tête-bêche : rethinking the city’s identity at the urban edge

[thesis statement]

“We are witnessing certainly not the disappearance of culture (of Hong Kong), but some original and yet untheorized form of culture, what I propose to describe as a culture of disappearance.” — Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics of Disappearance, Ackbar Abbas

“By making we realize idea is only a seed for extension in phenomena. Sensations of experience become a kind of reasoning distinct to the making of architecture.” – Anchoring, Steven Holl

The thesis aims to construct a physical intervention between the residential area and the CBD for re-recognizing the culture of the city

as well as to manifest and maximize the potential of the stratum found in the sharp edge between the urban environment and the nature.

[description]

The City

Described by Ackbar Abbas as “a city of transients”, Hong Kong had had its residents going to and fro and thinking the city as a temporary stop. In recent years the citizens have been searching for a more definite cultural identity. As the prestigious residential area at a proximity to the CBD, Mid-levels is only a place for sleeping: the people have their life divided into work and sleep only. The thesis aims to provide a place for the people to search for a life beyond that.

The Site

“Architecture and nature are joined in a metaphysics of place” – Steven Holl

Glenealy is a place near the hub of the city of Hong Kong but it is yet to be discovered. A ravine surrounded by old Catholic church, school, the Botanical and Zoological Gardens and high-rise residential towers, it is not commonly known even among locals, while they might pass through it every day. There is a highly efficient multi-layer flyover network on the top of the valley connecting the Mid-levels to Central and Admiralty.

Nature-artificial landscape-footpath-flyover.

Possessing a vast verticality with adverse qualities at different levels, the site is perfect as a vertical exhibition of the history of urban development in Hong Kong. 

Tête-bêche

The proposition was started with a novel named “tête-bêche”. Tête-bêche is a joined pair of stamps in which one is upside-down in relation to the other, produced intentionally or accidentally. This name reveals the structure of the novel.

In the design, through participating in different programmes, in which activities are carried out in different speed, people encounter each other and their multiple sensations are triggered. Thus people can get a more complete perception of the space, i.e. how the edge of the urban environment interweaves the nature. The experience, of when and where they move and dwell, will be designed with careful consideration of the site context.

A pavilion as a spiritual gathering place, which shares the characteristics of a place for religious activities, would be designed at the hillside. The vast ground usually appears at the front of a Chinese temple (廟前地) would appear in the form of open theatre and meditation space intertwine with the existing infrastructure. This is inspired by the small temple pavilions appeared everywhere in Hong Kong, either in between towers at the roadside, or next to hiking trails. The old temple pavilions usually house the god of earth (福德公), which is worshiped to make prayers for wealth and people’s well-being. In the design the pavilion acts as a stimulator, and the foreground of the temple although appears in different form, still acts as a place for holding larger-scale social gathering.

By following the three steps in phenomenological approach mentioned by Norberg-Schulz in Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture, the series of public space will be designed with sensory awareness. There will be nodes for every encounter between people / automobiles / traces, to provide a unique experience of meeting at the edge of urban and natural environment of Hong Kong.

[outline of research]

Frequent site visits would be conducted to see how the different circulation paths merge, compete, separate and reconcile.

In the design, flyovers should not solely provide speed and convenience. It becomes a test site for speculation on alternatives in infrastructure. With different streams of circulation collide, people may get a more complete perception about the space.

Analysis on the traffic flow, the pedestrian behavior, and the landscape will be carried out.

Nodes are designed for people to assemble. Different programmes such as meditation space, running track, car park etc. are introduced for collisions in different speeds.

Ultimately a series of public space will be created for people to travel from the mid-levels to the CPD, but at the same time to have close encounter with the nature.

[precedents]

1. Minamidera, Tadao Ando // spiritual gathering place

2. Inujima Seirensho Art Museum, Sambuichi Hiroshi // spatial drama

3. High Line, James Corner Field Operations // programme organisation

[bibliography]

Literature:

Borges, Jorge Luis. The Garden of Forking Paths (a.k.a. El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan), Argentina. Editorial Sur, 1941.

Borges, Jorge Luis. The Book of Sand (a.k.a. El libro de arena, Argentina. Emecé Editores, 1975.

Liu, Yichang. 對倒 (Tête-bêche), Hong Kong. Huo Yi Chu ban Shi Ye You Xian Gong Si, 2000.

Architecture / cultural studies reading:

Abbas, M.A. Hong Kong : culture and the politics of disappearance, Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press, 1997

Gehl, Jan. Life Between Buildings Using Public Space, Denmark. The Danish Architectural Press, 2006.

Holl, Steven. Anchoring, NY, USA. Princeton Architectural Press, 1989.

Holl, Steven. Edge of a City, NY, USA. Princeton Architectural Press, 1991.

Li, Zhi-ming. 單聲道：城市的聲音與記憶 (Monotype : Sound and Memory of City), Taiwan. Linking Books Press, 2013.

Lynch, Kevin. The Images of the City, MA. MIT Press, 1960.

Schoemaker, Jacqueline. The Undivided City, The Netherlands. Onomatopee, 2012.

Turner, Tom. City as Landscape, London. E & FN Spon, 1996.