Cover ‘Infinity Choi Hung’ by SurrealHK, an artistic interpretation of Hong Kong’s iconic Choi Hung Estate (Image: Instagram / @surrealhk)
‘Infinity Choi Hung’ by SurrealHK, an artistic interpretation of Hong Kong’s iconic Choi Hung Estate (Image: Instagram / @surrealhk)
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Ahead of the Rainbow Estate’s demolition for redevelopment, Tatler takes a walk down memory lane to Choi Hung Estate through the eyes of photographers and artists
Choi Hung Estate, also known as Rainbow Estate, is one of the most Instagrammable hotspots and film locations in the city due to its strikingly colourful façade. But soon, this Ngau Chi Wan neighbourhood may, quite literally, lose its lustre. The Housing Department announced yesterday that the estate will be redeveloped in three phases in 15 years, starting in 2028. The second phase will take place between 2035 and 2036.
The decision was made to expand the estate to provide more flats and to improve traffic conditions at the Choi Hung Interchange. Residents will be relocated temporarily. It isn’t known whether the new version will retain the rainbow colours for now.
Built in the 1960s, Choi Hung Estate is one of Hong Kong’s first low-income public housing estates that provided 7,400 flats for more than 17,000 residents, most of whom were migrants from mainland China after WWII. It garnered so much fame since then that British royal family member Princess Magaret and then-US President Richard Nixon visited the neighbourhood in 1966 and 1964 respectively.
Over the years, Choi Hung Estate has inspired artists and photographers from Hong Kong and overseas alike with its unique architechture. Here we take a look at some of their works.
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Michael Wolf
Above “Architecture of Density #8b” (Photo: courtesy of Michael Wolf Estate)
“Architecture of Density #8b” (Photo: courtesy of Michael Wolf Estate)
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German artist and photographer Michael Wolf is known for documenting daily life in big cities. His Architecture of Density #8b (2005), which is part of M+’s collection, highlights the pattern and density of the architecture as a reflection of Hong Kong’s urban life.
Walter Koditek
Above A shot by Walter Koditek (Photo: courtesy of the photographer and Blue Lotus Gallery)
A shot by Walter Koditek (Photo: courtesy of the photographer and Blue Lotus Gallery)
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Fellow German photographer Walter Koditek, who is also an urban planner, examines how Hong Kong’s architects embraced modern principles to tackle pressing housing challenges in his photography book Hong Kong Modern Architecture of the 1950s-1970s (2022).
Ho Ka Wing
Above A shot by Ho Ka Wing (Photo: courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards)
A shot by Ho Ka Wing (Photo: courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards)
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Hong Kong photographer Ho Ka Wing won the Sony World Photography Awards’ National Awards category in 2016 with his shot of a boy playing basketball against the backdrop of the Choi Hung Estate—a hobby that residents partake in often due to the residential area’s proximity to the basketball court.
SurrealHK
Above Infinity Choi Hung Estate (Photo: Instagram / @surrealhk)
Infinity Choi Hung Estate (Photo: Instagram / @surrealhk)
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Known for creating humourous surreal pieces that capture Hong Kong’s locations or top culture moments, Hong Kong graphic designer Tommy Fung, whose artist name is SurrealHK, created Infinity Choi Hung Estate, an endlessly recurring image of the building, which was a metaphor for the city’s dense population.
Also read: Surrealist artist Tommy Fung reimagines Hong Kong
Kitty N Wong
Above Illustration by Kitty N Wong (Image: courtesy of kittynwong.com)
Illustration by Kitty N Wong (Image: courtesy of kittynwong.com)
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Hong Kong illustrator Kitty N Wong has been documenting Hong Kong culture with her whimsical drawings, created with gouache and pencil. Choi Hung Estate, naturally, is a fitting choice for her colourful pieces. She once drew Canadian Hong Kong fashion influencer Taylor R wearing a vintage dress against the rainbow-coloured backdrop—here, gramming takes a visual art turn.
Sophia Hotung
Above A print by Sophia Hotung (Image: courtesy of the artist and Lion Rock Press)
A print by Sophia Hotung (Image: courtesy of the artist and Lion Rock Press)
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Alex Jiang
Above A photo by Alex Jiang (Photo: Instagram / @justphotons)
A photo by Alex Jiang (Photo: Instagram / @justphotons)
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
