HK City Block ver. 2.5

For the later half of 21^st century Hong Kong, the city block typology must continue to evolve in order to maintain vitality for this mature metropolis. Although it’s proven density capable, the future needs more; more tactical program distribution and land-use in order to simultaneously sustain workers’ lifestyle, economic activity and city image.

Influx of investment and labour keeps the city competitive yet land shortage and flexibility are the real limiting factors. The high land price policy fuels economy at huge costs; suffering from minimal living conditions, chronic congested commute and homogenous residential zones, the exploited working population is crying for a sustainable live/work model. 

Economy cannot stand alone without the people; any development must consider human resources while maximizing the economic potential of every city block. Rigid town planning can only work so far before the city saturates; planners may lack land but architects can create space. Therefore the city may benefit from a strategic redistribution of residential and commercial spaces at an architectural level; that will be tested in a prototypical city block design.

Project Description: Urban impact by proximity, diversity and flexibility in tenement buildings will continue to be valid, yet they had served beyond their capacity and must be physically replaced. Verticality in podium towers will continue to embrace density but their composition must be revised to induce urban interaction. Opposing the satellite town commuting model, people ought to live and work in proximity to improve on lifestyle and traffic. Furthermore, it is imperative to maintain land value not only by location, but by urban activity and image. Maximize surface area of higher profit programs to fully capitalize on all plots. The city cannot afford to have plots occupied by preservation, muted by autonomy or isolated by homogeneity. The city “center” must propagate with vibrant economic activity and skyline to every plot of land, simultaneously supported by a closely housed working population. The city’s “back of house” needs to be integrated closely to support the expanding “stage”.

Method: As plots of land are bought up and merged, the whole city block will be developed as one mixed use building complex. This scale of development embeds capacity for hyper compositions for the typical tower. Based on a revised model of living and working, the city block will juxtapose programs intensely in section. Mixed programming will hybridize the different residential classes and commercial activities within towers to ensure constant urban activity. Proximate privacy, controlled circulation in vertical communities will bring different population groups to live closely apart. Shop frontage and commercial exposure will be maximized to fully exploit the plot’s earning potential. All to be contained within an articulated city block; sectionally lifestyle enabling, formally hybrid expressing and visually image crafting.

Research: Learning from the tenement building, podium tower and satellite town, each typology has its individual impact and contribution to the city block. Their program mix and urban relationship will inform a sensible program distribution. Plans of existing public and private housing of all classes will inform the residential unit types. Population projection studies will inform the class mix and scale of development. Lifestyle interviews will inform living unit, circulation link, communal facility and program proximity. Industry research will inform the commercial organization and clustering.

Observation & Stance: As of present, the classic tenement building is the most versatile. Providing low cost minimal living by subdivided flats with compressed commercial activity both at street and upper levels positioned in most prime areas. The urban energy that tenement buildings generate comes from the mixed use and proximity to the street. Yet they have been exploited to such a deteriorated state that they are soon to be demolished and replaced. 

The infamous podium tower is efficient in providing high rise residential or office tower above and multistorey shopping mall and carpark below. The density is achieved by intensely stacking concentrated programs. However the self-contained towers and internalized podium eliminates urban interaction. Homogenous malls and anonymous facades diminishes urban energy. The plot is only valuable for its location and not its urban impact. 

The satellite town is utopic in providing mass housing in the suburb, sacrificing distance in return for area. Nevertheless, large area of residential development without supporting commercial activity forces all residents to be commuters, putting stress on transport and urban areas as jobs remain in the city. Also, the homogenous nature, both in aesthetic and program, diminishes urban energy of the area; leaving only value in its distance to the city.

Annotated Bibliography:

The imagery in Francisco Mujica, The City Of The Future by Antonio Sant’elia in 1928 embraced the high dense, vertical and multilayer metropolis, which is the futurist spirit of urban development that motivates this project. 

The illustration in Narkomtiazhprom by Vesnin Brothers in 1934 highlighted possibilities of the constructivist skyscraper, shedding light on verticality and tower merging composition. 

The art work in Frozen Assets, A Cross Section Through The City by Diego Rivera in1931 depicts segregation in New York, the city fueled by the mistreated working class; Hong Kong is confronted with the same problem and ought to be addressed in design.

The phenomena of Torre David shows great urban impact of homeless invasion in a deserted office tower under specific circumstances. The unfinished curtain wall of the office tower provided a hybrid aesthetic of residential and commercial, implying a schizophrenic tower. Much visual  inspiration for localized mix programming, vertical community and urban proximity. 

Kowloon Walled City was essentially a self-contained city block that provided all needs for residents; much inspiration for sectionally composing a vertical community in a large building complex.