5 ms·

Detailed Cross-section of the Kowloon Walled City

109 points by ermias 12y ago

aw3c2 12y ago
http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2014/10/28/detailed-cross-section-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-created-by-japanese-researchers/ http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2014/10/28/detailed-cross-sectio... seems to be the actual source, citylab seems just to be an aggregator.
- dang 12y ago
  Thanks. Url changed to this from http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/rare-maps-show-life-in-hong-kongs-vice-filled-walled-city/382415/ http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/rare-maps-show-life-in....
- ermias 12y ago
  Thanks for pointing to the original article.
valgaze 12y ago
Bunch of photos from the late 80s: http://www.mascontext.com/issues/19-trace-fall-13/kowloon-walled-city-heterotopia-in-a-space-of-disappearance/ http://www.mascontext.com/issues/19-trace-fall-13/kowloon-wa...
- GFischer 12y ago
  That article merits its own submission, it was a very interesting read.
swartkrans 12y ago
Some great pictures of the place before its demolition can be found on this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2139914/A-rare-insight-Kowloon-Walled-City.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2139914/A-rare-insig... What an interesting place it used to be. Basically a 1898 agreement between Britain and China created a legal limbo for a military base. Over time the military base became a refuge for squatters. After Japan's surrender in WWII the area grew into a dystopian-like lawless city that was ruled by criminal gangs until police raids from 1970's to 1980's cleaned it up. From 1987 to 1992 everyone was evicted and in 1993 it was demolished.
jacobolus 12y ago
Also see this thread about the KWC from several months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7647607 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7647607
dzhiurgis 12y ago
Cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.spoon-tamago.com%2F2014%2F10%2F28%2Fdetailed-cross-section-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-created-by-japanese-researchers%2F&oq=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.spoon-tamago.com%2F2014%2F10%2F28%2Fdetailed-cross-section-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-created-by-japanese-researchers http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...
theklub 12y ago
Awesome documentary on Kowloon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lby9P3ms11w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lby9P3ms11w
wallflower 12y ago
If you were ever looking for a coffee table book that may ensnare a guest's attention if they choose to pick it up and 'glance' through it, City of Darkness is one of the best. Unfortunately, it is now a collector's item now (hundreds of dollars) http://www.amazon.com/City-Darkness-Life-Kowloon-Walled/dp/1873200137 http://www.amazon.com/City-Darkness-Life-Kowloon-Walled/dp/1... Note: There is a 2nd edition coming out soon (via Kickstarter)
panhandlr 12y ago
If anyone is interested in working on a "walled city" mod to the game "Banished" http://www.shiningrocksoftware.com/2014-08-26-mod-kit-beta/ http://www.shiningrocksoftware.com/2014-08-26-mod-kit-beta/ please contact me.
stevep98 12y ago
The site is now a park, and there are some sculptures of the old city, and a version of the art linked at Spoon/Tamago. See my pics! http://imgur.com/a/NO9xB http://imgur.com/a/NO9xB
ChrisArchitect 12y ago
regular posting of something KWC related. This one a blog post rehashing content from 2010. Everyone loves it/fascinated by it

109 points by ermias 12y ago

aw3c2 12y ago

http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2014/10/28/detailed-cross-section-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-created-by-japanese-researchers/ http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2014/10/28/detailed-cross-sectio... seems to be the actual source, citylab seems just to be an aggregator.

dang 12y ago
Thanks. Url changed to this from http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/rare-maps-show-life-in-hong-kongs-vice-filled-walled-city/382415/ http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/rare-maps-show-life-in....
ermias 12y ago
Thanks for pointing to the original article.

valgaze 12y ago

Bunch of photos from the late 80s: http://www.mascontext.com/issues/19-trace-fall-13/kowloon-walled-city-heterotopia-in-a-space-of-disappearance/ http://www.mascontext.com/issues/19-trace-fall-13/kowloon-wa...

GFischer 12y ago
That article merits its own submission, it was a very interesting read.

swartkrans 12y ago

Some great pictures of the place before its demolition can be found on this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2139914/A-rare-insight-Kowloon-Walled-City.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2139914/A-rare-insig... What an interesting place it used to be. Basically a 1898 agreement between Britain and China created a legal limbo for a military base. Over time the military base became a refuge for squatters. After Japan's surrender in WWII the area grew into a dystopian-like lawless city that was ruled by criminal gangs until police raids from 1970's to 1980's cleaned it up. From 1987 to 1992 everyone was evicted and in 1993 it was demolished.

jacobolus 12y ago

Also see this thread about the KWC from several months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7647607 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7647607

dzhiurgis 12y ago

Cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.spoon-tamago.com%2F2014%2F10%2F28%2Fdetailed-cross-section-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-created-by-japanese-researchers%2F&oq=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.spoon-tamago.com%2F2014%2F10%2F28%2Fdetailed-cross-section-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-created-by-japanese-researchers http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...

theklub 12y ago

Awesome documentary on Kowloon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lby9P3ms11w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lby9P3ms11w

wallflower 12y ago

If you were ever looking for a coffee table book that may ensnare a guest's attention if they choose to pick it up and 'glance' through it, City of Darkness is one of the best. Unfortunately, it is now a collector's item now (hundreds of dollars) http://www.amazon.com/City-Darkness-Life-Kowloon-Walled/dp/1873200137 http://www.amazon.com/City-Darkness-Life-Kowloon-Walled/dp/1... Note: There is a 2nd edition coming out soon (via Kickstarter)

panhandlr 12y ago

If anyone is interested in working on a "walled city" mod to the game "Banished" http://www.shiningrocksoftware.com/2014-08-26-mod-kit-beta/ http://www.shiningrocksoftware.com/2014-08-26-mod-kit-beta/ please contact me.

stevep98 12y ago

The site is now a park, and there are some sculptures of the old city, and a version of the art linked at Spoon/Tamago. See my pics! http://imgur.com/a/NO9xB http://imgur.com/a/NO9xB

ChrisArchitect 12y ago

regular posting of something KWC related. This one a blog post rehashing content from 2010. Everyone loves it/fascinated by it