What is Open House Hong Kong? How you can now explore a tram depot, former court or animal shelter
In the first local edition of the global design phenomenon, Open House Hong Kong will showcase the rich and varied urban landscape of the city’s architecture, from Bauhaus to Gothic, modern to mid-century
Ever fancied a behind-the-scenes peek into the home of Hong Kong’s beloved “ding dings”? You can tour them this weekend as part of the inaugural Open House Hong Kong (OHHK).
The Tramways’ Whitty Street depot, in Sai Wan, maintenance facility of the iconic streetcars operating since 1904, will be welcoming enthusiasts on a limited-number tour that includes a ride to the Happy Valley Terminus and back.
Architect Bob Pang Chin-wah, who helped curate 50-plus sites for OHHK, in partnership with Design Trust, welcomed Hong Kong’s participation in Open House Worldwide, joining a network across 60 cities hosting festivals about architecture and design. He describes this first edition as a curatorial statement of the diversity within Hong Kong’s urban scene.
Each site has purpose, the tram representing a moving space from which people can observe the built environment, including heritage sites, modern skyscrapers and gentrified industrial areas.
Among the 95 tours on offer this weekend and next is the Instagrammable podium of the newly opened twin office towers at 83 King Lam Street, Lai Chi Kok, its dynamic landscape of pixelated steps, seats and planters the brainchild of local architecture practice Collective.
At St Stephen’s College in Stanley, you’ll be able to tour Brutalist buildings, including the Special Room Block and Tang Shiu Kin Hall of architect Tao Ho (1936-2019), their bold geometry and exposed raw materials contrasting with the other styles of campus buildings.
