austin and mergold LLC: the grand resource hong kong

austin and mergold LLC: the grand resource hong kong‘the grand resources’ among the hong kong skyline

at the bronx museum of the arts last november, architects austin + mergold, first presented ‘the grand resource’, an installation of waterjet-cut painted steel, laser-cut acrylic, modified (recycled) fan motors, grow lamps, glassware, hydroponic plants & seeds. then in january 2010, the architects, along with second year architecture students of hong kong university, developed the project as part of the hong kong shenzhen biennale 09.

‘the grand resource’ project, walks a thin line between a scaled model of a grandiose wind-power harnessing infrastructure proposal and an art/design object, becoming a temporary addition to the hong kong skyline. as part of an experimental study in global trade routes, the hong kong version has been constructed from local materials with the aid of CNC milling and laser cutting. as a result, ‘the grand resource – hong kong’ is significantly taller than its new york predecessor – standing at approximately 16 feet – and relies on dia-grid structural principles, consisting primarily of mechanical connections between steel and plywood.

the project anticipates the future of large-scale urban infrastructure by examining how the strategic insertion of a renewable energy system within the existing urban fabric can simultaneously generate clean power for the city, along with providing programs and spaces for social activity within the community. considering the emblematic seals that represent new york and hong kong, it is evident that wind power is already implicitly presented in both images – the windmill and the bauhinia flower. our urban future, it seems, has already been foretold in the past. ‘the grand resource’ projects are visualizations of this imminent prospect.