History and needs of the elderly inspire Hong Kong urban micro-park designed to ‘enliven the community, bring them together and build collective memory’
- At the Design Trust’s newest pocket park, drab concrete and red brick have made way for curvy, cream-coloured benches, with chess tables on the way
- Eco-stone paving is embedded with plaques marking historical events in the Shek Tong Tsui neighbourhood, and flowing overhead lighting illuminates the nights
As well as providing a safe and functional space for the community, landscape design can evoke a sense of place and help people understand their history better. But how?
The third of four Design Trust micro-parks, whose soft opening took place on December 20, it has transformed the sitting out area under a flyover in Hill Road from a space dominated by drab concrete and red brick into a bright commons with imaginative overhead lighting and heaps of kerb appeal.
“It’s been an extraordinary process – both online and offline – over the last four years,” says Yiu of the micro-parks project, which brought together a think tank of architects (including multiple-award-winning Gary Chang, of Edge Design Institute), designers, landscapers, contractors, local councillors, NGOs and community members.
In total, 362 people have so far been involved in creating the four micro-parks.
