Rusted-out Shenzhen factory reborn as a thriving urban farm
Architect Thomas Chung's award-winning green growing space in Shenzhen was inspired by Hong Kong's Central district rooftops
When architect Thomas Chung Wang-leung wanted to present an alternative use for yet another Hong Kong institution destined for urban renewal - in this case, the 160-year-old Graham Street wet market in Central - he did so not in Hong Kong, but across the border in Shenzhen.
Specifically, it was the former Guangdong Glass Factory in Shekou that provided the model, courtesy of the invitation-only Shenzhen Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture held there in 2013.
Chung's vision for Value Farm - a living, breathing, productive farm that engaged the community for months on end and provided food for their tables - recently won gold in the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Cross-Strait Architectural Design Awards 2015.
Chung is an associate professor at the school of architecture at Chinese University.
"When [curator] Ole Bouman invited me to do something to showcase Hong Kong, we thought urban farming might be a little unexpected. Compared to the [usual scenes of] Victoria Harbour, high-rises, and glamour, this might be something new Hong Kong could offer to the world," Chung said.
The project's design inspiration came partly from an emerging global trend whereby city dwellers are reconnecting with the hands-on experience of growing crops as a means of offering a more secure, accessible food supply.