A Junk in the Daytime but a Chinese Lantern at Night

SOM has designed and built the AIG Tower in Central after the Convention and Exhibition Centre (Phase 2) in Wan Chai. The building resembles a junk in the daytime but a Chinese lantern at night, which can be undersood as the two elements of Hong Kong. I like the concept a lot as the local characteristics are considered and put into the building.

Service Quality

I was looking for a shirt and went to Causeway Bay in the evening today. I visited three shops and the following are what I observed:

A. Polo at Sogo
A man was looking at a shirt and asked a 20-something female shop assistant for advice. She replied in a very rude tone without looking at the eyes of the man. I left immediately without further looking.

B. Brooks Brothers at Sogo
I was greeted by two salespersons when I walked into the shop. I asked a third shop assistant about the colour of any oxford shirts available. She "delivered" the information with a very freezing tone. I left the shop shortly.

C. Etro at Lee Gardens
I was greeted by several salespersons as I walked into the shop. I found a shirt I was interested. A salesperson asked my surname and guided me to the changing room. When I walked out the changing room, I was greeted by another salesperson addressing me with my surname. You may have guessed that I bought the shirt with a feel-good shopping experience.

Changing Colour

The LV shop in Causeway Bay has a colour-changing-wall. It gives me a feeling of dynamism. I am looking forward to the opening of the flagship store at Landmark. I hope the decoration is even more spectacular.

Original Hong Kong Styled Cafe

White Palace is an original Hong Kong styled cafe in Kowloon City. I would guess it is more than 40 years. The cafe has a unique wall decoration with diamond pattern. An open kitchen specially for noodles, which I have never seen before, is located near the entrance. All the chairs and tables seem authentic to me. It is a pity that the food is only so-so, however, the staff are very friendly.

Old District, Modern View

Another unusual combintion in Hong Kong: a post-modern structure in Ma Tau Kok. The structure is the remain of a demolished gas storage tank. A very interesting structure in a very old district!

Visual Impact

A building under a motorway is quite an unusual combination. We can always discover such odd combinations in the city. Expect the unexpected when you walk on streets next time!

Secret of Chinese Cooking

Dried mandarin skins are commonly used in the prepartion of Chinese soups. The skin is added for its very unique aroma. I walked on Shanghai Street today and spotted that the friuit skin was being dried in front of several fruit stalls, a very rare scene in the other part of the city. I always think that the stall owners earn more by selling the skin than selling the fruit, because the skin has a much higher price.

Building with Changing Colour

The LV shop in Causeway Bay is fitted with colour-changing panels. The appearance is very attracting to passers-by. I think the idea is very innovative as the building is lifted to an organic level.

Old Lady

I saw this old lady in the market. She was walking with two canes at a very slow pace. Although she had to spend a great effort in moving, she decided not to stay at home but to explore her neighourhood. I guess most senior citizens would not have her determination.

Market at Night

The street market in Central is very different at night. The place usually busy with people in the daytime has new visitors or inhabitants at night: slim cats are scattered on the floor or in the stalls. They are usually in a relaxing mood when human beings are not in their proximity. A lot of people including the old and the young give them food after the evening. I just wonder where the cats are in the daytime as I never spot one when the sun is not down.

Late Night Shopping

Shopping is a culture here. Most shops are open at around 11 am and closed at 11 pm. The opening hours reflect the city's characteristic very well: night activities are very prominent. Most people may have long working-hours and they can only meet their friends or shop in the evening.

Team Spirit

The soul says to the body: We are a team.
The body replies: Yes, we are a team. You are my best partner.
They mutter to each other in a city full of people and neon lights.

Green Packaging

I cannot remember the last time I saw straws for food packaging. The use of straw in markets was very common in the 70s, before the popularity of PE bags. I thought the use of straws has been totally replaced, but I was wrong. I visited the Bridges Street food market today, I found that a few stalls still used this traditional material. Really unbelievable!

Bauhaus

A few early Hong Kong public buildings followed the Bauhaus style. I visited the food market on Bridges Street today and had a closer look at the details of the building. The outside of the market has a very plain look; the design is based on a pragmatic and economical approach, however, the functional features such as lighting and ventilation are not sacrificed. The windows are designed with the canopy-like feature to prevent rain from outside. A very clever approach without the use of glass panes.

Surprises

A walk in Wan Chai is always rewarding. It is easy to find the traditional Hong Kong customs in the 60s nd 70s. Hanging clothes for drying on streets was very common in the 70s but not nowadays. However, it is not difficult to discover this scene in Wan Chai. Although I do not encourage this activity, however, this adds more characters to the city. On deeper thinking, does the vest owner have difficulties to dry his clothes at home? Is the street his home? Is he poor? A number of questions in my mind.