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Portrayed as the 'accidental pioneer of a new kind of urbanism', Hong Kong's evolution is traced from its pre-colonial and colonial origins to the contemporary
vertical and
volumetric metropolis of towers, podia-and-towers, decks, bridges, escalators and other components of multi-level city living.
List of contents
1. A State of IntenCity 2. Precedents 3. Long, Low and Intense: From Possession Point to World War II 4. Massing and Rising: The Post-War Decades 5. Vertical and Volumetric: Post 1980 6. Podium and Tower 7. Emerging Volumetric: Components 8. Conclusion: Vertical and Volumetric Postscript: Advancing the Volumetric on Old District and New Territory Sites
About the author
Barrie Shelton is Honorary Associate Professor, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney.
Justyna Karakiewicz is Associate Professor of Urban Design, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne.
Thomas Kvan is the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning and Assistant Vice Chancellor (Campus Development) at the University of Melbourne.
Summary
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' website: http://www.makingofhk.com/makingofhk.swf
