How are you? : Augmented Reality Public Art

The work is intended to inherit the human care of architectural design of the historical building. The predecessor of Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre was Whitfield Barracks established in 1910. It is believed that soldiers living there were all strong men who could live anywhere and under all kinds of conditions. However, the design of barracks is very humane. The architect responsible for the renovation project, Lo Kwok-ho, has said that the barracks put emphasis on human scale and in harmony with the natural environment. There were no air-conditioning and lighting facilities in early 19th century and the design had to fit with the natural environment. For example, windows facing south are larger and those facing north, and west are smaller, a feature that improves inflow of natural light and air circulation while reducing the influence of adverse weather from other directions. In addition, ceilings of these buildings are high and there are porticos and eaves for ventilation to lower the temperature. Moreover, trees are everywhere to block the sunlight. This design makes the building more comfortable. The architect took care of people's needs which is very touching. I collected some pictures of that period and have redrawn a group of soldiers in the picture. They were in a leisurely and comfortable mood, looks humane. I do not know whether there is room for a humanistic approach under a strong military mechanism. The work hopes to inherit the architect's humanistic spirit.