Friday Photography | Kowloon Walled City

Kowloon Walled City in 1915

We "Go East" in tonight's episode of Friday Photography. I wanted to follow up on a previous post about density in which I mentioned the Kowloon Walled City because it really is a fascinating story. I first learned about the city in reading William Gibson's Idoru, and later learned that he took further inspiration from the city for his amazingly realized anarchic sqautter city built into the Golden Gate Bridge Oakland Bay Bridge in his novel Virtual Light. As a real life local, the city has shown up up in various movies, even a Jackie Chan flick (1993's Crime Story). The Walled City even inspired the virtual settings for the video game Shenmue 2. An abbreviated & slightly annotated Wikipedia entry will weave us a short story about the amazing but now demolished Walled City:

The history of the Walled City (known as Kowloon then) can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, where it served as a watchpost defending the area against pirates and managing the production of salt. The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory of 1898 which handed parts of Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years excluded the Walled City [which at this point was located in the heart of Honk Kong proper], with a population of roughly 700.

[Throughout the next 50 years] the Walled City remained a curiosity - a tourist attraction where British colonials could have a taste of the old China - [that is] until 1940, when during its WWII occupation of Hong Kong, Japan evicted people from the Walled City, and then demolished much of it - including the wall.

After Japan's surrender, squatters [mostly newcomers] began to occupy the Walled City, resisting several attempts by Britain in 1948 to drive them out. With no wall to protect it, the Walled City became a haven for crooks and drug addicts, as the Hong Kong Police had no right to enter the City. Mainland China refused to take care of it. The foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 added thousands of refugees to the population.

This is my favorite paragraph. By this time it is the late 1970's and 1980's:

Square buildings folded up into one another as thousands of modifications were made, virtually none by architects or engineers, until hundreds of square meters were simply a kind of patchwork monolith. Labyrinthine corridors ran through the monolith, some of those being former streets (at the ground level, and often clogged up with trash), and some of those running through upper floors, practically between buildings. The streets were illuminated by fluorescent lights, as sunlight was rare except for the rooftops. The only rules of construction were twofold: electricity had to be provided to avoid fire, and the buildings could be no more than about fourteen stories high, because of the nearby airport. A mere eight municipal pipes somehow provided water to the entire structure (although more could have come from wells).

... the story continues:

Over time, both the British and the Chinese governments found the massive, anarchic city to be increasingly intolerable - despite the low reported crime rate. The quality of life in the city, sanitary conditions in particular, was far behind the rest of Hong Kong. After the Joint Declaration in 1984, the Peoples Republic of China agreed with British authorities to demolish the City and resettle its inhabitants. The mutual decision to tear down the walled city was made in 1987. At that time, it had 50,000 inhabitants on 0.026 km², and therefore a very high population density of 1,900,000 / km². At its height, it was one of the most densely populated urban areas on Earth.

Evacuations started in 1991 and were completed in 1992. The 1993 movie Crime Story starring Jackie Chan was partly made in the deserted Walled City, and includes real scenes of building explosions. Kowloon Walled City was destroyed in the same year. Also, as the Walled City was beginning to be torn down, a group of Japanese explorers took about a week to tour the empty walled city, making a sort of map and a cross section of the city.

That last part is fascinating. Whoever that group was, I really hope they published their research. If anybody has any information on it, or on the Kowloon Walled city in general, get in touch! Until then, I'll be keeping my eyes out for it...

OK! Enough chit chat, on with the pictures (all of which were found with a simple Google search):


Kowloon Walled City in 1973









City Of Darkness: Life in Kowloon City seems to be the definitive book documenting the city and what it was like to live there with beautiful full color photographs - this has been on my wish list for years. The only other online resource worth mentioning, besides the Wiki entry above, is this page from Twenty4 - there are some great photographs (presumbly taken from City of Darkness) there.

Happy Friday!

Extreme divides between rich & poor

Disparity manifest in land use patterns pulled together by the always interesting deputydog.

