Month: September 2020

HAPPY VALLEY RACECOURSE FACELIFT

OBSERVATION: As one of Hong Kong’s key sporting venues, the west facade of the Happy Valley Racecourse is considered by many as an eyesore and does nothing to promote the appeal of horse racing to the public or visiting tourists.

SOLUTION: Provide a new vibrant and colorful facade along the highly visible west facade of the Happy Valley Racecourse to help visually reposition the facility, while reflecting the excitement and drama of one of Hong Kong’s signature sports.

Countless drivers along Happy Valley’s Wong Nai Chung Road, and the 60,000 daily vehicles using the Aberdeen tunnel pass along the imposing edge of the Happy Valley Racecourse stands, and are assaulted by one of the most depressing building facades in the city, which might be mistaken for a deteriorating industrial complex.

What if … the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) undertook a facelift of this major sporting venue in a bid to help improve the city’s battered tourism image? While the HKJC likely has vast financial resources at its disposal to undertake such an improvement, imagine how the perception of horse racing could be improved through a new colorful facade that captures all of the speed, excitement, and drama of one of the city’s most renowned sports — all while helping to improve Hong Kong’s tourism image?

BEFORE

The existing facade of the Happy Valley Racecourse — which has likely been cobbled together over the years — does very little to passively promote horse racing to the general public.

AFTER

What if the Happy Valley Racecourse were to have a “facelift” that captures the excitement and drama of horse-racing, while providing visual interest to the tens of thousands of commuters who pass this imposing facade each day? Graphic by Thomas Schmidt.

Could a new system of powder-coated aluminum spandrels and decorative panels, or other low-impact applied treatments be installed at the existing facade, that would be acceptable to the Building Department? The solution should be as low-maintenance as possible, emphasize durability, and allow access to the existing facade and its existing fenestration and mechanical equipment installations.

Such a “facelift” could have a positive impact on tourism in Hong Kong, improve the image of the HKJC, further elevate horse racing as one of the city’s premiere sporting activities, and provide visual interest for the traveling public in an often bleak urban environment. The new facade design could include the entire perimeter of the complex to varying degrees, while incorporating existing facade improvements located at ground level entry locations. Could the design of the facade be based upon a winning entry of a local design competition that showcases the talent of the city’s students, designers, and architects?

While some might propose a knee jerk solution of installing massive LED screens or towering revenue-generating billboards to conceal the existing facade, the public outcry and resulting light pollution would likely negate any benefits. A more artistic solution should be considered.

Such a dramatic visual improvement to the city’s built environment in such a high visibility area, could be a win-win situation for multiple stakeholders.

PESKY PHONES

OBSERVATION: Mobile / smart phones pervade every aspect of Hong Kong’s society and almost always find themselves in corporate boardrooms, resulting in constant disruptions and often compromising confidentiality.

SOLUTION: Provide secure self-charging “Phone Lockers” at the entrance of meeting rooms and other areas hosting sensitive discussions — improve meeting productivity and participant focus, minimize meeting times, and maximize confidentiality.

How many business meetings have we attended, where half of the those in attendance are completely distracted from the discussions at hand as they check email, sheepishly swipe through social media accounts beneath the table — or worse yet, secretly record sensitive meeting discussions unbeknownst to the other participants? There are often occasions when younger staff members are compelled to chat about their experience in real time through social media; sometimes inadvertently tipping off competitors as to a company’s confidential affairs or strategies. Then there is of course, the cardinal sin of a distracting phone ringtone blaring at full volume, destroying a presentation in progress.

What if … personal devices were to be banned from the boardroom all together? Some clever designers have proposed “Phone Lockers” at corporate office boardrooms, which help solve these problems. If wireless power chargers were to also be installed within each locker, this might provide an additional incentive for meeting participants to put their phone on ice, minimize the length of meetings, and exit the meeting with a fully charged device as an extra bonus.

This confetti-like arrangement of Phone Lockers by interior architects Richards Basmajian makes it easier to remember where you stored your device than if all of the lockers were the same color, with tiny numbers –  a winning solution to holding more productive meetings.

What about Hong Kong’s schools? This same system of Phone Lockers could be rolled out throughout Hong Kong’s school system to provide classrooms that are distraction-free to maximize students’ learning opportunities — not to mention keeping everyone honest when exam time rolls around!

Could such a culture of temporarily parting from one’s phone be extended to some of the city’s more exclusive fine dining outlets and private clubs, where a quiet ambiance is desired? What if restaurants actually encouraged a couple to have a discussion over dinner, instead of the frequent sight of two zombies enamored with their own handheld device sharing a common table? How long will people continue photographing their desserts and instantly uploading images to social media for constant validation?