cheungvogl

The Public Layer . Hong Kong

source: cheungvogl

Due to climate, density of population and traffic, skywalks are a common connection and inter-link between public places, shopping malls, residential developments and public transport, spanning across and along the streets and roads of Hong Kong. In many ways and occasions, the city shows parallels to Le Corbusier's model of layered city structure. For example, Hong Kong's first private housing estate, Mei Foo Sun Chuen in Kowloon, built in stages between 1965 and 1978, provides automotive and pedestrian circulation on the ground floor, paired with retail and wet markets and car park on the lower levels above ground.  On top of these, a public podium creates a wide and open space for public facilities and squares, courtyards and retail, connecting all stages of the development via bridges, forming a huge pedestrian zone. Also, considering Hong Kong's efforts in reclamation of land, contributing to its high population and density, concerning the limit of space, "The Public Layer, Hong Kong" reclaims the space above Des Voeux Road and adjacent, Central Hong Kong, to take the challenge to provide the demanded horizontal space for exhibition and public in the vertically orientated city centre, providing shade to the street level, connection between the public spaces and to the MTR (public transport Hong Kong), creating a museum, which is uniquely involved in its context as it is a landmark, solely by its humble integration into the public and urban environment.