If architects are not prepared to take the broader view, then they are forcing on themselves control of civic design by an Arts Council; a Civic Trust or a Fine Arts Commission for the continual construction of form less gorges through the concrete jun- gle, cannot go on.
Architects, with the willing co- operation of their clients, must make a contribution to civic improvement when executing their urban projects. Philanthropy on the part of each and every developer is not asked for, though a title philanthropy in this direction would not go amiss. What is asked for, is a consideration of the contribution that each and every building can make to the good design. of the urban environment: A deve- loper has yet to dedicate the whole of the ground floor of his building to the public, despite the fact that by doing so, his financial venture could be made just as profitable When will Hong Kong realise that good design means good business?
Not Good Business
Hong Kong manufacturers have been told many times that no matter how good in quality are their pro- ducts, they will not sell unless they have visual appeal, in themselves and in their wrappoings. Advertising here is crude and devoid of good taste. and much of what is shown on tele- vision, on cinema screens and in newspapers has the opposite from the desired effect. Good building design, good environmental design is likewise good business.
It is probably a vain hope appeal- ing to the altruism of individual develolpers to recognize that they have a civic duty and to expect them to make a contribution to environ- mental design. (This will have to come, as has already been suggested by Government Planning). But there is one thing of a scale that can be simply handled, that can be done without cost that is control of the civic vandals, those perpetrators of the appaling, every day civic struc- tures, the civic furniture as it were, which the public uses and sees every day.
The
Let us cite a few examples:- tubular steel cattle-pen railings that guard our street corners and collect the pedestrian "herds" into queues for buses, like lining up for a cattle- dip: the concrete post and six-foot
66
high chain-link fences (or alternative- ly angle iron post, chain-link and barbed-wire topped fences) which turn our small public parks and gar- dens into P.O.W. Camps; the tubular steel and corrugated iron bus-shelters looking as if they have been impro- vised on the spot by a gang of work- men along our grand new boule- vard, Connaught Road: also the con- crete tank obstacles which go for tram-stop shelters (notice too what they look like from the top-deck of a tram).
Ugliest Example
The list is endless, the litter bins, the dirty green lamp posts, the traffic signs (dilapidated wood boards), public seat benches (shades of Victorian Margate!), the steel boxes. always prominently sited that house transformers etc. etc. etc. An amus- ing game could be started for cash prizes find the ugliest example of street architecture. Oddly enough the public lavatories would not stand a chance they are generally better de- signed than most street appurtenance. The one below Queen Mary Hospital on Pokfulam Road has far more style than the nearby bus shelters.
TT
Contrast all this with the one piece of real civic design, the point duty policeman's shelter, which has style, character and a taste of the tradition- al. Whoever designed this, deserves a gold medal.
Contrast also the shabby corrugated iron ferry terminals along the Wan- chai waterfront and even the concrete Star Ferry piers with that charming elegant relic of a cast-iron era, Blake Pier, soon to be destroyed.
There is not much to set an exam- ple, if such is needed; the lack of good design in these matters is pro- bably due to ignorance of their importance.
In China
A recent distinguished visitor to mainland China was impressed with the extensive tree-planting which was being carried out in the large cities.
Trees, shrubs and plants, particularly flowering varieties, having a soft- ening humanizing effect оп the environment, forming interesting con- trasts in form and colour with build- ings, and which may be used to co-
ordinate design. Some pitiful at- tempts have made to do planting in Hong Kong, Star Ferry concourse, Wanchai waterfront again, but really quite ineffectively. It is known that the "barren soil" of Hong Kong and the prevalence of typhoons does not make planting easy; but modern techniques in transplating and protec- tion during establishment does make tree planting possible.
Grass is not difficult to grow, and the
and maintenance of flowers shrubs in large stone (or even well designed concrete flower boxes) is a relatively simple matter.
From Renaissance Rome with its magnificent sculptured fountains to modern Sydney with its Alamein Memorial Fountain, a wonderful sphere of fine misty sprays, water has been used most effectively to give grace and to liven the urban scene. Hong Kong's efforts in this direction, at Causeway Bay and at Kowloon Star Ferry Terminal are so crude as to be ludicrous, ugly belches of water falling into basins devoid of design-- the recent removal of the former for road reconstruction is no loss.
Fountains skillfully designed fulfil the same function as trees and vegetation, they provide contrasting form and material and have a humanizing effect.
Great Opportunities
The news that Stature Square in Victoria is to be reclaimed by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank from a car-park swamp to public open space is to be acclaimed. Great op- portunities occur here for the use of both moving and static water, for changes of level, and for planting and paving. However the architect concerned has problems of scale and contrasts of style. With his existing enclosing walls, the possibilities of designing a truly fine centre to this City is great.
So much could be done with a little dedication and sensitivity, by those people who are responsible for the design of the details of the urban outdoor rooms. Who are they? Does anyone know? Do these things just happen?
On second thoughts perhaps the only answer is a powerful Civic Trust as well as environmental planning of course.
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER—VOLUME 19, NUMBER 3