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Experiencing Topography: The transformation of Anderson Road Quarry into a Quarry Relics Park

Part 2 Project 2012
Yue Chen
Chinese University of Hong Kong | China
Because of the need to expand, quarrying was the solution for producing construction and reclamation materials. As a result, natural land is damaged by quarrying. To protect the natural landscape, quarries have been gradually closed off and have been designated to recall its former natural state by spreading another layer of ecological system on the top of the site.

Aware of the challenges of an abandoned quarry: visual impacts, degradation, erosion, drainage, alteration to the original topography, this thesis aims to transform the site to a safe, environmentally stable condition compatible with adjoining lands, and to explore alternative solutions for quarry rehabilitation. Since the land is cut away to form a pit, possible strategies such as underground, cut and fill, terracing could be applied to the site. Thus, this thesis will also focus on architecture’s relationship to topography: above ground, on the ground, and below ground.

Taking into account that Anderson Road Quarry locates near the city center and other quarries will be repaired by covering with greenery in the coming future. A Quarry Relics Park is suggested as the program for the site. The Park is divided into three parts: the public park (public), the educational part (semi-public) and the research part (private) covering experiencing, studying, and exploration of the history, nature and future of quarrying.

Anderson Road Quarry is a unique topography that represents a piece of history of Hong Kong. It should not be erased from the map. Yet to preserve the quarry does not mean to freeze the existing state. The quarry should be able to allow the changes over time by recording the history and allowing future alteration. So, the rest of the quarry surfaces will be used as a canvas for various land art. The theme and the presentation method change constantly according to the artist invited each season. Suggested art form including and not limiting to planting, piling natural materials, carving rain route, and create man-made fog. Hopefully by doing this, an interactive relationship between human and nature could be encouraged.

Yue Chen

Tutor(s)
Prof Puay-peng Ho
2012
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