Library of Fragments

The history of Hong Kong as an entrepôt and its significant role in marine defence are reflected in the ruins and remains of this site, which is situated on the slope of Ma Wan Chung, with the Tung Chung New Town to the northeast and the Ma Wan Chung fishing village to the south. The view is contrasting on two sides: it overlooks the bay with the reclaimed land of Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport opposite the North Lantau Country Park.

This demonstrates the coexisting and contrasting elements that are typical in Hong Kong: natural and industrial, old and new. The shore is a beach with sedimentary rocks that are covered with oysters. The villagers harvest shellfish along this liminal edge between land and sea.

These are the fragments of history and life in Hong Kong. It is hoped that by absorbing old fragments into the new framework of interventions, the significance of both can be revealed in a new architecture of fragments. The whole building is a Library of Fragments with a series of modern city stories to tell. One wall addresses the duality of views, while another is a wall of books that embodies knowledge. The battery ruins on the terraced slope form a natural outdoor theatre, while the back of the stone wall—together with a new board-formed concrete wall—guides visitors into a seminar room that features granite boulders. Under the skylight, the battery wall anchors the setting for discussing an archaeology of knowledge as well as becoming the major exhibit of the exhibition wing.

The slab piercing the landscape marks the datum of the building, separating the library and exhibition wing. A gigantic tree marks the starting point of the exhibition wing, descending upon a granite slate staircase that recalls the material of the battery. Visitors can feel the wind from the sea drawn all the way up the slope, and the sea is only visible after reaching the lobby level, which mediates the two wings of the building.

The L-shaped book wall functions as a library with a sea view, while accommodating the manuscripts room and back-of-house functions. Another band of L-shaped space provides a reading space as well as other media access.

There is an object library near the coast, with collections that showcase the daily coastal life of the people. They include objects collected from the sea, tools used to harvest oysters and visitors’ belongings.

The project was awarded The Best Studio Work Award 2015 by the School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.