“If you take the immediate meaning, urban exploration refers to someone who enjoys exploration and travel. But in the broader sense, to me, it is someone who follows their curiosity. When you follow your curiosity, you create space for the possibility of meaningful experiences you could have never anticipated.”
Pakho’s Hong Kong Travel Itinerary
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Hong Kong is a vibrant metropolitan filled with rich history and unique architectural forms that blend the cultures of the East and West. We asked the co-founder of lighting and furniture design brand Noah & Grey Mr. Pakho Ng which Top 5 places in Hong Kong he would recommend architecture and design aficionados to visit. Here’s what he recommended:
Blue House in Wan Chai
Blue House, a 4-storey pre-war shophouse nestled on Stone Nullah Lane in the heart of Wan Chai district, is absolutely stunning. Built in the 1920s, this heritage building retains its original residential purpose, housing old and new tenants and offering various community and cultural activities such as workshops and guided tours in its “House of Stories” to foster community interaction. I think it is an interesting place to visit and it is a reflection of what that era was like. It’s an insightful glimpse into the past.
Tai Kwun
Tai Kwun is the other end of the spectrum of the colonial era where it is a living record of the legal, judiciary, and penal system in Hong Kong today. This building has been revitalised with modern businesses like restaurants, shops, and museums.
Public Estate Housing
To get a very insightful look into how people live and are still living in Hong Kong, visiting a public estate housing is a must. Built-in the 1950s, the public housing estates were built after a fire in Shek Kip Mei destroyed thousands of shanty homes. It is a very different side from the bustling and glamorous façade that Hong Kong portrays, but it is a very real part of Hong Kong that we need to acknowledge.
M+ Museum
M+ is a very good flagship museum for Hong Kong. Located in the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong, M+ is Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture. It is visually captivating and modern, encompassing works of various visual art forms, such as visual art, design, and architecture, and moving images.
