Chung Wah Nan Architects Archive 鍾華楠建築設計事務所（現稱鍾華楠建築師有限公司）作品檔案

The Chung Wah Nan Architects Archive relates principally to the design and construction of the Peak Tower, Hong Kong, between 1967 and 1972, and includes a large quantity of photographic material depicting the site prior to construction, the construction process, and the completed tower, as well as drawings and models produced as part of the design development. Commissioned at a moment when Hong Kong was experiencing social unrest due to pro-communist protests, the Peak Tower project was seen to boost the city’s confidence. The main building, with its restaurants, shops, cafes, and roof lookout, was designed to appear to float and to recall the watch towers on ancient Chinese fortifications. Its ‘restaurant in the sky’ became one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, and the tower was depicted on HKD 500 banknotes.

The archive also includes a collection of slides that relate to projects carried out during Chung Wah Nan’s partnership with Alan Fitch from the 1960s to the 1980s, and some earlier projects by Alan Fitch. These include the Star Ferry Car Park, Hong Kong (1957); City Hall, Hong Kong (1962); the School for the Wanchai Kai-Fong Welfare Association, Hong Kong (1969); the Ikeda Construction Headquarters Building, Tokyo (ca. 1972); Ocean Court, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong (1977); and Lockhart Road Market, Hong Kong (1982–1984).

Finally, the archive includes proposals for Chung’s unbuilt Solar Altar project from the 2000s, which represents the architect’s ongoing effort to instil traditional Chinese cosmology in a contemporary context.

This collection was donated by Chung Wah Nan Architects to M+ in 2013 and 2014 in two batches in preparation for the exhibition Building M+: The Museum and Architecture Collection. The first batch consists of a group of materials relating to the firm’s history, the Peak Tower project, and the Solar Altar project. The second batch is a group of photographs of the Peak Tower model, which were first given to a model maker to reproduce the project and afterwards acquired by M+.

The selection of material was made by Chung Wah Nan in response to a request by M+ for material relating to the Peak Tower, along with material documenting the firm’s wider projects, in preparation for the exhibition Building M+: The Museum and Architecture Collection.

Arranged by project.

The part of the Chung Wah Nan Architects Archive that was not acquired by M+ was retained by the firm at their offices in Hong Kong.