City of Contrast: Hong Kong Garden's Innovative Design

Architectural Services Department Hksar's Award-Winning Landscape Exposition

The Hong Kong Garden, a representation of Hong Kong's participation in the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exposition, is a testament to the innovative approach of reconciling development and nature in an urban environment. The design invites visitors to explore the multi-faceted aspects of Hong Kong, demonstrating how food urbanism and sustainable initiatives can be incorporated into a compact city.

The garden's unique properties lie in its theme, the City of Contrast. The design juxtaposes two contrasting conditions: the representation of the urban fabric and hyper dense condition in Hong Kong and its serene agricultural environment. This approach aims to re-look at the aesthetic value of edible landscapes and invite visitors to re-imagine the possibilities of sustainable development in hyper-dense urban environments.

The realization of the design involved the creation of a steel framework that interweaves traditional neon light signage and vertical greenery, producing an architectural visual effect. The facade, formed from overlaying semi-transparent steel reinforcement meshes, celebrates everyday construction materials, creating layers of visual space that embody the essence of Hong Kong's urban experience.

The design team, consisting of Thomas WAN, Billy LAW, Yannis CHAN, and Benni PONG, faced several challenges, including the design, detailing, production, and installation of a 7m X 28m 3D architectural model as a feature wall to be placed outdoors in the extreme weather of Yan Qing. The garden also features edible and medicinal planting that are rarely used in public space design, unveiling the aesthetic quality of edible landscapes and re-establishing visitors' relationship with nature.

The Hong Kong Garden, completed in 2019, is a testament to the Architectural Services Department Hksar's innovative approach to landscape design. The project not only showcases the contrasting aspects of Hong Kong but also invites visitors to re-imagine the possibilities of sustainable development in hyper-dense urban environments.