作為在地契條款上與洋樓的區分。當時的洋樓只可以是單一住宅用途和單一住客或租客；而唐樓則可下鋪上居，亦可分拆出租。這也反映了當時兩種不同的社會階級水平，分拆作不同單位大小當然較受相對貧窮的人歡迎。而唐樓可分為四個階段的漸變。 鄰里之間/ 唐樓的出現與設計的改變都反映了當時香港社會的生活寫照，因空間的需求與西方文化的影響加入了「廣州式騎樓」和「藝術裝飾」的元素，唐樓成為香港其中一種最有代表性的建築風格。而因為唐樓容許隔格改動與沒有租客的上限，創造了居民們之間強烈的鄰里關係。各種生活模式微妙地相互重疊與交錯，當然日常生活多少也會嗌霎，但也創造了很多鄰里之間的交流與故事。 _____________________________________________ Tong Lau vs Yeung Lau/ You can find Tong Lau here and there in Hong Kong, but do you know the origin of the name “Tong Lau”? Tong Lau first existed in the period after the United Kingdom occupied Hong Kong in 1841, a time when fishery and agriculture were the primary industries, and people started to construct roads and houses on Victoria Peak. All the houses were built for the settlement of Chinese and thus named as “唐樓Tong Lau”, which is a direct translation from Cantonese as the meaning of Chinese occupied tenement house. However, there is another claim that the term Tong Lau was formed in the 1880s as the clear division between it and ‘’洋樓Yeung Lau‘’, the residential mansions that were usually occupied by Western. Yeung Lau was only allowed for one occupant in one unit and with a single function of residential use. While Tong Lau was allowed for more than one occupant in one unit, and with commercial use at the ground floor; residential use at the upper floor. It reflected the difference of two distinct social classes that the flexible partitioning of Tong Lau was more favourable to those who had financial difficulties to rent multiple shelters. There are a total of four generations of Tong Lau. Street Life/ The presence and evolution of Tong Lau is the reflection of stories of Hong Kong society at different periods.Influenced by the eastern culture of veranda and western culture of “Art Deco”, Tong Lau became one of the typical architectural styles in Hong Kong. Thanks to the flexibility of partitioning and the grant of unlimited tenants, it created the tenacious bonding between neighbours. Illustration by @donfo.lio

尖沙咀鐘樓迎來首鳴一百週紀念，你又知不知為何當初會在這裡興建鐘樓？ 其實這鐘樓原名為九廣鐵路鐘樓，鐘樓隔離本來是建於第一次世界大戰前的尖沙咀火車站(現址香港文化中心)。它其實是為該火車報時用的，除了日佔時段，它一直默默為火車站服務，一直到1950年因馬達零件問題而停止轉動。可惜的是以紅磚和花崗岩建成的火車站因紅磡搬遷計劃而清拆。當時的古蹟學會曾收集15000個簽名向英女王請願要求保留火車站建築，但最後郤是無疾而終。 今天的鐘樓只剩下象徵意義，火車站原有的幾條羅馬柱被移到市政局百週年紀念公園卻無人問津。今晚六點，鐘樓會再次響起，提醒我們，不要再讓自己珍重的事物消失。 The clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Do you know why the clock tower was built here in the first place? This clock tower was originally called the Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower. The clock tower was originally built for the Tsim Sha Tsui Railway Station, before the First World War. The clock tower was actually used for the train's timekeeping. The service was stopped in 1950 due to a problem with motor parts. It is a pity that the railway station built of red brick and granite was demolished due to the Hung Hom relocation plan. At that time, the Antiquities Society collected 15,000 signatures and petitioned the Queen of England to keep the railway station building, but in the end it was nothing. Today’s clock tower only has symbolic meaning. The original Roman columns of the railway station were moved to the Centennial Park of the Municipal Council but no one cares about it. Tonight, at six o'clock, the clock tower will ring again, reminding us not to let the things we cherish disappear. #我港 #kongcept #香港文化 #hkculture #自己香港自己救 #ฮ่องกง #홍콩 #hongkonger #hkig #insidehongkong #hkculture #hongkongmoment #hkdaily #capturehongkong #尖沙咀鐘樓 #hkclocktower

