PARA(magka)SITE

Four Layers of Magnification of Perceptions

“Science has not and never will have the same ontological sense as the perceived world, for the simple reason that it is a determination or an explanation of that world.”

“Truth does not “inhabit” only the “inner man.” Or more accurately, there is no inner man; man is in the world, it is within the world that he knows himself.”

MERLEAU-PONTY Maurice

Phenomenology and Perception

WHAT?

Ground floor of the HSBC headquarters is a public place accessible to anyone. These spaces are normally used as an access for people traveling from Des Voex Road to Queen’s Road Central, vise-versa. However, during weekends on sundays, this no-programme public space is turn into a complex community of the domestic helpers in Hong Kong, what they call “home.” There are focus points which provides services to the community such as nail services, salon services, local delicacies shops, dvd rental services, phone card, clothes, bingo service, small mass group, drinks, pocket book rentals which makes the community richer. In comparison when first city was developed in Mesopotamia, it was not because someone design it but rather when people stopped hunting, they settled and take advantage of the services they have and provide these services to other people, such as farming, hence a city was born.

Also, this community is so complex that the linkages between homes are made out of many aspects such as local dialect, religion, province, family, friendship, hobbies and habits, personality and the type of food they love – as shown in the diagram above.   

It is actually a model for Hong Kong, a dense city where public space is very limited and low sense of community, to grasp and learn how to value the sharing of spaces. Also, it actually allows Hong Kong people to ensure the sense of community and livelihood. A model to city planners that sometimes a successful city model is developed from its people rathen than designed.

WHY?

As a domestic helper working in Hong Kong, they not only have to live in a city that is foreign to them, but also have to be away from home and their love ones. They don’t really have a place that resembles their homes in Hong Kong. They, therefore, is lacking the sense of belonging. Many factors contribute to this: language barrier; they only are earning minimum wage; entertainments and leisure activities are expensive in Hong Kong, limited access to education, culture, social resources and information relative to other residents of Hong Kong. In addition, they face constant discrimination and irrational anger or dislike from the local community i.e. Hong Kong Tourist hostage in Manila has lead the local to associate domestic helpers with the Philippine Government and incidences of physical abuse by employers toward domestic helpers. This inevitably results in domestic helpers feeling isolated from and being isolated by the local community.

HOW?

The process will be a cycle, going back and forth, from understanding by spatial drawing to comparing (analytical drawing) to trying to implement by making changes then back to analysis. 1. Analyse the existing condition(s) – By using spatial drawing(s), we can understand the complex receipes which allow it to work as a system. 2. First hand Interview – actual site work, interview the domestic helpers. 3. Compare to existing place for them – why it does / doesn’t it work. 4. Change the Variables – ask them to move about if possible the record the effect 5. Analyse the new condition – axon drawing. 6. Compare and analyse the differences.

We need to confront what is/are missing between local people and domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Understanding new cultures, traditions, race and/or anything that is unknown to a person should start by looking at their perceptions – sight, hearing, smell and touch. Sight – It is an important perception to have an immediate visual connection to others. By seeing the domestic helpers scattered around Central, we could start to engage to them, hence, an initial step to activite other senses as well. Hearing – sound is invisible, however, it has the capacity to define or characterize a space. It can be defined as the languange they speak and/or the levels of sound. Smell – it can help the eyes record the moment and activates other senses. It can implant the condition deeper i.e. the food they share. Touch – it guides and allows the perceptual world to engage. It allows more immediate physical connection and clairfy other senses as well as completes the overall experience.