Mediated urban civic space : info deck of the Hong Kong SAR Government Info-tainment Headquarters

Abstract

After being a British colony for more than hundred years, Hong Kong's final handover back to China took place 1st July 1997. There are tremendous demands on the new government to reflect her status during this critical transition. The mission of designing a new government headquarters to represent her new identity, present order and future vision is vital for all parties involved - China, HK and mostly importantly her citizens. This thesis will address both the urban and architectural design of the New Government Info-tainment Headquarters by way of a unique synergy of contemporary media and government in program and technology. The focus will be the mediated interface of the information spaces and communicative facades in shaping the civic plaza - the Info Deck - along the harbour waterfront. This high tech communication, media intensive mixed-use civic complex aims to enhance both participatory and representative Democracy. Its prominence functions as a true forum that provides multiple communication channels and enhance dialogue in an open society. It serves as information symbol or media icon of the representation, communication and interaction between HK government and her citizens. In this proposal, government sponsored political and educational media is strategically juxtaposed and overlaid with privatized independent political media, entertainment and educational media to increase transparency and accessibility of government programs and operations. This framework suggests the activation of the plaza during the day as well as at night with different activities. This design seeks not only to transform the government's mental image perceptually, but also the actual physical appearance of the complex and its plaza. Its synthesis will challenge the conservative concept of the traditional political domain, information territory and institutional building typology using both traditional media and contemporary multi-media in this information era.