Reminds me of the Fort Worth Water Gardens by Philip Johnson, this brutalist water park built fifty years ago looks as if it possessed a past glory not unlike the Diana Fountain by Gustafson. The different sections of the waterpark meander in a zigzag circular fashion, negotiating the changes in topography and we can only imagine the splashes of water must have been very interesting when it was still functioning. Planters and seatings are done in an integral fashion bordering the perimeter and without the obvious add-on purple barriers of a later date, people and kids could play and feel the passing of water by dipping their arms inside. This must have been a pleasant experience particularly in the summer Hong Kong heat. The series of hippo sculptures in the water, the pump room finished with ribbed concrete, and the carefully orchestrated dampers for the waterflow, all these together form a simple yet powerful design which makes up one of the best anonymous designs in our city.
這讓我想起五十年前由菲利普·約翰遜設計的美國沃斯堡水景公園。這個粗獷主義風格的水上公園, 就像倫敦戴安娜噴泉一樣,散發著曾經的輝煌。
這個水上公園的不同區域以蜿蜒曲折的圓環形佈局,巧妙地應對了地形的起伏變化。我們可以想像,當它還在運作時,水花四濺一定十分有趣。
植栽和座椅都是緊密融合在周邊, 可以想像在沒有後期加裝的紫色隔離欄的往昔, 孩子們可以自由地把手伸進流水中感受它的流動。這在炎熱的夏日香港, 一定給人一種非常愉悅的體驗。
水中的河馬雕塑、裝飾有肋狀混凝土的抽水站, 以及精心設計的水流調度檔, 構成了一個簡潔而又富有力量的設計, 是我們城市中最出色的匿名設計之一。
Fu Heng Estate 富亨邨 . 2020.03.25