The Intermediate Art Depot

City University of Hong Kong

Project idea

Hong Kong waterfront experienced serval reclamations for cargo pier after they built the highway system surrounded the previous coastal line. Currently most of the pier are in vacancy and isolated by the highway and wide car roads. In Hong Kong 2030 planning vision, government are urged to turn those vacancy are into recreational and green space. But one of the cargo piers is a popular art spot for Hong Kong people.

Project description

The site, “Instagram Pier” is a commonly called name for Sai Ying Pun Pier because of large varieties of self-organizing art events were held and posted on Instagram. The pier is an ordinary a cargo handling area stacked with containers and cranes. Visitors found the industrial elements with the urban skyscraper backdrop produces a unique scenery which could represent Hong Kong culture. Nowadays, Hong Kong Government blocked the public access of those cargo pier with safety reasons, but in ordinary promenade, many self-organized events are prohibited with rules and regulations.

The site is next to the “Instagram Pier”. The proposal aims to create an autonomy waterfront which can encourage art events and treasure the Hong Kong values and cultures. A multifunctional waterfront with tramways and canals passes through the longitudinal and connects to the district centre and the ocean. Traditional boat, trams and container also act as a new type of art showcase and creative spaces. They brings visitor and materials into the waterfront, and spreading the art and the concept of autonomy art space towards Hong Kong through water and tramway system.

Technical information

As the tramway has changed from the main transport to mainly serving the tourism nowadays. The usage of tram has been decreased. The programme of this proposal would like to put additional purpose for unused tram.
For the unused and old tram, they will be reconstructed as a gallery. By separating the part of the tram and creating different openings. Each cart serve different purpose and exhibiting different arts and crafts. Below the modified tram would be railings, the tram cart could be moved to other area or changing their juxtaposition to fit the exhibition purpose.
The railing inside the tram gallery also connect to the tram workshop and the ordinary railing. It is about to spreading the art not only inside the site area but the entire tourist path through the tramway. The design was to plan two additional types of “art tram”. The first one is decorated by the tram workshop with paints or other media. The trams still can carry passengers and act as a featured train. The second train is the disintegrated tram from tram gallery. Those trams are designated for art installation and travelling through the tram railing. Both of the tram act as an advertisement of the public building to the local and tourist people. It also showcasing the artist’s artwork and influencing the community by implementing more art in their visions and daily life.

The canal was created between the site. It allows small boat and ships to enter. If some visitor would like to visit the site from the other side of the harbour, Ship could be another transportation option for them.
A special boat was designed with box container which could be widely founded next to the site as the Hong Kong uses the waterfront as a logistic pier. And part of them were still working in “Instagram Pier”. Those cranes and machines can still be seen from the site.
The container box offers cheap material to modifying a unique studio box for each artist for their tailor-made working space. The container box can be attached to a floating platform and forming as a small boat which could sail along the canal and outside the harbor. The studio ship travel through the canal can have different interaction to the visitor from different level of ground. Such as staircase. Restaurant zone, which is closer to the waterline of the canal. The box can act like a shop and artist can choose their place to set up their stall. It increases the dynamic within the site and also mimicking the trading from harbor to shore in the past of Hong Kong. If some people do not like sailing around, the box could hang under the gantry frame’s ceiling if they want to look at the ocean or the canal. The studio box would also store under the ceiling.

he suspension frame builds across the canal. Its shape was designed as a large picture frame of the canal and the “Instagram pier”. Visitor could see through the Gantry and watching the activities in the other side. The Gantry itself serves as a place for lifting up container which was inspired by the history of Hong Kong, the logistic industry and the container terminals. But in this project, the containers are studio places.
Except lifting up the studio box, the gantry frame also can lift up many different item for art activities, such as lifting a large screen, or lifting up seating to create a theatre. The nature of high ceiling also adapt to theatre’s function as the high ceiling allows many machinery and audio device store in the backstage. The theatre can be a normal practice space for artist without obstruction.
Another side of the Gantry would be facing towards the main road, there is an information centre for the latest or future events hold in the site. Visitor could goes upward to have souvenir shops and they could watch the opposite side of the Gantry Frame, which is a performance area and the theatre.