唐樓看似平凡，卻反映香港的寫照 🏙Tong Lau may look ordinary but reflecting the portraits of Hong Kong 街道生活/ 唐樓外表的確是本身較平凡，也是基層階級的產物，但是唐樓卻衍生出樓梯鋪、天台屋、街道生活的出現，描寫了更多香港的寫照。底層地鋪多元不同，其商品更延伸到行人路上，街頭擺賣繼而伸展到馬路。這種一層又一層的連繫形成了街頭生活。現有的摩天大樓，因商業考慮而令圖則變得奇形怪狀，只用冷氣解決通風問題，將室外與室內毫無留情地分隔開。但唐樓的設計正方而擁有自然通風的對流窗，而這裡每天發生的不只有行人的流動與商業的交易，而是人與人之間交流是自然和有溫度的。唐樓展現了香港繁華背後的樸素日常的一面。 唐樓背後/ 在這看似繁華的香港出現劏房問題是十分諷刺的，但無奈唐樓仍然是很多基層和年輕人的經濟選擇。很多人在唐樓的地鋪裡創業，也很多人不介意住在「唐八樓」「唐九樓」，只求一個居住的地方，為了生存，為了未來的生活。雖然城市發展是無法避免的，但一個城市也需要多元化的面貌，唐樓正是其中一面。 _____________________________________________ Street Life/ Although Tong Lau may look ordinary and is the representative of the lower social class, the emergence of Tong Lau also introduced the staircase store, roof housing and street life that narrated different moments of Hong Kong. Diverse types of ground-floor-stores extended to the pedestrian lane and attracted hawkers to operate nearby. The layering linked moments are the street life that is needed in Hong Kong. The current skyscrapers design that is emphasising the position of economic concern results in irregular forms of buildings using a.c. to resolve every ventilation problem. Indoor and outdoor spaces are mercilessly separated. On the other hand, Tong Lau, by using opposite openings for natural ventilation, is designed to be in regular forms. It is about the emotional interaction between people, rather than some senseless pedestrian and money flow. Behind the Scene/ Tong Lau embodied the simple and daily faces behind the bustling of Hong Kong. The subdivided flat problem inside Tong Lau still exists nowadays, which is ironic for it to happen in such a wealthy city. However, it is still a popular choice for lower social class and youngsters as a survival from and start-up of life. They do not mind living on the eighth or ninth floor without a lift, they just want to survive and hopefully can live a life in the future. We shall admit that it is unrealistic to avoid city development, but please do not ignore the many other faces of the city, that realistically exist, Tong Lau. Photography by @mr_nkf #archi_kongcept #我港建築 #kongcept #我港 #唐樓 #舊區 #街道生活 #tonglau #olddistrict #streetlife

皇都第二回! 保留皇都形與神的保育方案!⚒🎭 我港分享了各種被遺忘和值得保育的香港文化，但今次不再紙上談兵，而是為保育一級歷史建築-皇都戲院-略盡綿力。新世界投得皇都戲院後，承諾形神俱備地讓皇都戲院重生，而旗下非牟利機構 @culturefortomorrow 最近籌辦了名為《尋找你我他的皇都》的代入式歷史體驗活動，作為是次計畫的序章。皇都戲院有多方面的價值：推動香港文化產業、劃時代的建築技術、和香港的生存印證。上次我港介紹了關於皇都對香港文娛發展的深遠影響(註1)，今次會著墨更多在其建築和空間之關係的介紹。 被忽視的現代主義建築/ 在繼續介紹皇都之前，先讓我說說皇都代表的現代主義建築。它們既沒有古典主義的羅馬柱，又沒有現代玻璃大廈的未來感，而當時現代主義多以建築功能作設計的首先考慮，因此被很多人覺得它們都只是平平無奇的水泥建築。但其實好的現代主義建築能透過外牆與其建築功能分佈的協調，透過規律的線條散發著含蓄而冷靜的美感。而現代主義建築記錄香港戰後的殖民地歷史，從其設計能找到香港當時的生活模式、社會狀況、甚至政治意圖。例如上回介紹的順利邨商場般(註2)的粗獷主義建築是內藏當時港英政府戰後更新國家形象的意圖。 香港獨有的現代主義演釋 - 皇都/ 當然，不是所有現代主義建築都擁有同等的價值，而最直接的量度好壞的方法是看設計背後的意圖和美學考慮的多寡。