• PHOTOGRAPHY – Michael Wolf’s Hong Kong Cornerhouses

    Date: 2012.06.28 | Category: Architecture & Infrastructure, Photography & Wallpapers | Tags: ,

    Michael Wolf is best known for his ‘Architecture of Density’ work in Hong Kong, but another collection from HK University Press showcases some of the city’s more classic heritage…

    See also: Wolf’s ‘Architecture of Density’

    …’Progress is often equated with destroying the old and bringing in the new,’ says the German-born photographer…

    …They were mostly constructed in the 1950/60s…


    …Whilst some of the structures featured below are barely three decades old, the pace of development means such architectural curiosities are becoming an increasingly rare sight…

    …This style of building is more common in older areas of Kowloon…

    ..Illegal structures remain an issue with these low-rise buildings, but many have been destroyed since a clean-up began in the 1990s…

    …Most are under 10-floors tall. This was because the law required an elevator to be installed if a building was over 10 storeys, and also due to the presence of the old Kai Tak airport…

    …The style is reminiscent of early American modernist skyscrapers – curved facades with strong vertical and horizontal detail…

    ..The 2008 collection pays homage to this overlooked and underappreciated urban phenomena and photos were once displayed around the MTR system…