Design Trust Grant Recipient | “Unknown Brutalism Architecture in Hong Kong” Publication Launch and Exhibition

Design Trust Feature Grant recipient Bob Pang’s research publication ‘Unknown Brutalism Architecture in Hong Kong’ was recently launched at the Hong Kong Book Fair 2023 and exhibition “Knowing the Unknown – Brutalism Architecture Archive, Hong Kong”  held at Form Society.

The research publication ‘Unknown Brutalism Architecture in Hong Kong’ was launched at Hong Kong Book Fair 2023. Built upon their ongoing research on Brutalism architecture in Hong Kong from 2020, this book introduces 20 Hong Kong brutalist architecture projects and 12 architect’s stories, whose avant-garde designs bring an international touch to the local landscape, simultaneously reflecting the simple and unpretentious spirit of their contemporary audience. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Hong Kong’s post war development initiated the city’s synchronisation with the rest of the world. Advocating the concept of “As Found”, the case studies covered in the book highlight key features including pursuing the use of raw materials, designing for the current situation, and allowing the architecture to present the most objective reality. The three years long research project aims to fill in the historical gaps, open up discussions, and raise the local and international awareness of the “unknown” side of brutalism architecture in Hong Kong.

The exhibition “Knowing the Unknown - Brutalism Architecture Archive, Hong Kong” focuses on first-person perspectives from the past between 1960s and 1970s, allowing the public to observe closely how predecessors built and why they chose Brutalism. The discussions and evaluations of Hong Kong brutalist architecture are based on genuine and objective archival data rediscovered at architects’ studios including original building plans, design sketches, old photographs, publications, as well as introductory texts and documents. Building upon their Design Trust Seed Grant research exhibition “BRUTAL! - Unknown Brutalism Architecture in Hong Kong” in 2021 and the team’s continuing research over the past three years, this archive exhibition reclaims Hong Kong brutalist architecture’s stage to a wider audience and unveils the unknown stories behind them.

The team collected and curated materials around four leading figures of Hong Kong Brutalism Architecture including Wai Szeto, Peter Pun, Ronald Poon, and Samn Lim to represent in this exhibition. Apart from archival data on these four architects, the exhibition also includes publications, offering a clear and comprehensive picture of the socio-cultural background.

Through field inspections, documentary photography, literature readings, archive searches, reproduction of plans and digital models, and exchanges of dialogue locally and globally, the brutalist architecture unveils rich history. One of the most astonishing discoveries amongst them is the scale model of Stewards Pooi Tun Secondary School, once featured in the March 1972 issue of Asian Architect & Builder magazine, which is well preserved by the school for over half a century until today. From publication to exhibition, Bob Pang and his team continue to unveil the stories behind Hong Kong Brutalism architecture to the local and international communities.