【Festive Offer】Autumn 2024 Issue

# Festive Special Packaging 【Hong Kong Region Exclusive】 **For delivery before Christmas, please complete your online order by 19/12 at the latest.** -- About this issue: While Hong Kong may not be the only place in Asia or the world facing issues of population density and housing shortages, it is undoubtedly one of the few cities that can accommodate a high-density population within such a confined land area, rapidly developing countless buildings in a short span of time. Yet, in every era, people's demands and expectations for housing differ. In the 1950s, a family of five living in a 120-square-foot resettlement building felt fortunate; today, many in the new generation prefer to live alone, even if it means renting a subdivided unit or a "coffin home." Beyond property prices and rental yields, how do we measure the happiness of those who live within? Does owning a property mean having a home? Does having a house mean having a "wu-kei" (home)? Hong Kong Homes, how do homes shape the city's character, Featured Content: REmode// From Tenement Houses to Subdivided Units—Living Cramped, Living Comfortably? From tenement buildings to mixed-use commercial and residential blocks, to large private housing estates; from partitioned rooms to cage homes, cubicles, nano flats, and "coffin homes," Hong Kong's diverse architectural designs not only showcase the living environments and quality of life changes of Hongkongers across different stages but also challenge us on how to live in increasingly smaller and more expensive spaces. REname// Sales Brochures—The Art of Selling Property Sales brochures are perhaps among the most practical yet imaginative advertising materials. They must detail the layout, dimensions, materials, and facilities of residential units while allowing potential buyers to envision the life they could lead within these buildings. Comparing sales brochures from different eras also reflects the underlying desires of people in those times. REhouse// Public Housing Evolution Over Seventy Years The Shek Kip Mei fire on Christmas night in 1953 prompted the Hong Kong government to abandon its non-interventionist policy and consider how to alleviate the pressure and potential risks posed by a large population living in wooden structures. Resettlement buildings in various districts later became collective memories for the post-war baby boomer generation. Where did the H-shaped design originate? How did public housing designs evolve in the subsequent decades? REmark// The Diverse Experiment of Cho Yiu Estate Perched on Lai King Hill, Cho Yiu Estate, completed in the 1970s and 80s, was designed by the architectural firm P&T Group, which had also planned Choi Hung Estate. It not only utilized the hilly terrain to create what were then the world's tallest public housing buildings but also incorporated numerous experimental designs. This feature invites two architects, Hui Mo-yi and Wong Lun-hong, to analyze, through photography and original blueprints, how Cho Yiu Estate's design projected visions of future living. REdefine // Three Lives, Three Wishes—A Century of the "Gupo House" in Nam Chung Built in 1908, Yun Chun Tong, located in a Hakka village in the border area of Nam Chung, was once a "Gupo House" (a house for unmarried women) for self-reliance within the village. By the 1980s, the elderly Gupo had passed away, and the house fell into disrepair. However, a British couple passionate about the history and culture of Hong Kong's New Territories established a local museum, continuing the stories of the Gupo. Today, a group of young people pursuing a life of self-sufficiency are practicing holistic living here, writing a new chapter for Yun Chun Tong. REgain// Yonfan—A Life Wandering Through Mid-Levels In Hong Kong, where land is scarce and the population dense, space is money. Old houses that manage to survive are increasingly rare, and the stories of the houses and their inhabitants are easily forgotten. From No. 1 Kotewall Road to No. 7 Conduit Road; from pre-war to modern times; from Huang Yongyu to Leslie Cheung; from life, friends, to creative work, although these old houses are now in the past, their stories continue to circulate in director Yonfan's memory. REview// From North Point Estate to So Uk Estate: Post-War Middle-Class Public Housing Design Members of the "FAAR Post-War Architectural Research Archive" team review the design characteristics of three housing estates from the 1950s—North Point Estate, Sai Wan Estate, and So Uk Estate. Although their target demographic was not the lowest-income segment of society but rather "low-wage earners in the white-collar class," they demonstrated the diverse possibilities of public housing as collective residences. REsidential// Opulent Mansions True "luxury residences" are not just about the price tag but also about how they create a certain grandeur, reflecting a family's glory and the values of a particular historical period. Even when old-fashioned mansions have faded from their prime, they evoke the elegance and meticulousness of the "old rich" and lay the historical foundation for the city's opulence. Other Featured Content: REsettle// Wooden Houses / Bungalows / Temporary Housing After the Shek Kip Mei fire, the Hong Kong government established the Resettlement Department in 1954 to formally coordinate the housing of residents from squatter areas. Prior to this, facing population growth in different phases before and after the war, the government and various charitable organizations made different housing arrangements, even if they were merely "temporary" measures. REthink// Subsidized Housing in the 1960s Hong Kong's subsidized housing designs are diverse, reflecting the explorations and experiments of architects at the time in response to the living habits of Hongkongers and the overall socio-economic environment. An article by local architectural historian Lai Chun-wai analyzes how subsidized housing in that era considered changes in population and family structures, as well as the lifestyles and habits of different social classes, to ensure social mobility. REmember// The Passage of Time at "Bixiu" In Hong Kong, many once grand and prominent family mansions have been demolished and rebuilt. Those that have been preserved have their own unique stories. Bixiu, located on Blue Pool Road in Happy Valley, was built in the 1950s by local businessman Wong Ho Chuen. It not only carries the footprints of this Chinese family in Hong Kong but also holds the enduring affection of a granddaughter for her maternal grandfather. REcreate// Reimagining Old Houses French artist Man Ting, residing in Hong Kong, has journeyed from urban areas to the countryside over 14 years. Starting with the exterior walls of tenement buildings, she delved into ruins and is now meticulously documenting houses and people in New Territories villages. Through painting, photography, and mixed-media collage, she moves between the real and the surreal, recreating how these rural dwellings embody an indispensable aspect of Hong Kong. ISBN: 978-988-74818-4-3 Price: HK$160 Printed and Produced in: Hong Kong Publication Date: Late October Exclusive Offer for Online Store Autumn Issue With every order, receive a "Detached Houses / Tenement Houses, The Beauty of Windows" postcard (one random design). Windows are an indispensable element of a house, allowing for ventilation and sunlight, and are also part of the design style. The Tai Tam Tuk Raw Water Pumping Station Staff Quarters (built in the early 20th century) photographed by Lam Hiu-man of "Heritage Hong Kong," and tenement houses from the 1950s in Shek Kip Mei, respectively showcase the beauty of windows in Western-style detached houses and Chinese-style tenement buildings. (Limited quantity, while supplies last)