在戰後的數十年間，許多從中國大陸移民或於海外學有所成的 #香港建築師，他們領會到如何以現代原則去處理房屋短缺、大規模建設及預算有限的問題。儘管經濟效益往往高於設計考量，但建築師們仍然以設計植根於他們所處的時期，以一種獨特且務實的方式反映出當下的氣候、社會價值觀、材料、技術和用途。

In the post-war decades, #HongKongArchitects, many of them having migrated from China or studied overseas, embraced modern principles when forced to face the problems of housing shortage, mass construction and limited budgets in the British colony. Although economic efficiencies often prevailed over design, their buildings were rooted in their time and place, reflecting the local climate, social values, materials, technique and use in an often unique and pragmatic fashion.

Why it matters:
《香港摩登：一九五零至七零年代建築》展覽根據由城市規劃師、作家及攝影師 Walter Koditek 的同名著作所策劃，全方位結合攝影、詳細背景資料和學術論文，概述了香港於五十至七十年代的轉型時期的建築。當Koditek為這個項目記錄和捕捉各座建築物時，同時亦在邀請我們細看 #現代建築運動 的影響下所帶來的不同設計，以及當中為對應本地需求和條件下所呈現的細節。每座建築外牆均採用一致性的框架和組合，視覺上往往將觀者的注意力吸引，導致容易忽略了建築物的細微之處；不同建築外牆的設計及排列，不論是著名的地標或是主導香港城市景觀的常見建築，都反映出建築形式之間的潛在關係。

As #WalterKoditek documents and captures building facades for this project, he invites us to notice the different designs stemming from the #internationalModernMovement and how it has been adapted to suit local needs and conditions. Each facade, uniformly framed and composed, draws our attention to architectural details that are often overlooked, as well as the variety of appropriations that transformed their modern characters over time. The arrangement of facades, ranging from famous landmarks to mundane structures that dominate Hong Kong’s cityscape, presents an underlying relationship between these built forms.

4 Hightlights:
．​《香港摩登：一九五零至七零年代建築》記錄了超過300多座的建築及建築群，目的在於作為加深讀者對香港戰後現代主義建築的了解及參考，並協力帶出關於建築價值、歷史和文化價值的討論。

．​雖然這本書並不試圖提供完整的清單，但其獨特的紀錄格式故意將著名的建築傑作與七個特定建築類別下的更平凡的結構混合在一起，邀請觀眾理解這些建築形式之間的內在關係以及它們的設計如何與國際現代主義運動的出現和對當地環境的適應同時形成。

．​至關重要的是，這些引人注目的立面圖像採用統一的取景和構圖，不僅將注意力引向經常被忽視的建築細節，還引向隨著時間的推移改變其現代主義特徵的各種非正式改造方式。

．​本書旨在為香港戰後時代的現代主義建築提供參考和加深認識，並有助於討論其建築價值、歷史和文化價值。本出版物獲得香港Docomomo公司、設計信托基金種子基金和香港歌德學院的支持。

．​With more than 300 buildings and ensembles documented, the new publication “Hong Kong Modern Architecture of the 1950s-1970s” by Walter Koditek gives a comprehensive overview on the architecture of that transformative period in combining full-page photographs with detailed background information and further b/w images explaining and illustrating the design and history of these buildings. Information about the architects behind the projects and a series of academic essays penned by renowned scholars Cecilia L. CHU, Eunice SENG, Ying ZHOU, and Charles LAI complement the publication.

．​While the book does not seek to provide a complete inventory, its unique documentary format, which deliberately mixes well-known architectural masterpieces with more mundane structures under seven specific building categories, invites viewers to comprehend the intrinsic relationships between these built forms and how their designs have been simultaneously shaped by the advent of the international Modern Movement and adaptions to the local context.

．​Crucially, the uniform framing and composition of these compelling facade images directs attention not only to often overlooked architectural details, but also to the varied informal appropriations that transformed their modernist characters over time.

．​The book aims to serve as a reference and enhance knowledge on modernist architecture of the post-war era in Hong Kong, and will contribute to the discussion of its architectural merit, historic and cultural values. Its publication was supported by the Goethe-Institut Hongkong, Design Trust Seed Grant, and Docomomo Hong Kong.

Background – Walter Koditek:
Walter Koditek生於德國，是一名城市規劃師、作家和攝影師，現居香港。在柏林工業大學畢業後，Walter第一階段的職業生涯讓他在各種規劃/設計諮詢公司獲得近二十年經驗，其後於大學任教。於2006年他移居亞洲，在柬埔寨和越南擔任城市規劃專家；於2014年移居香港，以這座城市作為顧問工作的基地，儘其所能去以相機記錄香港獨特的建築景觀。Walter一直致力於作為文化遺產保護的倡導者。他出版過攝影集Battambang Heritage》（2018 年，Apsara Books，香港），並合著了《Architectural Guide Phnom Penh》（2020 年，DOM Publishers，柏林），其後專注於香港的現代主義建築遺產。

Walter Koditek is a German urban planner, author and photographer based in Hong Kong. After graduating at Technical University Berlin, Walter’s first professional life had him practicing for almost two decades at various planning/design consultancies and teaching at university.
In 2006, he relocated to Asia, where he worked as an urban planning expert in Cambodia and Vietnam. He moved on to Hong Kong in 2014, using the city as a base for his consultant work, and documenting its unique architectural landscape with his camera whenever possible. Walter has always been a strong advocate of cultural heritage conservation. He published the photo book Battambang Heritage (2018, Apsara Books, Hong Kong) and co-authored the Architectural Guide Phnom Penh (2020, DOM Publishers, Berlin), before focusing on the modernist architectural legacy of Hong Kong.

Final Tips:
透過本展覽及同名著作，Koditek不單止從視覺上記錄了我城的現代主義建築遺產，更喚醒我們對於瀕臨消失或面臨重建的建築群應有的關注。

With this exhibition and book, Koditek’s project not only serves as a visually compelling record of modernist architectural heritage found in the city, but also as a reminder and call to buildings that are on the verge of disappearance or redevelopment.

香港摩登：一九五零至七零年代建築
Hong Kong Modern Architecture of the 1950s – 1970s by Walter Koditek
Date:
2023.1.12 – 2023.2.12
Venue:
Blue Lotus Gallery
香港上環磅巷28號
G/F, 28 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Courtesy to the gallery and the artist