城市自然

文：LAAB建筑事务所Otto Ng, Yip Chun Hang, Catherine Cheng

从弗兰克·劳埃德·赖特、伊东丰雄到妹岛和世以及藤本壮介，建筑师始终在深入探索自然和建筑之间的联系。自然中的几何形状和系统与人造系统并非对立；正相反，它们激发了空间和几何布置上的灵感。在城市中，自然和建筑之间的联系尤为重要；自然不仅能为城市居民提供放松的契机，更可以使城市肌理富有生机。

立足香港这一人口密度位列全球前列的城市，我们希望能够通过建筑架起城市和自然之间的桥梁。人们提起香港，往往脑中首先浮现的就是遍地高楼大厦的画面。但实际上，绿地面积占香港土地面积75%，但自然环境多集中于乡村地带，远离城市中心。作为建筑师，我们力求在城市公共空间的设计中强化自然环境因素，创建“城市自然”。LAAB初期的项目,比如万花丛（Kaleidome）中实践了这一抱负。万花丛是一个在社区公园里的艺术装置。万花丛的基地在公园树下的水泥地面上，四周多为低调的灰白色建筑物。我们希望能够制造一件艺术品，为公园增色添彩，同时和周围的树木融为一体。

万花丛的外观如同穹顶，由242件多边形的不锈钢镜面结构制造而成。我们首先在电脑制作3-D 模型，然后把镜面用激光切割和折叠的手法制作出不同的形状，再在镜面涂上薄薄的油漆层来保留原来镜面的反射性。在阳光照射下，漫花丛会折射岀千变万化的光线和影像。它就像一个绽放的纸花球，吸引着广场中络绎不绝的游人。徘回时，游人会看到自己的投影，成为漫花丛的一部分。人动，影像也随之起舞。在绚丽多变的光影折射下，漫花丛为沙田公园一片空旷的广场带来截然不同的视觉震撼。

242个多面块均为抛光不锈钢镜面制成，共有22种形状。每块镜面均根据参数计算机模型激光切割并弯折。在每个多面块上喷上薄薄的不同渐层的红蓝色，保留原始镜面反射性能的同时，也给公园带来另类的视觉体验。此外，我们还为万花丛设置了一个入口。这样，当人们抬头时，就可以看到每一个多面块都与树枝的形状相呼应。

2018年，万花丛被罗浮紫艺术典藏选中，参加上海静安国际雕塑展。我们将万花丛加高至两米，并增加了一条可供游客进入的走道。在上海静安国际雕塑展期间，我们很高兴地发现，万花丛吸引了多名观者驻足。不仅是孩子们，就连上海静安公园的流浪猫也非常喜欢光顾此处，尤其是在夜晚。对我们而言，这无疑是一个惊喜。我们非常欣喜地看到，人和猫都喜爱我们所创造的公共空间。

我们相信，自然的力量能够抚慰心灵。通过建筑来沟通城市和自然的想法始终在激励着我们，并且，我们很高兴在Victoria Dockside（香港尖沙咀海滨附近一个新近修葺的文化区）内的系列展示项目中实现了这一点。

Kaleidome II万花丛 II

我们在Victoria Dockside内打造了三个建筑项目：梳士巴利花园的茅室(Garden Restroom)、梳士巴利道沿路的树景(Salisbury Treescape) 以及星光大道上的海边档(Harbour Kiosk)。这些项目以不同方式探索了人、自然以及文化之间的关系，并各自解决了香港公共空间的问题。

茅室(Garden Restroom)是公用卫生间。在设计阶段，我们注意到，香港绝大部分的公共卫生间外观毫无二致，均为粉墙、箱式外观。我们理解所有公用卫生间均需要应对隐私问题，但在这样一个美丽的花园中，我们应如何作出创新？

