Architecture of Hong Kong

With the majority of the population being fishers at the mercy of typhoons and pirates, numerous Tin Hau temples were dedicated to their patron Goddess Mazu.

After the British established the entrepôt of Victoria City (now Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island), the local population increased substantially, and as a result Tong Lau (tenement common in Southern China, especially Lingnan) began to appear.

These were three-to-four-storey buildings, tightly packed in city blocks, and combining Southern Chinese and European architectural elements.

These Tong Lau remained the mainstay of Hong Kong architecture until at least World War II; a number of these building survive to this day, albeit often in a derelict state.

This change was necessitated by the massive influx of refugees into Hong Kong after the conclusion of the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, and the subsequent Shek Kip Mei slum fire in 1953.

[6] With little space wasted on statues or landmarks that consumed unnecessary real estate,[7] Taikoo Shing's design was the new standard.

The buildings of Central comprise the skyline along the coast of the Victoria Harbour, a famous tourist attraction in Hong Kong.

Many commercial and residential towers built in the past two decades are among the tallest in the world, including Highcliff, The Arch, and The Harbourside.

In recent years, the new architecture in Hong Kong tends to focus on providing more public green spaces that combine environmentally friendly concepts together with cultural exchanges, aiming to improve the quality of life for the city's people.

A design hub which utilises old, unused spaces to create platforms for a variety of start-ups to showcase their best innovations and products for the public to get access to.

The PMQ's entrepreneurial focus is the best chance for young Hong Kong designers to become successful, since the hierarchical nature of most local companies stifles innovation.

The Core Zone is centrally located and consists of communal and recreational facilities, meeting and conference rooms, exhibition halls, shops, dining areas as well as office spaces for small size companies.

The Campus Zone is situated by the Tolo Highway and is designed to accommodate medium size companies in multi-tenants buildings.