The Making of Hong Kong: From Vertical to Volumetric

by Barrie Shelton, Justyna Karakiewicz, Thomas Kvan

This book investigates what the history of Hong Kong’s urban development has to teach other cities as they face environmental challenges, social and demographic change and the need for new models of dense urbanism. The authors describe how the high-rise intensity of Hong Kong came about; how the forest of towers are in fact vertical culs de sac; and how the city might become truly ‘volumetric’ with mixed activities through multiple levels and 3D movement networks incorporating ‘town cubes’ rather than town squares. For more information, visit the authors'

Genres: Architecture

184 pages, Hardcover

First published December 20, 2010

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting review of the evolution of Hong Kong's built form through the paradigms of population density and intensity (of services). The authors trace Hong Kong's urban history on both the macro-level (first the development of the "linear" city of Victoria and then its cross-harbor counterpart in Kowloon, followed in the latter half of the Twentieth century by the expansion into the New Territories) and the micro-level (from the walled village and shop-house prevalent in Hong Kong pre-1950 to the tower-and-podium structure so common today) - making particular note of the active role of government in tandem with the private sector to respond to harsh land supply constraints. Public housing, public transport, and the unique conceptualization/utilization of space and movement in Hong Kong (owing to geography and said land constraints) are discussed. Original illustrations, maps, and diagrams supplement the text to make this an excellent introduction to the history of urban design in Hong Kong.

[Alexander Song · Rating 5 out of 5]

香港狭小的土地空间发展出世界级的城市，令人叹为观止。本书从香港作为一个殖民据点（维多利亚城）的发展脉络为切入点，讲香港的典型城市建筑如何从最早的shop house发展到后面的摩天大厦，环环相扣。也提到香港政府应对不断涌入的外来人口和与日增长的公共服务压力，在政策上如何一次次妥协，造就了如今的香港城市界面。读完此书，对香港全球领先的建筑学科有了新的认识——很少有大学所在的城市需要面对如此多的建筑挑战与实践。总之，很好的一本书，有点学者气，但值得一读。