我们在设计时，把自然环境引入到了卫生间当中，同时又保留了隐私性。半透明的磨砂玻璃从地下延伸至屋顶，把四周的自然环境带进茅室。白天，室内清明透彻，让大家可以安心地歇脚；夜里，它默然伫立，是陪伴旅人赶路的一盏灯。屋顶是倾侧的，我们借用了周遭建筑的设计语言，用木条刻画茅室的细纹，丰富了花园的视觉效果和空间体验。茅室的入口开敞明亮，如厕空间却很隐密。我们用连绵起伏的墙来规划室内的空间，同时把灯，喇叭和抽风机等设备隐藏起来。室内还有大自然潺潺的流水声和鸟儿声，让大家能轻松自在地方便。

我们把附近重要的景物，像维多利亚港和梳士巴利道，拼凑在墙上，为茅室的位置留下注脚。近海的女厕墙上图像源自六十年代的旧照片，里面有旧九广铁路火车站钟楼和总站大楼（后者于1978年被拆卸），背景为天星码头及当时的太平山。近山的男厕墙上是五十年代的梳士巴利道，还有半岛酒店主楼和殖民地年代的双层巴士。每个门背后也有一则图像故事，例如“屎坑巷”、“太空厕所”等，纪录着香港茅厕不同时代的型态。茅室外，石造的饮水机和洗手盆从低处往上延伸，方便大人及小孩不同的高度。水盆里种着绿色植物，为大家提供清新的休憇环境。

人们经常把香港视为一个没有自然环境的钢筋水泥之城，但事实并非如此。从半空俯瞰香港，你就会发现，香港自然环境面积广阔，只是多位于乡村地带。如何在城市中心区将建筑和自然相结合？我们在设计梳士巴利类树木景观时，不断追问自己这个问题。我们从树木中寻找灵感，探求它们的共存方式——如何在生长的同时保持彼此之间的距离，并据此在香港顶级繁华地区打造出了这一城市景观。

树景位于尖沙咀的J2 出口外。梳士巴利道上种了几颗树头菜 (Spider Tree), 是马路旁难得的一道绿色风景。新世界中心的重建计划保留了这些树，而它们也成为了树景的设计灵感。从尖沙咀的J2 出口一直到公车站，树景和树头菜互相呼应，仿佛是彼此的延续。白天，阳光翻越树景的枝节，散落在地；晚上，泛黄的街灯把整条通道染成金黄。树景高高低低，像森林里的树。六边形的树冠遵守了大自然的礼仪，它们共同成长却不遮挡。雨量高的日子，高低不一的树冠也能帮忙排走过多的雨水。树景的骨干用钢铁做成，它们的设计经过精密的计算，坚固的建筑足以抵挡台风的季节。

香港是世界上人口最密的城市之一，市区的自然尤显珍贵。在树景这个项目中, 我们将建筑与自然融合，并希望它能为公共基础设施的作出不一样的设计。

海边档(Harbour Kiosk)是香港的首个机动公共建筑。它坐落在维多利亚港的星光大道上，我们希望在设计中融入电影元素。“如何设计具电影感又能和海浪呼应的建筑？”是我们给自己的命题。港式小贩街边档“朝桁晚拆”的特色是海边档设计的灵感来源。早上，海边档缓缓打开，像一只张开嘴的蚌；夜里，海边档合上眼睛，安静地听海。海边档也会呼吸；一吐一纳，就像海浪潮起潮落，星光一闪一烁。木条背后的49枝机械装置是海边档的骨骼，他们的舒展带动了海边档的呼吸。

为了让海边档提供更多的公共服务，我们把小食档和附近的机电房合拼起来。原本只有十平方米的狭小空间增加了，除了容纳柜台让店家经营买卖以外，外墙还收放了自动贩卖机、饮水机、资讯板和植物。外立面有三层异形木制板条，可遮蔽机房房门，同时在波浪形表面内容纳各种公共功能。

当我们首次提出设计观念时，不论是半透明的卫生间,流线型的地铁出口，还是可变型的小食亭,所有人都为此感到兴奋，但对于能否在香港真正实现这样的首创并无把握。我们将重大挑战细分，一个个地提出解决方案，以树立起大家的信心。我们努力不懈地制造模型和样品，终于逐渐获得了认可。我们坚信，创造性和可行性并不矛盾；相反，可行性是创造性的基础所在。

我们相信，城市的未来就根植于它与人、自然和文化的可持续联系当中。我们希望，“城市自然”系列能够增进人与自然的互动，并树立起“尊重自然”的公共空间设计文化理念。

From Frank Lloyd Wright and Toyo Ito to SANNA and Sou Fujimoto, architects have long offered insights into the connections betweennature and architecture.The geometry and systems found in nature are not antithetical to man-made systems;rather, they provide an incredible source of inspiration for spatial and geometrical arrangements. The connection between nature and architecture is particularly important in urban cities; the former not only provides moments of relaxation for city dwellers but also enlivens the urban fabric.

