Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Colors and shapes in Choi Hung Estate 彩虹的形與色

I was brought up in Ngau Chi Wan village. In front of the village was a vast piece of farmland where the Choi Hung Estate was built. That is why I have a deep impression of Choi Hung Estate.

In 1958, Hong Kong government put aside a portion of the farmland in Ngau Chi Wan for the Hong Kong Housing Authority to build a large housing estate. The construction work started in 1962 and the Choi Hung Estate of 8 buildings was finally completed in 1964. The estate is using 8 colors and flower names for the building names. The unique design of Choi Hung Estate was awarded with the architectural prize for the first time: The Silver Award of the Hong Kong Association of Architects 1965.

The theme of this album is on the colors and shapes found in Choi Hung Estate wherein the ambiance of tranquility and charming patterns are extraordinary. It has also presented my reminiscence in this estate.

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Photo equipment:
Nikon D300s, Nikon GP-1 GPS
Af-DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6

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我在香港的九龍牛池灣村長大,村前有一大片田地,就是後來興建彩虹邨的地方,所以我對彩虹邨的印象深刻。

1958年,香港政府將牛池灣村前的一片土地劃出,撥給香港屋宇委員會興建大型屋邨。工程於1962年開始到1964年,共有八座樓宇的彩虹邨終於落成。屋邨的樓宇以顏色的花卉命名,而邨內的七條街則以彩虹的八種顏色冠名。然而彩虹邨憑其獨特設計而榮獲本港首個建築獎項---1965年香港建築師學會銀牌獎。

這輯照片,均以彩虹邨的色彩及美麗形狀為主題而拍攝,顯現屋邨獨特的憩靜和美貌,也表達了我對這屋邨的情懷。



Blue sky
彩虹的藍天


The external walls were painted with beautiful colors and drying clothes outside the windows still look peculiar in some public housing estates.
外牆以不同的顏色作裝飾,窗外曬衣仍是屋邨的特色。


The building names were created with the colors of nature
大廈都以顏色的自然界事物冠名


Beautiful twigs
形態嬌美的樹枝


The staircase was installed with safety fence
樓梯已加了安全鐡欄


Colorful corridor
彩色走廊


Window shadow
窗影


Green buds on the blue wall
藍牆展綠芽


Gazing over high-rise from Choi Hung Estate
從彩虹邨遙望牛池灣村高廈


Windows


Before the notice board
報告板前


Colors and arrow sign
色彩與箭咀


Rainbow, shapes and colors
彩虹、形、色。

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Archive Photos
檔案照片


Photo taken on 27 December 1956 showing Ngau Chi Wan, Diamond Hill and Kai Tak Airport.  The white spots in the middle is where Choi Hung Estate would be built.
1956年12月27日高空拍攝的牛池灣村、鑽石山區及啓德機場。牛池灣村前的菜田已劃出開發大型屋邨的地皮(中間白色部份)。


Kwun Tong Road in 1953 where the transit interchange is located now.
1953年觀塘道,現在彩虹交通迴旋處。



Choi Hung Estate in 1961
1961年的彩虹邨

Choi Hung Estate in 1963
1963年的彩虹邨


Choi Hung Estate in the 70s.  Ping Shek Estate is in distance.
70年代的彩虹邨,遠處是坪石邨。


Ngau Chi Wan Village in 1974.  Choi Hung Estate is on the left upper corner.
1974年牛池灣村,左上角是彩虹邨。



Air-view photo of Ngau Chi Wan Village and Choi Hung Estate taken on 25th April, 1979.  The semi-circular buildings on the lower left were army barracks.  The bus station of early days was located on the road side.  Now the bus station is beside Choi Hung Estate on the left.
1979年4月25日彩虹邨的高空照片。半圓形的軍營在彩虹交滙處下方。早年的巴士總站設在這裡的路旁現設在彩虹邨旁


Choi Hung transit interchange in June 1991
1991年6月彩虹交通交匯處


Choi Hung transit interchange in 1975
1975年彩虹廻旋處



Photo of the new base of the Royal Air Force on eastern Kai Tak Airport taken in 1935.  The road is the present Kwun Tong Road.  Today's Kai Tak Mansion is on the right and Kai Yip Estate on the left.  The long buildings in the middle were used as the Vietnamese refugee camps in 1980.
啓德機場東部剛建成不久的皇家空軍啓德基地大樓,攝於1935年。圖中道路為後來的觀塘道,圖右為今天啟德大廈,圖左為今天啟業邨所在,圖中央長方形大廈,1980代曾成為啟德越南難民臨時收容中心。


Photo was taken at the same location in 2011.  Choi Hung Estate is in distance in the center of the photo.  Ping shek Estate and Kai Tak Mansions are on the right whereas Kai Yip Estate is on the left.
2011年在巴士上層拍攝同一的位置,中間遠處是彩虹邨,右面是坪石邨和啓德大廈,左面是啟業邨。

Click to open more photos 點擊更多照片》





View Choi Hung Estate in a larger map

5 comments:

  1. I am impressed by your efforts to link the present scenes with the past memories! With best wishes for the year of Snake,

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very impressive pictures that bring my memory back to the old days! Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I lived in Kwun Tong in the 60’s and passed by this area everyday. Thank you for the beautiful pictures and excellent documentations.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a special feeling towards Choi Hung Estate. When I was a child I lived in Diamond Hill. Every evening our whole family including my grandparents went for a walk after dinner. We always stopped and turned back at the site where Choi Hung Estate was built. At that time it was only a board with "Choi Hung Estate" written on it and some piles of stones. It is good memory!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for photos.

    ReplyDelete