Weaving Waves Pavilion
Su Chang, Sherman Lam, Andie Lam
This group of artists is the winner of the open call for proposals at Kau Sai Chau.
The design of the “Weaving Waves Pavilion” is inspired by Kau Sai’s fishing history, drawing attention from the daily construction of the fishermen’s community. Learning from the structural logic of the fishing cage commonly found in Hong Kong, the design of the pavilion utilises fishing nets and galvanised steel rings to create a lightweight tensile structure. The kit-of-parts structure can be pre-fabricated in the city, and then packed flat for easy transportation on a fishing boat. The porous fishing net material allows the sea breeze to blow through, avoiding the instability of the structure when it is hit by strong winds, and at the same time brings a sense of porosity with rich layers that change over time.
The gabion foundation structure utilises the weight of the boulders on site and can be dismantled and returned to the stone beach afterwards. The steel components can be disassembled for future festival construction or building maintenance in Kau Sai Chau, continuing the construction stories of the village.
The design put specific emphasis on the landscape characteristics of the site, which are backed by the mountain, facing the wind, and looking at the sea, with a unique rocky beach terrain. By weaving together stories between land and water, between the Hakka people and the Tanka people, and between the space within and beyond the island, the design imagines a spatial narrative of the fishing village along the coastline, connects the cultural history of the village and the natural environment of the island.
Su Chang, Sherman Lam, Andie Lam
Su Chang is the principal of Su Chang Design Research Office and an adjunct assistant professor in the University of Hong Kong. His teaching and design research revolves around architecture’s relationship with the water environment. He is the project leader of Liquid Homes, a design-based research on island geography, village histories, and material culture of Hong Kong fishing villages.
Sherman Lam graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in the University of Hong Kong. He interprets his thoughts in the form of photography and architecture and explores the relationship among nature, our living space, and people. Lam is the founder of Team Tombolo, an experimental community building project established in 2018 which aims to intensify the networks between indigenous people of rural spaces and others.
Andie Lam graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in the University of Hong Kong. She loves drawing and nature and is concerned with the development of Hong Kong’s rural sites. She is a volunteer worker at Yi O and was responsible for programme execution and farming activities.
