15:15 Raincatcher by YS Groundwork is the result of a competition entry for the contemporary design of one of Hong Kong’s oldest urban traditions: the Hawker Stall – Dai Pai Dong. A Hawker Stall is a kitchen, a dining room and a living room – a space for passersby to enjoy public space, interact with strangers, and grab a bite to eat on their way to their next destination. Initially exhibited at the 2009 Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, YSGroundwork has won the opportunity to realize their design and prove that their twist on tradition will add vitality and innovation to the Hong Kong’s streetlife.
More on the project after the break!
YSGroundwork is supported by and collaborates with Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Electronic Engineering. Their aim is to enhance architecture with the latest energy technologies and 15:15 Raincatcher is a result of this collaboration. The innovative stand featured an additional program to the stall; the formal design – that of an inverted umbrella – was devised in order to collect and store rainwater. Inspired by the Monsoon climate of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the the design was chosen to celebrate the rain.
The rainwater is collected through the PVC roof and directed to a central column to create a load bearing structure. It is then filtered and redirected to a water tap where it can be reused for cooking and washing. In this sense, the rain, which can be a burden to the city, is used to celebrate an aspect of Hong Kong cultural city life where food and shopping can be enjoyed.
The stall is designed to be a unit that could easily be transported – a pop-up structure that can also be modulated to create larger dining areas, larger water collectors and larger social public spaces. The form blends the boundaries of exterior and interior conditions. With the kitchen being the central core, exterior seating is place around the cooking area as with traditional hawker stalls. In this design, YSGroundwork unfolded the rectangle revealing the interior in sections that create and allowing the interior space to also occupy the street with seats spilling out of the structure. To further blend into the city the interior is lined with led lights that glow neon colors and change throughout the day, blending with the brightly lit nightlife of Hong Kong.
YSGroundwork will also be conducting a lecture at in Hong Kong on April 10th at 12:45 about this project. See the event flyer in the gallery for more details! Interested in more? YSGroundwork also submitted their competition entry for the inverted Night Club Hotel in Hong Kong.
Photo by Flickr user Alvin Wong licensed through Creative Commons.
Architect: Groundwork Architecture + Urbanism: Manfred Yuen, Stephen Suen Team: Alex Kong, Stephen Ip, Alvis Ko, Aries Nip, Lolita Lei, Loraine Wong, Perry Tse Collaborator: Hong KongPolytechnicUniversity, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering Steel Construction: Poonkei Engineering Co. Foundation and Deck Construction: Seemly Construction Company Limited PVC Construction: Sunhing Engineering Photography: Mr. Alvin Wong – http://www.flickr.com/aeostudio/ Special Thanks: Prof. Michael Siu -Hong KongPolytechnicUniversity,SchoolofDesign, Prof. Michael Tse-Hong KongPolytechnicUniversity, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Mr. Siew-Chong Tan -Hong KongPolytechnicUniversity, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Mr.S.C.Yip -Hong KongPolytechnicUniversity, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Mr. Roger Yau -Hong KongPolytechnicUniversity, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering,Mr. Howie Chan – Sun Lick Printing Company ltd
