the day the clock stopped

on 12th November 2006, after serving for almost half a century, the Star Ferry Pier was to be closed down, soon to be demolished and make way for new roads, more commercial ventures.

while not trying to deal with the political issues here, there's always the question of whether the demolition can be avoided, and instead of an entirely new project, like our counterparts in the rest of the world, maintain part of the structure, and transform it to some other use. Financially, the startup cost would definitely be more, but it is exactly these city fabric that defines the character of our city, and in many overseas examples, they become some very succesful self-sustaining projects.

a trip on the Ferry was always a nice break from the chaotic city life, and to some, almost an everyday habit. now that the new pier, modeled in a very much "fake" exterior, is shifted so far out, its significance to the city and its dwellers will never be the same.

more photos can be found in our http://www.flickr.com/photos/adlab/ site.