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Stefan Irvine & Jörg Dietrich

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To Kwa Wan Road (2014)

Stefan Irvine & Jörg Dietrich

Limited edition of 18 + 2 AP's
Archival Pigment Print
102cm x 28cm
2014
SI002S

To Kwa Wan Road is a major thoroughfare in the Kowloon City district of eastern Kowloon, Hong Kong, located just to the west of the old Kai Tak airport. The buildings in this block comprise the eastern edge of the famous “13 Streets” neighbourhood (十三街). The 11 parallel streets inside the zone are named after animals which are auspicious in Chinese culture, such as dragon, phoenix, swallow, crane and horse. These dilapidated apartment blocks were built between 1958 and 1960 and are under review by the Urban Renewal Authority for redevelopment.

This panorama demonstrates some typical features of Hong Kong architecture. The distinctive curved building end is common in older parts of the city, but something rarely seen in more modern architecture. The apartment blocks in this part of the city were restricted to eight storeys in height, to allow for the low-passing aircraft on approach to Kai Tak airport.

The multi-coloured facades and the prevalence of box-type air conditioning units and improvised objects poking out of the building are other features often seen in older Hong Kong building complexes.

 

800
Limited edition of 18 + 2 AP's
Archival Pigment Print
140cm x 39cm
2014
SI002M
1600
Limited edition of 8 + 2 AP's
Archival Pigment Print
203cm x 56cm
2014
SI002L
3200
Stefan Irvine

Born in London in 1976, Stefan Irvine has been based in Hong Kong since 2002. With a background in photojournalism and commercial photography, the last few years have seen Irvine focus on fine art photography projects. His photographs have been exhibited in New York, London and Hong Kong, as well as appearing in publications including The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the winner of the Independent on Sunday/Oxfam Photojournalist Award and his documentary work in Hong Kong was short-listed for the Sunday Times Ian Parry Award and The Observer/Hodge Awards.

 

For his latest series, Stefan Irvine has collaborated with post-production expert Jörg Dietrich to create images which celebrate Hong Kong’s rich architectural heritage. Irvine meticulously researches and plans these linear panoramas making repeated trips back to the same location. He carefully shoots along entire city blocks, capturing the whole facade of the buildings at precise intervals and distances. These photographs are then digitally merged by Jörg Dietrich into one image, creating unique visualisations of everyday architecture. This series of panoramic photographs offers a unique new perspective on Hong Kong’s much-loved architecture, the “tong lau”, and documents the city’s urban culture, allowing the viewer to examine the bustling life of a whole street.

 

 

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To Kwa Wan Road

Stock No: SI002S / SI002M / SI002L