文：LAAB建筑事務所Otto Ng, Yip Chun Hang, Catherine Cheng

從弗蘭克·勞埃德·賴特、伊東豐雄到妹島和世以及藤本壯介，建筑師始終在深入探索自然和建筑之間的聯系。自然中的幾何形狀和系統與人造系統并非對立；正相反，它們激發(fā)了空間和幾何布置上的靈感。在城市中，自然和建筑之間的聯系尤為重要；自然不僅能為城市居民提供放松的契機，更可以使城市肌理富有生機。

立足香港這一人口密度位列全球前列的城市，我們希望能夠通過建筑架起城市和自然之間的橋梁。人們提起香港，往往腦中首先浮現的就是遍地高樓大廈的畫面。但實際上，綠地面積占香港土地面積75%，但自然環(huán)境多集中于鄉(xiāng)村地帶，遠離城市中心。作為建筑師，我們力求在城市公共空間的設計中強化自然環(huán)境因素，創(chuàng)建“城市自然”。LAAB初期的項目,比如萬花叢（Kaleidome）中實踐了這一抱負。萬花叢是一個在社區(qū)公園里的藝術裝置。萬花叢的基地在公園樹下的水泥地面上，四周多為低調的灰白色建筑物。我們希望能夠制造一件藝術品，為公園增色添彩，同時和周圍的樹木融為一體。

萬花叢的外觀如同穹頂，由242件多邊形的不銹鋼鏡面結構制造而成。我們首先在電腦制作3-D 模型，然后把鏡面用激光切割和折疊的手法制作出不同的形狀，再在鏡面涂上薄薄的油漆層來保留原來鏡面的反射性。在陽光照射下，漫花叢會折射岀千變萬化的光線和影像。它就像一個綻放的紙花球，吸引著廣場中絡繹不絕的游人。徘回時，游人會看到自己的投影，成為漫花叢的一部分。人動，影像也隨之起舞。在絢麗多變的光影折射下，漫花叢為沙田公園一片空曠的廣場帶來截然不同的視覺震撼。

242個多面塊均為拋光不銹鋼鏡面制成，共有22種形狀。每塊鏡面均根據參數計算機模型激光切割并彎折。在每個多面塊上噴上薄薄的不同漸層的紅藍色，保留原始鏡面反射性能的同時，也給公園帶來另類的視覺體驗。此外，我們還為萬花叢設置了一個入口。這樣，當人們抬頭時，就可以看到每一個多面塊都與樹枝的形狀相呼應。

2018年，萬花叢被羅浮紫藝術典藏選中，參加上海靜安國際雕塑展。我們將萬花叢加高至兩米，并增加了一條可供游客進入的走道。在上海靜安國際雕塑展期間，我們很高興地發(fā)現，萬花叢吸引了多名觀者駐足。不僅是孩子們，就連上海靜安公園的流浪貓也非常喜歡光顧此處，尤其是在夜晚。對我們而言，這無疑是一個驚喜。我們非常欣喜地看到，人和貓都喜愛我們所創(chuàng)造的公共空間。

我們相信，自然的力量能夠撫慰心靈。通過建筑來溝通城市和自然的想法始終在激勵著我們，并且，我們很高興在Victoria Dockside（香港尖沙咀海濱附近一個新近修葺的文化區(qū)）內的系列展示項目中實現了這一點。

Kaleidome II萬花叢 II

我們在Victoria Dockside內打造了三個建筑項目：梳士巴利花園的茅室(Garden Restroom)、梳士巴利道沿路的樹景(Salisbury Treescape) 以及星光大道上的海邊檔(Harbour Kiosk)。這些項目以不同方式探索了人、自然以及文化之間的關系，并各自解決了香港公共空間的問題。

茅室(Garden Restroom)是公用衛(wèi)生間。在設計階段，我們注意到，香港絕大部分的公共衛(wèi)生間外觀毫無二致，均為粉墻、箱式外觀。我們理解所有公用衛(wèi)生間均需要應對隱私問題，但在這樣一個美麗的花園中，我們應如何作出創(chuàng)新？

我們在設計時，把自然環(huán)境引入到了衛(wèi)生間當中，同時又保留了隱私性。半透明的磨砂玻璃從地下延伸至屋頂，把四周的自然環(huán)境帶進茅室。白天，室內清明透徹，讓大家可以安心地歇腳；夜里，它默然佇立，是陪伴旅人趕路的一盞燈。屋頂是傾側的，我們借用了周遭建筑的設計語言，用木條刻畫茅室的細紋，豐富了花園的視覺效果和空間體驗。茅室的入口開敞明亮，如廁空間卻很隱密。我們用連綿起伏的墻來規(guī)劃室內的空間，同時把燈，喇叭和抽風機等設備隱藏起來。室內還有大自然潺潺的流水聲和鳥兒聲，讓大家能輕松自在地方便。

