The latest Covid-19 pandemic put forward waves of “new normal” in every aspect of life. The state of “new normal” spanned over the notion of living a normal life, it brought deformation amongst the public realm and personal life as well as an institutionalized atmosphere of dissension. Charles and Ian will lead us through contemplation on the histories of pandemics. We will delve into architectural spaces in pandemic events, impacted by the overflow of an invisible disease, altered spatial design, urban fabric and materials in cities. These impacts manifested control of bodies by architectural space, from conceptual perpetuation to real-life constraints.

“A Minute Something Else Enters” is a community project collaborated with the teaching staff at LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, aimed to explore the history of pandemic across centuries of time within the boundary in Hong Kong. The project anticipates audio-guided immersive theatre at HKU and surrounding in 2022 January, in addition to three online to offline sharing sessions to swarm out into the interfaces of the pandemic, urban and daily life with the lens of architecture, medical profession and literature. “A Minute Something Else Enters” is supported by MEHU, HKU Libraries and Common Core.

Mr Charles Lai

Charles Lai is a British architect and researcher of the history and conservation of Hong Kong and Asian modern architecture. He received his PhD degree in architectural history and theory from the University of Hong Kong Department of Architecture, and a diploma from the AA School of Architecture in London. He is a member of the Docomomo Hong Kong. His research explores the history of modern architecture in East and Southeast Asia, the material culture and history of Shanghai plaster, as well as the conservation and revitalization design of historical built heritage.

Mr Ian Tan

Ian Tan is pursuing his PhD studies in Architectural History at the University of Hong Kong. His research examines the circulation of iron architecture in colonial port cities, particularly Singapore and Hong Kong, foregrounding the material as a key proponent of modernity which transformed the way people lived, worked, and socialised at the turn of the century. He is trained as a conservation architect and curator and previously served in these roles with the National Heritage Board of Singapore.

Date: Nov 10, 2021

Time: 7:30 – 9pm

Venue: Lower basement, Hong Kong Art Centre, Eric Hotung Studio, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

In association with Cultural Masseur, HKAC 文化按摩師 Cultural Masseur

Speaker: Charles Lai & Ian Tan

Language: Cantonese and English

Register at: https://forms.gle/Pp9Tt2nMvCZpfSAY9

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/1349072538454919/posts/5225445314150936/?d=n