Catalog

The Beacon of Hong Kong 香港之光

2021

East  Coast  Park  Precinct,  Fortress  Hill,  Hong Kong

Project Description:

In a city as densely populated as Hong Kong, breathing space is critical to our social well-being. By crafting pockets of intimate spaces with a hollow mesh lettering design, “The Beacon of Hong Kong” enables people from all walks of life to enjoy the installation in ways that suit their fantasies. To sit and catch a breath, to cuddle or for a stretch, the design is more than just a photogenic artwork. The mesh design resembles a traditional screen bearing on our cultural roots, while functionally it displays names of local districts as a reminder of our locality. Taking cue from the colours and lights of Victoria Harbour, “The Harbour Wave” extends from the Word Art, inviting people to enjoy the sights and sounds of the harbour. The roofscape of the pavilion is composed of over 30,000 colourful plastic bottle caps to demonstrate that beautiful art can be made from recycled materials. At night, the ever-changing lighting design encourages visitors to immerse in a surreal tapestry of colour and motion that provides a brief respite from the intensity of city life. The East Coast Park Precinct has since become one of the most inclusive and user engaging public spaces in Hong Kong.

Description how the project contributes with humanity:

In this harbourfront project, the design aimed to boost the community’s sense of belonging and instilling a sense of pride for all who belong. A palette of colours inspired by the reflections of our skyline off Victoria Harbour, are applied to the Art Installations to represent the colourful diversity of our social fabric. The mesh design of “The Beacon of Hong Kong” summons resemblance to a traditional screen bearing on our cultural roots, while functionally it provides a backdrop for names of local districts to be displayed as a reminder of our locality. “The Harbour Wave” appears to hover between the sky and the sea. At night, the installation comes to life in unison with the bright lights of the skyline. The ever- changing lighting design encourages visitors to immerse in a surreal tapestry of colour and motion that provides a brief respite from the intensity of city life. Sustainability is at the heart of the design for this engaging public project. “The Harbour Wave” is composed of over 30,000 colourful plastic bottle caps to demonstrate that beautiful art can be made from recycled materials. Hong Kong disposes of over 8.3 million plastic bottles on a daily basis. The installation is to raise public awareness on the need to reduce plastic waste. After dismantling, the plastic bottle caps will be upcycled for other community art programs to educate the younger generations.