As architects practicing in Hong Kong, one of the densest cities in the world,our mission is toconnect urban city and nature through architecture. When people think of Hong Kong, the first impression is often a picture of skyscrapers. In fact, 75% of Hong Kong's territory is green, but most of our nature is concentrated in the countryside, away from the city core. As architects, we push ourselves to design public spaces that enhance the natural environment in urban city to create what we called “Urban Nature.”

We have infused our aspiration in one of our earliest projects, Kaleidome, which is an art installation for a neighborhood park in Hong Kong. Our site was under a tree, on aconcrete outdoor floor. The site was surrounded by mostly greyish white buildings, which was not very appealing. We wanted to create an artwork thatadds colors to the park while at the same time resonates with the nearby trees.

We then designed Kaleidome, a dome-shape installation composed of 242 polyhedral cells of polished-stainless-steel mirror. Each reflective cell is a small window that frames the environment and multiples the vista. Like a kaleidoscope, it shuffles the images of river, trees, buildings, passers-by and flowers in the air, and tints the concrete plaza into a flourished place.

The 242 polyhedral cells are made of polished-stainless-steel mirror in 22 shapes.Each mirror was laser-cut and folded according to our parametric computer model.The cell was tinted in various shades of red and blue with a very thin layer of paint that preserves the reflectiveness of the original mirror finish, offering a different visual experience of the park.We also created an entrance inside Kaleidome for people to enter. When they looked up, theycould see each cell composition resonating with the geometry of the tree branches.

This project was later selected by the Purple Roof Art Gallery to exhibit at the Shanghai Jing-an International Sculpture Project (JISP) in 2018. We revamped our Kaleidomeinto a two-meter-high structure and added a path that led visitors into the space. During the opening of the JISP, we were delighted to see thatKaleidomehad become a popular spot not only for children, but also for stray cats in Shanghai Jingan Park, especially at night. This was de finitely a pleasant surprise for us, and we were happy to see both humans and cats enjoying the public spacewe created.We believe that nature has a healing power that is therapeutic to the hearts and souls. The aspiration to connect urban city and nature through architecture continues to motivate our work and we are glad to realize this in a series of pavilion projects in Victoria Dockside, a newly renovated cultural hub near the Tsim Sha Tsuiharboufront in Hong Kong.

We have three architecture projects in Victoria Dockside: theGarden Restroom in Salisbury Garden, the Salisbury Treescape along Salisbury Road, and the Harbour Kiosk at the Avenue of Stars. Each project explores the relationship between people,nature, and culture in their own ways and addresses a unique question about public space.

Garden Restroom is a public washroom. During the design process, we noticed that most, if not all, public toilets in Hong Kong look the same, with pinky walls and a boxy design. We know that all public toilets need to address the question of privacy,but how can we do it differently, especially when this is a toilet inside a beautiful garden?

Unlike a conventional boxy approach, our toilet design challenges the boundary between public and private space by bringing in natural surroundings into the washroom while maintaining a sense of privacy to optimize user experience. The design of Garden Restroom features a translucent façade that rolls up to the roof,bringing natural sunlight to the interior; at night, the architecture lights up like a lantern in the dark. We maintain a coherent experience of Salisbury Garden by borrowing the architectural language of adjacent buildings and using timber fins to design Garden Restroom. The diagonal pitched roof also creates a dynamic spatial experience and provides a visual surprise for those standing from afar.

Inside the toilet, we constructed a curvilinear wall to create an enclosure with a sense of privacy, while concealing light bulbs, speakers, and exhaust fans underneath. Garden Restroom plays the sound of flowing water, users can enjoy a moment of privacy with comfort and ease.

