| On 1st July 1997, after being a British colony for a century and a half, Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient in the Queen's Crown, was returned to China. Following the change of sovereignty and the turn of the century, Hong Kong architecture is expected to mark the new millennium by changing significantly, both historically and culturally. When the swaddling-clothes of a past culture are thrown off, what image of Hong Kong will the new-born architecture reveal? This collection of architecture criticism, published in newspapers and architectural journals between 2001 and 2004, tells stories of how Hong Kong architecture is using the opportunity to rebuild its cultural identity in the context of one country, two systems. The collection also discusses the challenges architects in Hong Kong face today. The 200 illustrations bring the buildings and places to life and the eight detailed maps show the location and reveal the underlying meaning of the buildings on their sites. |