The first two come to us from Caracas, Venezuela.




This one is taken on the edge of the Paraisopolis Favela in Morumbi, Sau Paulo.


Full post here. Thanks Maureen!

Talk about mixed use

This is right up there with the Kowloon Walled City in terms of jaw dropping examples of shear density. I have no idea where this video was taken, but it's incredible. File under further evidence of ingenuity in the face of massive over population.


Skip to the end of this one for some beautiful shots from the side of train.

The role of design in global, social, & humanitarian crisis

The lovely Cassie Neu on why design matters and our approach to it here at Architecture for Humanity: Minnesota - let it be local, let it be sustainable, let it be appropriate, let it be collaborative.

Recorded on May 2nd, 2007 at Solutions Volume 1 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Friday Photography | AFHMN in Sri Lanka

As reported earlier, 4 lucky AFHMNers recently took a trip to Sri Lanka to represent Architecture for Humanity: Minnesota at the grand opening of a new community center in the new village of Hikkaduwa.

Read more about our community center project with the Minnesota Sri Lanka Friendship Foundation here and here.


The built community center.


Inside the library.


Young dancers getting ready to perform at the opening.


Back row - the AFHMNers: Cassie, Jeffrey, Maureen & Rich / Front row - Sri Lankan children (with ball)

They also got to spend some time touring the region and have some great pics to prove it:









Check out the whole set on Flickr. (Thanks to Maureen for making her photos available!)

Happy Friday!

Prefab or Prefad?

The always thought provoking Witold Rybczynski has compiled a short slide show essay on why the modernist prefab movement hasn't caused the architectural revolution so many are hoping for. (coughDwellcough)


The, in my opinion, superbly designed LV Home by Rocio Romero.

On why this might be so, he quotes Colin Davies’ book The Prefabricated Home:

The strength of the prefabricated house lies in its popularity, its cheapness and the industrial base from which it operates," he writes. "These are precisely the areas in which modern architecture is weakest. Modern architecture is unpopular, expensive and divorced from industrial production. That is why whenever it has tried to extend its field to include the territory of the prefabricated house it has failed and been forced to retreat.

As much as it pains me to say so - Witold, Davies, and other are right. At present date, the reality of the situation is such that the prefabricated modernist movement is not fulfilling its promise of bring good design to the masses. Homes like those pictured above will remain in the realm of second homes and "cabins" for the wealthy while those picture below will remain not only more accessible, but more desirable, to the so called masses...





That is, unless we begin to realize that the systems that make the above suburban monotony possible can also lead to other far more intriguing design outcomes.

[insert shameless plug here]

One example comes from St. Paul based Cermak Rhoades Architects (whom I do happen to work for). They've gone back to the drawing board to design a series of modern homes that utilize the same smart growth principles and well designed house plans already developed for a Greater Minnesota Housing Fund program called Building Better Neighborhoods.



Though none of these homes have yet to be built, the fact remains that good contemporary design can be affordable when you use existing construction standards. From the website:

... these affordable homes are designed in a manner that reinforces a livable and efficient community. Smaller lot sizes, welcoming front porches, and alley access garages all contribute to help make these communities walkable and inviting... clean lines, simple forms, and rich colors.

The problem now is of course that pesky little thing called the "market". It doesn't matter how affordable or well designed it is if people won't buy it.

Check out the other side of the argument, as presented by local prefab gurus, Alchemy Architects (whom again, I think do great work), recorded at Solutions Volume 1:



Brief disclaimer: The contents of this blog reflect only my opinion and not those of any other organization or business, present employer included.

Black Balloons - Making CO2 Real

The Alliance for Climate Protection has a great advert up on their site called Black Balloons - Making CO2 Real (click for video).

The piece does a great job of making something invisible and possibly hard to comprehend very real and accessible.







(Thanks Jeffrey!)

