helical urban furniture made from upcycled surgical masks runs along hong kong’s lost coast

urban seating installation traces Tai Kok Tsui’s lost shoreline

Tidal Stories by Design PY is a helical urban installation in Tai Kok Tsui that maps more than a century of coastal change onto a single public space. Integrating local history, community memory, and circular design, the project incorporates 9,200 upcycled surgical masks into its seating elements, creating a communal space that reflects Hong Kong’s former shoreline.

Located at the intersection of Pok Man Street and Kok Cheung Street, the installation marks a site that has witnessed significant transformation through land reclamation and industrial activity. Its continuous helical form functions as a timeline, highlighting key moments in Tai Kok Tsui’s development since the early 1900s and offering visitors a spatial narrative of the area’s shifting urban identity. The design emerged from observation and participatory workshops that identified local needs for accessible seating and open social spaces. By reactivating an underused corner of the neighborhood, the installation supports daily use by elderly residents, nearby workers, and passersby. It also serves as an informal educational platform, hosting guided architectural tours and community events that broaden public understanding of the district’s evolution.

all images courtesy of Design PY

Tidal Stories by Design PY Uses Recycled Waste and Local Craft

Engraved metal tabletops and urban furniture reference Tai Kok Tsui’s industrial and coastal past, functioning as both amenities and interpretive elements. Studio Design PY utilizes these components to document historic coastlines and urban development patterns, creating an accessible archive within the public realm. Collaboration with local printmaker Happy Printing incorporates letterpress movable-type traditions, reinforcing links to community heritage. The project emphasizes circular construction practices. Seating components are produced from upcycled medical waste with 9,200 expired surgical masks and 150 medical gowns collected from a local elderly care center. Additional elements draw on local craftsmanship, including sheet-metal fabrication that recalls the area’s shipbuilding history. Integrated solar panels provide off-grid lighting. The installation consists of 16 prefabricated modular segments designed for simple assembly, potential relocation, and later reuse as individual chairs.

Developed through collaboration with community groups, local elders, and skilled fabricators, Tidal Stories incorporates co-creation workshops and the distribution of recycled-material souvenirs to extend its educational reach. The project demonstrates principles of circular design and adaptive material use, offering a model for sustainable public-space interventions in rapidly transforming urban environments.

the project turns Hong Kong’s former shoreline into an immersive public space

seating is made from 9,200 upcycled surgical masks

the helical form acts as a timeline of Tai Kok Tsui’s urban evolution

engraved metal tabletops reference the district’s industrial past

urban furniture documents historic coastlines and development patterns

upcycled medical waste forms the core material of the seating components

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recycled material forms the main structure

recycled medical equipment turns into seating components

upcycled material

recycled blue medical masks from elderly homes

recycled particles

recycled particles

recycled yellow protective gowns from elderly homes

plan

history of Tai Kok Tsui's coastline

project info:

name: Tidal Stories
architect: Design PY | @designpyhk

location: Hong Kong, China

fabricator: Sunyards Engineering

upcycling: Gaau1Up

upcycle material provider: Senior Care Elderly Care Home

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom