Hong Kong :: 100 Rooms @ 100 Square Feet
Photographs of residents in their apartments within Hong Kong’s oldest public housing estate. 100 rooms, each 100 square feet in size.
Fascinating. I bet Aaron Spelling’s infamous “gift-wrapping room” is larger than any of these. It brings up questions: How much is enough? How much do you need?
Thanks V.
It’s amazing to see how crowded some of the spaces are and how others are so empty.
Having grown up in Hong Kong, these pictures brought back memories. Let me point out that the kitchen (typically one kerosene stove) is located outside each unit along the common corridor. There are no private bathrooms other than the common ones shared by the entire estate. Sadly enough, the living conditions of the not-pictured slum houses are much worse and these would be considered upgrades in comparison during the 60’s when a large number of people needed to be housed quickly by the British government. Similar to any big cities, poverty goes side by side with the nouveaux riches in Hong Kong. Yes, how much is enough? To end this with a somewhat positive note, the recent housing projects started in the 80’s are one step forward but it would take time to upgrade these 60’s estates along with solving all the other social economic problems…
With my non-sense of order and organization, they’d find me buried under my belongings I’m afraid. There are certainly extremes. I would feel just as out of place in a too big house, and a bit guilty. Time to count my blessing for my just right -sized home.
These pictures are amazing. It’s disconcerting to realize how “fat” we are as a society here in America. Most of my friends and I are “down-sizing” our lives. But it’s a conscious choice and not a survival necessity.
10.000 rooms, 10,000 different personalities expressed. Nothing unique to just Hong Kong, but always interesting nonetheless.
I’ve seen these rooms in many countries and lived in one myself for a couple of years, in London of all places. Shared it with my talking budgie, fish, and turtles…….ooops…..I’ve talked too much!
Patrick