我們把附近重要的景物，像維多利亞港和梳士巴利道，拼湊在墻上，為茅室的位置留下注腳。近海的女廁墻上圖像源自六十年代的舊照片，里面有舊九廣鐵路火車站鐘樓和總站大樓（后者于1978年被拆卸），背景為天星碼頭及當時的太平山。近山的男廁墻上是五十年代的梳士巴利道，還有半島酒店主樓和殖民地年代的雙層巴士。每個門背后也有一則圖像故事，例如“屎坑巷”、“太空廁所”等，紀錄著香港茅廁不同時代的型態(tài)。茅室外，石造的飲水機和洗手盆從低處往上延伸，方便大人及小孩不同的高度。水盆里種著綠色植物，為大家提供清新的休憇環(huán)境。

人們經常把香港視為一個沒有自然環(huán)境的鋼筋水泥之城，但事實并非如此。從半空俯瞰香港，你就會發(fā)現，香港自然環(huán)境面積廣闊，只是多位于鄉(xiāng)村地帶。如何在城市中心區(qū)將建筑和自然相結合？我們在設計梳士巴利類樹木景觀時，不斷追問自己這個問題。我們從樹木中尋找靈感，探求它們的共存方式——如何在生長的同時保持彼此之間的距離，并據此在香港頂級繁華地區(qū)打造出了這一城市景觀。

樹景位于尖沙咀的J2 出口外。梳士巴利道上種了幾顆樹頭菜 (Spider Tree), 是馬路旁難得的一道綠色風景。新世界中心的重建計劃保留了這些樹，而它們也成為了樹景的設計靈感。從尖沙咀的J2 出口一直到公車站，樹景和樹頭菜互相呼應，仿佛是彼此的延續(xù)。白天，陽光翻越樹景的枝節(jié)，散落在地；晚上，泛黃的街燈把整條通道染成金黃。樹景高高低低，像森林里的樹。六邊形的樹冠遵守了大自然的禮儀，它們共同成長卻不遮擋。雨量高的日子，高低不一的樹冠也能幫忙排走過多的雨水。樹景的骨干用鋼鐵做成，它們的設計經過精密的計算，堅固的建筑足以抵擋臺風的季節(jié)。

香港是世界上人口最密的城市之一，市區(qū)的自然尤顯珍貴。在樹景這個項目中, 我們將建筑與自然融合，并希望它能為公共基礎設施的作出不一樣的設計。

海邊檔(Harbour Kiosk)是香港的首個機動公共建筑。它坐落在維多利亞港的星光大道上，我們希望在設計中融入電影元素。“如何設計具電影感又能和海浪呼應的建筑？”是我們給自己的命題。港式小販街邊檔“朝桁晚拆”的特色是海邊檔設計的靈感來源。早上，海邊檔緩緩打開，像一只張開嘴的蚌；夜里，海邊檔合上眼睛，安靜地聽海。海邊檔也會呼吸；一吐一納，就像海浪潮起潮落，星光一閃一爍。木條背后的49枝機械裝置是海邊檔的骨骼，他們的舒展帶動了海邊檔的呼吸。

為了讓海邊檔提供更多的公共服務，我們把小食檔和附近的機電房合拼起來。原本只有十平方米的狹小空間增加了，除了容納柜臺讓店家經營買賣以外，外墻還收放了自動販賣機、飲水機、資訊板和植物。外立面有三層異形木制板條，可遮蔽機房房門，同時在波浪形表面內容納各種公共功能。

當我們首次提出設計觀念時，不論是半透明的衛(wèi)生間,流線型的地鐵出口，還是可變型的小食亭,所有人都為此感到興奮，但對于能否在香港真正實現這樣的首創(chuàng)并無把握。我們將重大挑戰(zhàn)細分，一個個地提出解決方案，以樹立起大家的信心。我們努力不懈地制造模型和樣品，終于逐漸獲得了認可。我們堅信，創(chuàng)造性和可行性并不矛盾；相反，可行性是創(chuàng)造性的基礎所在。

我們相信，城市的未來就根植于它與人、自然和文化的可持續(xù)聯系當中。我們希望，“城市自然”系列能夠增進人與自然的互動，并樹立起“尊重自然”的公共空間設計文化理念。

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 fa?ade 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.