ARTIFICIAL CHAOS

Hong Kong appears to have this psychological effect on people where they are drawn into this web of chaos and misdirection, but somehow it all operates without disarray; it works. It brings individuals along a path of experiences that vary deeply depending on the directions they go. There exists a hierarchy of meticulously designed environments that highlight the dichotomy between the natural and artificial spaces littered throughout Hong Kong. The question lies within the idea of what Hong Kong sets out to achieve, and what it has achieved to tackle the ever present problem of space.

The environments in Hong Kong are heavily defined by the qualities of it’s surface - steep hills, islands, and a sparse distribution of usable land. This has forced Hong Kong to make design decisions that have blurred the lines between spaces otherwise thought to be distinct, and in doing so have risked creating a day to day experience of shadows, bricks, stone, and harsh neon lights. Instead, it appears Hong Kong has created a relationship between the natural and built environments that exists to appropriately regulate the needs attributed to space and overall satisfaction for the citizens of Hong Kong.

How do we define natural or artificial environments? What are the hierarchy of spaces? How does space and density constitute an artificial experience? These answers can be found within the urban fabric and the circulation of people around the spaces. We can begin to identify these spaces and why people are attracted to them. We can delve into ideas about whether Hong Kong is successful in creating a balance between the natural and dense artificial environments.