The Children & The Soldiers

Three views from Iraq:



If the clips above are extremes on a spectrum of interaction, I have a feeling the one below is more representative of day-to-day life in Iraq. They explode a can of Pepsi, exchange gifts, have a plum fight, and finally debate their views on Michael Jackson.

Pardon the colorful language; these are scenes from a war, delivered unfiltered to your desktop.

Friday Photography | The Curiously Large Animals of Florentijn Hofman

I just couldn't hold out on these so Friday Photography is early this week. Enjoy!

"A yellow spot on the horizon slowly approaches the coast. People...watch in amazement as a giant, yellow, rubber duck approaches. The spectators are greeted by the duck, which slowly nods its head. The 'Rubber Duck' knows no frontiers; it doesn't discriminate...and doesn't have a political connotation."
- From the artist's website.















The architecture beneath the surface is often equally as interesting as the final product. Florentijn documents the building process of his oversized animals at his website.



Via the SFGate. Happy... Wednesday!?!?

Mission Statement

New & improved, the Architecture for Humanity: Minnesota mission statement:

We are architects, landscape architects, contractors, and designers who volunteer our time to something we are all passionate about: working with both local and international groups to help their communities with design solutions. It is each group’s knowledge and commitment to their community that makes each project successful. AFH MN serves as their resource along the way. Our philosophy for all of our projects: We design for people, with pride not pity.

AFH MN’s commitment to our clients is grounded in the following design tenants:

Let it be local: Design is informed by what is intrinsically bound to a culture. We respond to that, respect it, and draw upon it.

Let it be sustainable: We design for the health of humanity. Sustainability is about creating a balance between what we build and what is naturally meant to be and ensuring a project’s longevity and financial integrity.

Let it be appropriate: The components of a design are made compelling by their ability to respond to a community’s needs both technically and emotionally.

Let it be collaborative: Successful projects come from the informational input from all parties involved through the dedication of passionate people.

Thanks to Cassie and Pat for all of their hard work on this.

Monday's Odds & Ends

We begin with a few new links to your right...

Atelier A+D - Almost daily notes from a Seattle based intern architect.
rolu | dsgn - "... A catalog of the things that inspire us" from Rosenlof/Lucas, a Minneapolis based landscape design and installation firm.
Where - "A blog about urban places, placemaking, and the concept of "place" written from Chicago, IL.
The Sky Blue Waters Report - "...environmental news and investigative reporting focused on Minnesota, the Upper Midwest, and the Great Lakes region."



In a bit of exciting AFH:MN news: Jeffrey, Maureen, Rich, & Cassie are set to depart to the south-western tip of Sri Lanka this Sunday. They will be representing AFH:MN at the Hikkaduwa Learning Center Dedication. The Learning Center, initially designed 2 years ago at the first official AFH:MN Design Charrette, is a multi-purpose space for the growing community. At once a Montessori style school, library, and community center, we are very excited to see it completed and functioning. The project was developed by the Minnesota Sri Lanka Friendship Foundation, who also made 100+ new homes possible in the aftermath of the 2004 South Asian Tsunami. Look forward to a full report and pictures when they get back, but for now we'll have to settle for the "near completion" shots below.

In other Architecture for Humanity news, the Venice Beach chapter of Architecture for Humanity has widened their scope to the whole of Las Angeles and have appropriately updated their website. Their current projects include "a mobile education unit made from a shipping container to educate youth about technology and design." You'll see the new Las Angeles link filed under 'Architecture for Humanity' to the right. (Thanks Elliot!)

20 Months After Katrina: Survival & Revival

At Solutions Volume 1 back in early May Andy Richter presented his work documenting the impact HIV and AIDS are having on African communities living along mainland trucking routes. At the end of his presentation he gave us a sneak peak at his latest body of work documenting the places and people of New Orleans 20 months after Hurricane Katrina struck. This Thursday he is opening a show with fellow photographer Jenny Jenkins called Survival and Revival: Photography of New Orleans at CorAzoN in Downtown Minneapolis.

