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Hong Kong Hegemony - Reclaim Central

Part 2 Project 2015
Pui Yin, Jim Lau
Chinese University of Hong Kong | China
Hegemony is defined as authority, control or influence by one dominant group over another.

In Hong Kong, land supply is strictly controlled by Government; development is largely controlled by a handful of large developers. Together, Government and developers dictate urban development to maximize their respective profits.
The increasing gap between rich and poor is reflected in the increasing gap in urban places that are economically affordable by the majority of people. For example, Central is the urban core of our city but no longer affordable by most except for the highest end of commercial offices and retail, and increasingly at the expense of diversity and neighbourhoods, of people and places.

In particular, high land prices and high density developments cause public space to be viewed as prohibitively expensive to provide and maintain. Public space is generally neglected and, when provided, is often residual, leftover space.

Objective of this thesis was to design a project that demonstrates the essential need to integrate more truly accessible public buildings and public spaces within the context of monopolistic urban developments – urban places and spaces that serve as both public destinations and connectors within the city.


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2015
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