Palmer & Turner
Choi Hung Estate, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon East
1962-1964
Many Hong Kongers today recognize the familiar photo shot of Instagrammers and tourists smiling in front of the picture-perfect rainbow building: Choi Hung Estate. Back in the 60s when it was first built, however, the public housing estate represented a pioneering government project to house the public. The post-war era of Hong Kong presented novel challenges for the government to accommodate the influx of immigrants to the region and the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) took on the mission to address the challenge by building a series of low-cost, public housing complexes.
Choi Hung Estate was the fourth of HKHA’s series of projects, replacing the grass fields of Ngau Chi Wan in 1962. Designed by prominent architecture firm Palmer & Turner, the estate has a capacity to house more than 43,000 people, with some flats designed to occupy four to six person family units and other flats designed for larger families of eight to ten people. Choi Hung was also one of the public housing projects built with a “township concept”, with two secondary and three primary schools, as well as a post office incorporated within the layout plan.
For Further Information:
Zolima Magazine Article on Choi Hung Estate