從整體設計來看，皇都戲院像是個反叛的孩子，與當時建造的戲院手法毫不相近， 建築師劉新科及工程師George. W. Grey 巧妙利用了外露的飛拱水泥鋼根結構，一個個規律的圓拱告訴你他們抓著的戲院究竟有多大。飛拱令戲院無需支柱支撐，提升了視覺和聽覺的質素。中大建築學教授鍾宏亮Thomas Chung更認為這設計是受著名現代主義建築師 Le Corbusier 的蘇維埃宮殿設計所啟發。 🎬🛍️戲院與商場的結合/ 但令我最印象深刻是原為停車場改建而成的商場，這可能是該年代香港少數集住宅、戲院、和商場於一身的建築。商場巧妙地利用上方戲院座位的高度差創造了與典型商場不同的商業空間。當你處身於商場內的走廊上，不難發覺每隔一段路就有樓梯向上或下行，商鋪高度也跟住坡道改變，十分有趣。而鋪頭的招牌和鋪頭外的信箱形造出街鋪。我曾探訪過停業前的皇都商場，看到一位店主的愛妻在鋪外埋頭苦幹做飯的畫面(註3)，商場環境好比一個小社區。 未來的活化計劃是將會重用戲院部份作表演空間，這是十分令人鼓舞的消息。有別於大館或PMQ等活化都將原建築功能改為文化空間，皇都戲院能夠將其背負著的那段輝煌的香港娛樂文化歷史帶到現在，為本地藝術工作者提供表演場地，這令此建築具更深的意義。過往很多現代主義建築都逃不過清拆的命運，例如政府帶頭清拆的皇后碼頭、舊政府總部、中環郵局總部等，皇都得以保留值得我們感到欣慰，我港寄望借它來告訴大眾，不少看現代主義建築的美! (註1)重溫: 皇都印證著香港文娛的發展 (註2)重溫: 順利邨商場流動的粗獷主義 (註3)重溫: 皇都店主愛妻的日常 Story有link! #我港 #kongcept #我港建築 #archi_kongcept #StateTheatre #皇都戲院 #NewWorld #hkarchitecture #hkconservation #hkheritage #readopt #活化 #皇都活化 #再說皇都 #歷史建築 #hkhistory #香港歷史 #香港社區 #hkmall #hkshopping #香港商場 #hktheatre #香港戲院 #hkculture #香港文化 #香港好きな人と繋がりたい

唐樓第二課! 有無發現你經常在九龍抬起頭來會發現轉角唐樓的蹤影？🏢 喘息空間/ 轉角唐樓泛指座落於兩條道路交界的唐樓，起源於1930年代。上回提到這年代的唐樓屬第三代的戰前產品，開始由建築師去設計。普通的唐樓牆身都緊近著另外兩側的唐樓，設計局限於面向街的外牆上花心思，但轉角唐樓則能夠運用轉角位伸展更大的臨街外牆，擁有僅餘的喘息空間去演變不一樣的變化。 發水蛋糕樓的那五年/ 轉角唐樓的出現源於19世紀中的條例規定，如樓宇的騎樓部份能作遮雨的公共用途則不計算為建築面積。作為精打細算的香港人當然“著數”拿最盡，樓宇跟著行人路的形狀走，於是出現了能為行人遮雨的弧形唐樓。第一代的轉角唐樓特色是它的騎樓多需以柱作支撐，這些大得誇張的騎樓又可以叫做「走馬騎樓」；第二代轉角唐樓出現在二戰後，因人口的膨脹，轉角唐樓的騎樓部份被僭建為室內空間，而當時政府是容忍的；第三代的轉角唐樓則建於1962到66年。因政府在1962提出修例以防止樓宇建得過大和高，但因修例改動太大而推遲到1966先推行。於是發展商紛紛趕著在這五年蓋最高最大的轉角唐樓。 The Breathing Space/ Do you know that corner Tong Lau is most common to be found in the Kowloon district?And it is a mixed-race of Hong Kongese and Belgian ? Corner Tong Lau, occurred in the 1930s, is regarded as the Tong Lau that was situated across two roads. The previous introduction of Tong Lau mentioned that they are the third generation of Tong Lau but were the first to be designed by architects. Ordinary Tong Lau sat side by side and limited the space for design efforts to be delivered, only on the façade facing the street. However, taking advantage of using a stretching façade crossing two roads, the variance could be found from the remaining breathing space. The Five Year of Cake-formed Tong Lau/ The emergence of corner tong lau originated in the mid-19th century regulations stipulating that if the extended part of a building can be served for public purposes as a shelter from rain, it was not counted as a built area. Of course, smart Hong Kong people did not miss out this chance to maximise their gain, they built an arc-shaped building contours extended along the footpath, formed the corner Tong Lau. The first-generation corner tong lau’s characteristic is the columns that need to be built to support the extended part. These exaggerated verandas could also be called " Horse-crossing Veranda "; the second-generation corner tong lau occurred due to the expansion of the population, the extension of the corner tong lau was illegally built as indoor spaces, tolerated by the government. The third-generation corner tong lau was built during 1962-66. The government proposed amendments in 1962 to prevent buildings from being built too large and tall, but delayed to be established until 1966.