EVENT DETAILS
Survival and Revival: Photography of New Orleans
Thursday, July 19th | 7pm to 9pm *refreshments and live music
CorAzoN
Minneapolis Warehouse District
Washington and 2nd Ave North

Andy's work is full of gems, both large and small, like the series of photographs below that follow the temporarily repaired London Avenue Canal floodwall.





"The London Avenue Canal Levee and floodwall was breached during or shortly after Hurricane Katrina in late August of 2005. This breach contributed to the flooding of New Orleans. Some has speculated that were it not for the breachs most of western Gentilly may have been spared from major flooding.

... Examinations have shown that high water never topped the floodwalls; the flooding was due to engineering failure of the levees and floodwalls. Allegations of design flaws, shoddy construction, and use of inferior materials are being investigated." - Wikipedia

To see the full extent of Andy's photography in New Orleans, be sure to check out both his "Urban" and his "People" galleries. Combined, these two gallery's show the enormous pride, hope, and spirit still alive in the face of complete urban destruction, even close to two years later.







Hope to see you at the show!

Making the Clean Hub a Reality

UPDATE: Inhabitat covers the clean hub, 07/13/07.

Deuce Seven & Street Art Reconsidered

After laying low and working up a local following in the Twin Cities, graffiti artist Deuce Seven (aka: Deuse Sevin, Deuce 7, or just simply 27) recently made two trips to New York City, one in January of this year and then again in March, that catapulted his work into the national spotlight in a surprising way. Unlike other recent graff-world news to draw widespread attention (see the Splasher fiasco here, here, and here), 27's work is noteworthy for its creative merit and beautiful execution - as exhibited below.




photo: Surlygrrrl

I'd like to use 27's work to air out some thoughts on how street art is changing and invite you to do the same if you're so inclined. During 27's second stay in the Big Apple The Village Voice posted a short interview with him and posed the question: "Is a guy from Minnesota the new king of New York street art?" - proving that talent will always trump gimmickry and prolific output, even in the graffiti-saturated New York streetscape.

But there are two aspects of his work that have been yet ill-commented on that interest me most. The first is 27's apparent dedication to and embracement of the temporal characteristic of his medium. Where most graffiti is driven by some combination of 1) real estate of the public realm and 2) ease of accessibility in the cover of night, 27 seems to forgo the immediate limelight in favor of encouraging those interested in his art to seek it out in the liminal and often condemned space of the city.





[Sidenote: This isn't to say he won't paint well known spots. He hit the Williamsburg Bridge (a kind of graff-world landmark in NYC) with beautiful pieces both times he was there.]


photo: GammaBlog


photo: setstatic

The second aspect of his work that interests me is the way in which it has spread. His work is so well represented online that I will go so far as to announce the emergence of a new kind of "street art paparazzi", people compelled to scour urban outer realms, find his work - and the work of others, document it, and share it online.


photo: Luna Park



In this approach, it seems that 27 has at least partially sidestepped the most common argument against graffiti. Rather then "vandalizing" the public realm, he paints in buildings destined for demolition, or in other cases simply screws art into street sign posts. The hunt for his work often takes the viewer far from every day life in the city, but through his cultivation of the street art paparazzi, more people then ever before are able to see his art. It should be said that this is not an entirely new phenomenon, but I do think that 27 is doing it better then anybody else at the moment. At the vary least, the artist's work and recent notoriety in New York City provide a good segue into a larger discussion about the changing place of street art in the city...

... and of course provide me with an opportunity to display a little MPLS pride.

[Thanks is due to the numerous photographers on Flickr and elsewhere who make this often temporary art permanently available to a global audience. Check out their photographs: dancypants, TrespassersWill's, The Curse of Brian, Luna Park, and Artistikfunk and show them some love.

UPDATE: Or you could go straight to the source: Twenty~7's Flickr account via Format.]