HONG KONG MODERN Architecture of the 1950s-1970s

 
The online exhibition guided tour took place on 13.2.2022 (Sun) at 3:30pm. In case you have missed it, please watch it on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtuuvddc2sw .

The book can be purchased at the exhibition.

In the post-war decades, Hong Kong architects, many of them having migrated from China or studied overseas, embraced modern principles when forced to face the problems of housing shortage, mass construction and limited budgets in the British colony. Although economic efficiencies often prevailed over design, their buildings were rooted in their time and place, reflecting the local climate, social values, materials, technique and use in an often unique and pragmatic fashion.

The exhibition HONG KONG MODERN Architecture of the 1950s-1970s gives an unprecedented comprehensive overview on the architecture of that transformative period, and is unique in combining photography and carefully researched background information. For the first time, based on their research, German urban planner and photographer Walter Koditek and British architect and researcher Charles Lai co-exhibit their work focusing on the architecture of the post-war period. More than 200 photographs of modernist building facades taken by Walter Koditek over the last five years are arranged for the exhibition in seven thematic grids grouped by building typology. These photographs are complemented by Charles Lai’s drawings, photographs, and models of fifteen iconic modern buildings, among them the Hong Kong Arts Center by Tao Ho, thus showcasing the wide spectrum of architectural vocabularies and local characteristics of Hong Kong’s post-war modern architecture, as well as the colourful life stories of the Chinese architects behind these buildings.

Book Launch
Koditek, Walter
HONG KONG MODERN Architecture of the 1950s-1970s
ISBN 978-988-78796-2-6    © 2022 by Apsara Books, Hong Kong
ISBN 978-3-86922-798-6    © 2023 by DOM publishers, Berlin
                                                                                                        
The newly published book HONG KONG MODERN Architecture of the 1950s-1970s will be presented by the author during the exhibition opening. The book combines three elements: It is (1) a “coffee table” photo book with full page photographs of building facades; (2) an architectural guidebook/documentation with texts and b/w images explaining and illustrating the design and background of these buildings; and (3) a set of essays on Hong Kong’s architectural and urban history by local scholars Cecilia Chu, Eunice Seng, Ying Zhou and Charles Lai. The publication of book was supported by Docomomo Hong Kong, Design Trust Seed Grant and the Goethe-Institut Hongkong.

Walter Koditek

Walter Koditek is a German urban planner, author and photographer based in Hong Kong. After graduating at Technical University Berlin, Walter’s first professional life had him practicing for almost two decadesat various planning/design consultancies and teaching at university. In 2006, he relocated to Asia, where he worked as an urban planning expert in Cambodia and Vietnam. He moved on to Hong Kong in 2014, using the city as a base for his consultant work, and documenting its unique architectural landscape with his camera whenever possible. Walter has always been a strong advocate of cultural heritage conservation. He published the photo book Battambang Heritage (2018, Apsara Books, Hong Kong) and co-authored the Architectural Guide Phnom Penh (2020, DOM Publishers, Berlin), before focusing on the modernist architectural legacy of Hong Kong.

Charles Lai

Charles Lai is a British Architect and researcher in the history and conservation of Hong Kong and Asia modern architecture. He received his PhD degree in architectural history and theory from the University of Hong Kong Department of Architecture, and diploma degree from the AA School of Architecture in London. Charles is currently Partner of the architectural studio a o n a and co-founder of the online marketing and experience curatorial company Culture Lab. He is also a member of Docomomo Hong Kong and his researches explore the history of modern architecture in East and Southeast Asia, the material culture and history of Shanghai plaster, as well as the conservation of historical built heritages.