Description
'Bridging Life+Memory+Urban+Future'
DEVELOPMENT does not mean sacrificing all the old things, nor does PRESERVATION implying just desperate struggle. It is not a simple black-and-white fight, nor a right-and-wrong judgment. What makes a society mature tends to reflect on rational and multi-dimensional dialogue among societal extremes, where mutual inspiration and advantage borrowing could be initiated and eventually beneficial to the society as a whole.
The “to-be-executed” Central Star Ferry facility seems forming sentimental crisis to all, yet there might be inspirational opportunity if we can capture the real sense behind the emotion: Collective Memory as Intangible Asset can be wisely CAPITALIZED. However, we must recognize that simply preserving the old is meaningless, and new sets of social function and value system shall be injected to the historic element and make it nicely blend into sustainable urban
Description
and economic development. In this design exercise, the process of finding renewal solution for the “Star” is hence evolved into deeper revisit and wider research on issues of contemporary urban design and urban repositioning.
Beyond architectural beauty and historic value of the exiting ferry structure, the charm and intangible splendor of the “Star” are in essence built on the urban space and environment that have surrounded it for half century. It hence reveals to us some hints that URBAN DESIGN and SOCIAL PROGRAMMING are the key issues to zoom in, if we want to successfully transform and capitalize the asset of collective memory in a new social and urban setting.
