Printed in May 2023
In this brief we were asked to select a Hong Kong Movie footage and analyze the architectural aspects.
Love in a Fallen City (傾城之戀) by Ann Hui (許鞍華), 1984 (Adapted from Novel of Same name by Eileen Chang (張愛 玲)). The film is set in 1940s Hong Kong during the time of Japanese invasion. Bai Liu-Su (Cora Miao 繆騫人) is an introverted divorcée, she met a charming businessman Fan Liu-yuan (Chow Yun-Fat 周潤發) at Repulse Bay Hotel in Hong Kong.
Repulse Bay Hotel was demolished in 1982 and replica of original lobby building and restaurant was built on site.
Left bottom: Location of the lobby building
Middle bottom: Section of restaurant in the movie to illustrate the spatial characteristics, e.g. high ceiling, large windows
Site visit was conducted on 7 Feb 2023.
Top: Elevation of the building showing the colonial style
Left bottom: Drawing of the signature fountain at the front door, with description from the original novel by Eileen Chang.
Middle: Photos taken in the site visit
In this stage, we studied the history of cinema in Hong Kong and select a cinema to analyze the spatial characteristics.
Left: Century Cinema in Mei Foo (1974-2010) reflects the trends from big to small theatre responding to social and technology changes.
Right top: Another cinema Lux Cinema in Hung Hom is analyzed, plan is obtained from Bravo
Right bottom: From outside it has a small entrance, surrounding the theatre it is residential blocks and shops.
Right middle: Illustrate the above “hidden” characteristic in model
In this stage, we revisited the location in Stage I, and design a small cinema pavillion with capacity to accomodate 100 audience and able to host exhibitions and events.
Left: Photos of the site is obtained from the web, the grassland on the podium is selected as the target site to place the pavillion. The site is currently used to host some wedding events, the site has a great sea view.
Right top: Plan of the target area
Right bottom: Site model is made with foam
Different conept mass models were made with blue foam
Left: A sketch of concept sky tunnel connecting the existing buliding and new pavillion, with entrance from the ground level.
Middle: A one level building with podium which can be access from the slope. option 1 is theatre at the lower level under ground, option 2 is theatre at the ground level.
Right top: With structure responds to each audience, each grid represent equal number of audience.
Right bottom: 2 buildings with slope of grass top, with cinema underground. This option is selected to further develop.
Left: Responding to the love theme of the Movie, initially there was an idea to develop the building into shape of heart.
Right: Plan showing the new pavillion on site
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Iteration 3
Left: Design is further developed with iterations. Two blocks have different characteristics representing two characters in the movie, the left hand side (west block) is solid with large glass windows, the right hand side (east block) is void, with opening under the slope.
It is also intended to minimize the blockage of the view and air flow to existing building (refer to drawing of iteration 1)
Iteration 3 and 4 tried to give a higher ceiling for the exhibition space (4.56m) compared to minimum of 3m in iteration 1.
Right top: Study model (1:100) is built during the design phase
Right bottom: There was an idea to allow people from the podium floor to view the movie playing in the theatre. In the study model, there is a hole on the ceiling for that, but later found that approach not practical.
Top: Elevation of final design (iteration 4)
Bottom: Section drawing of final design
Top: Plan of the podium level
Bottom: Plan of the theatre level
Left: Collage of new pavillion in existing site. It has similar characteristic of Lux Cinema we studied at Stage 2, from outside it is a small entrance.
Right: Detail architectural model is built at scale of 1:100, photos show the entrace on the podium level to the theatre, box office is also located near the entrance.
Left: Detail model based on the final design
Right: Opening is design at one side of slope and glass window at the other side.
Right: Diagram showing the circulation in the pavillion:
1. Enter at the ground level entrance
2. Visit the receiption counter
3. Exhibition at the ground level
4. Exhibtion at the 2nd level, intermediate level and podium level
5. Exit the exhibition west block
6. Walk on the grassland to the east block
7. Buy ticket at the box office
8. Rest at the opening area of the East block
9. Enter the theatre
10. Exit the theatre to the ground level street
Top: View from the windows of the existing building
Bottom: The design attempts to minimize impact to the existing building
