hong kong architectural guide | ulf meyer

Forced to thrust skywards by the constraints of its position on a narrow strip of land between the sea and high mountains, Hong Kong has developed a breath-taking skyline. One of the most densely populated areas in the world, it has a greater number of high-rise structures than any other major international city: more than 2,300 buildings at over 100 metres high - and more are completed almost daily. The originally wild and now largely domesticated topography of the island seems exhausted, fully restricted and there is no more land to be taken from the sea. Mainly European and American architects have played a role in creating the buildings of Hong Kong, but local architects maintain their hold with confidence on this hotly contested market. This guide to architecture presents 100 characteristic buildings that define the urban landscape of the former British Crown Colony.