Open House builds on interest in landmarks

The international architectural event Open House has come to Hong Kong for the first time, allowing citizens to engage directly with local landmark building designers.

The 30-year-old event, which originated in London, has been held in nearly 60 cities, including New York, Prague and Osaka.

It opens up designated buildings to the public free of charge on certain days, allowing them to know about the architectural characteristics of the city.

The event made its debut on Saturday and Sunday and will also be held this weekend in 50 sites and buildings, including heritage buildings, commercial skyscrapers, industrial buildings and infrastructural facilities, with some provided on-site guided tours by local building designers and architecture scholars.

Curator Helen Fan Lok-yi, who sits on the event organizing committee, said she hoped the event could give the public an opportunity to communicate with local architects and know the story behind the buildings.

"When talking about the architectural characteristics of Hong Kong, many people describe it as east-meet-west, dense or diverse, however, they may not know about many other buildings except those skyscrapers in Central," Fan said.

The event covers buildings that would not be noticed in daily life, such as the Whitty Street Tram Depot in the Western, WWF Peter Scott Visitor Center in Mai Po and a doghouse in Yuen Long.

Fan cited Yi Pei Square Playground in Tsuen Wan as an example, with the micro park refurbished with vibrant colors, more children's playing facilities and seating areas.

"A resident walking into it may not know the design has gone through hundreds of meetings and the design team had tried so many plans," Fan said.

"The poignancy of the design behind these sites is well worth sharing with the public as they can then understand more and actively express their opinions on the design of community spaces."

People participating in the event can also enter landmarks normally inaccessible, such as the commercial skyscrapers in Central so they can better understand the function of a building in modern cities.

Architect Bob Pang Chin-wah, who helped introduce the event to the city, said the event has "no threshold" and would encourage the public to discuss and get involved in city planning.