We also documented the historical prominence of Tsim She Tsui by erecting mosaic murals featuring the historic views of Victoria Harbour and Salisbury Road. The female restroom shows an image in the 1960s, featuring the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower and Terminus building (demolished in 1978), with Star Ferry Pier and the then-Peak-skyline in the background. The wall in the male restroom shows Salisbury Road in the 1950s, with the original Peninsula Hotel and the double-decker bus from the colonial era. We used anamorphic perspective to produce distorted images that can be perceptible only from a certain angle at the entrance. We also documented Hong Kong toilet development by illustrating toilet typology behind cubicle doors, such as "Back Alley" and "Vacuum Toilet.”

Outside the Garden Restroom stands a stone-sculpted drinking fountain and a washing basin. The curvilinear shape responds to the pro file of Garden Restroom;the dynamic form also caters to different heights of adults and kids.

Salisbury Treescape is a series of tree-like canopy that pays tribute to the urban nature along the harbourfront. People often think of Hong Kong as a concretejungle, the opposite of natural environment, but this is a myth really. If you look at Hong Kong's landscape from an aerial perspective, Hong Kong has a lot of nature,it's just that most of them are in the countryside. “How do we connect architecture and nature in the city core?” is the question we asked of ourselves when designing Salisbury Treescape. We learnt from trees, the way they interact with each other,how they grow together while respecting their distance to create this urban treescape in one of the busiest streets in Hong Kong.

Built with varying heights to frame a dynamic vista from the escalator, the forest-like structure outside the J2 exit comprises clusters of hexagonal nesting sealed with fritted temper glass cover and timber- fin like screen. The steel branches are carefully computed to support the canopy and are constructed to withstand the typhoon season in Hong Kong. The hexagonal canopy echoes with the spider trees along Salisbury Road while shielding users from heavy rain, blinding sunlight, and scorching summer heat. The stepping roof also drains excessive rainwater in the summer.

As people ride up the escalator, they are greeted by the tender light and shadow that shined through the shaded canopy. At night, the dim streetlights re flect on the canopy to create a romantic golden-yellow passage.

Often known as one of the densest cities in the world, urban nature is a muchcherished treasure in Hong Kong. In this project, we carefully merged architecture with nature, and we hope that Salisbury Treescape can provide an alternative imagination to the future of public infrastructure.

Harbour Kiosk is the first kinetic public architecture in Hong Kong. Because it is located at the Avenue of Stars, a promenade that celebrates the success of Hong Kong movie industry, we want to design something cinematic. “How to create a cinematic architecture?” is the challenge that we gave ourselves. We took inspiration from local market stalls, which are commonly seen in Hong Kong movies, and developed a kinetic system that allows the kiosk to open and close automatically to pay tribute to the moving images of the cinema. The robotic movement of Harbour Kiosk also resonates with the movement of harbour waves. There are 49 robotic arms behind the pro filed timber fins. Their movements magically perform for the cinematic transformation.

When we were approached to design a small 10-square-meter food kiosk, we took the opportunity to merge the food kiosk with a large M&E machine room nearby and greatly gained a 17-meter long wall space to accommodate more public functions,including a counter table, a vending machine, drinking fountains, info panels, and planters. The facade features three strata of profiled timber slats that not only conceal the machine room doors but also accommodate different types of public functions inside the wavy surfaces.

When we first presented our ideas, whether it is a kiosk that is transformable, a toilet that is translucent, or a subway canopy that is not flat, everyone was excited but wasn't so con fident about realizing the projects as these are quite unprecedented in Hong Kong. We had to build our stakeholders' confidence by breaking down big problems into smaller ones and resolve them one by one. We showed people simulation, prototypes, with passion and commitment, and gradually convinced them. At LAAB, we talk about experimentality, but we are actually very practical.We believe that creativity and practicality are not mutually exclusive; in fact, for us,practicality is fundamental to innovation.

We believe that the future of our city lies in its sustainable relationship with people,nature, and culture. We hope that our “Urban Nature” series can enhance people's interaction with nature and foster a culture of respect for nature in designing public spaces.