Spark City Mong Kok: Creating Splashes of Vibrancy for the City

One recent example is Spark City’s collaboration with Art in Place (AIP), a community initiative spearheaded by Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Hong Kong chapter. It connects artists and real estate developers to contribute back to their community through creative placemaking.

AIP starts by identifying underused but potentially impactful real estate for artistic interventions, such as shopfront windows, public foyers and street curbs. By actively involving community groups, such as non-profit organisations and school children, and even curious passers-by, it hopes the participatory process could revitalise neighbourhood vibrancy and foster a more inclusive community identity.

RELATED: In Praise of Public Spaces

For its inaugural project in summer 2023, AIP paired young artist Joanne Chan with Fairland Holdings to spruce up the public space and hoarding in front of its latest development in Mong Kok. Located at a busy corner intersection in Hong Kong’s shopping belt, the redeveloped retail and office tower has been set back from the road to create a triangular urban oasis for pedestrians passing by to pause and relax.

[This is an excerpt. Subscribe to the digital edition or hardcopy to read the complete article.]

PROJECT DATA

Project Name
25 Tong Mi Road, Spark City Mong Kok

Location
25 Tong Mi Road, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon

Completion Date
8 November 2023

Site Area
171.85 square metres

Gross Floor Area
1,888.904 square metres

Number of Rooms
26

Building Height
47.95 metres

Client/Owner
Castle Ease Corporation Limited

Architecture Firm
Design Act Limited

Main Contractor
Mak Ko Kee Building Construction Limited

Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Kwong Wah Consultants Limited

Images/Photos
Clapper Studio (Morris Chan)

RELATED: In Praise of Public Spaces

In Praise of Public Spaces

Think about Hong Kong. Chances are you will recall images of tower blocks built close and high, resembling a dense wall of glass and concrete stacked to the sky. Building interiors do not fare better. With one of the densest urban populations in the world coupled with sky-high property prices, most residents contend with compact apartments where outstretched arms could touch two ends of bedroom walls. By no means uncomfortable, my family of three stays in a 30-square-metre apartment with furniture pieces like bed, dining table and wardrobe taking up most of our quarters. With limited space for our toddler […]

Read more stories from FuturArc 2Q 2024: In-between Spaces!