Adam Frampton, Jonathan D. Solomon, and Clara Wong

In hyper-dense urban landscapes where acquiring ground space is a challenge, how does public activism navigate its terrain? The intricacies of Hong Kong compel us to re-evaluate the perceptions of ground's significance and purpose.

 

Scholars Adam Frampton, Jonathan D. Solomon, and Clara Wong characterize Hong Kong as a "city without ground". They paint a picture of Hong Kong as a seamless interior labyrinth of intertwined spaces, where transport routes, pedestrian pathways, commercial centers, and building lobbies weave together across multiple levels to sculpt a singular, cohesive structure. The city's distinctive tapestry of pedestrian overpasses, its remarkable vertical density, combined with climatic factors, offers a window into a prospective blueprint for future urban public spaces.

 

In a setting where ground space is severely limited, Hong Kong's urban life births a distinct culture. Malls become arenas for both exhibitions and protests, walkways transform into meeting points for domestic workers, and streets evolve into dining spots and dance venues. The artist illustrates how Hong Kong underscores the potential and resilience of public spaces, even without conventional groundings like plazas. Reflecting this, the sketches showcase the intricate interconnections of the city's foundations, offering a three-dimensional portrayal of Hong Kong's reimagined ground.

 

- Adam Snow Frampton is an American architect and educator. He is a Principal of Only If, a New York City-based design practice for architecture and urbanism, founded in 2013, together with architect Karolina Czeczek. He is the co-author of the pedestrian-centric Cities Without Ground: A Hong Kong Guidebook. He has been celebrated at the 12th, 14th, and 16th Venice Biennale of Architecture. He is also an adjunct assistant professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. and has taught as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Design and as a visiting critic at the Syracuse University School of Architecture.

 

Project Lead: Cyrus Penarroyo