Infrastructure Imagination showcases major infrastructure projects completed in Hong Kong between 1972 to 1988. The infrastructure expansions in this period are significant not only in their unprecedented scales and complexities, but also in their utopian undertones, grounded on a burgeoning optimism of economic and social progress. The design and construction of these megaprojects drew substantial technology transfers and attracted global expertise to overcome the technical challenges of building on Hong Kong’s difficult terrain. The arrival of new infrastructure systems in this period also facilitated major transformation of the urban landscape, generating new collective experiences for Hong Kong citizens and reshaping everyday community life.
The exhibition is divided into four sections: 1) Mass Transit Railway, 2) Highways & Tunnels, 3) Electricity Networks, and 4) Water Works. Each section consists of displays of large-format photographs as well as scaled drawings that illustrate the physical configurations of selected projects. These are supplemented with video footage and archival records that document the construction boom in Hong Kong in the 1970s and 1980s.
The exhibition aims to provide an opportunity for the public to reflect on the city’s urban change and renewal and to envision ways for building a more sustainable future in the 21st century.
For more details, please visit: https://infrastructureimagination.splashthat.com