The Fall of HK Neon
One neon sign at a time, the ingenious Hong Kong typographers and sign masters devoted their lives to making iconic streetscapes that represented the most prosperous time in Hong Kong. Their crafts have illuminated the city’s streets for decades since the 1960s.
However, due to modernization and safety concerns, the Buildings Department of HK began enforcing restrictions, requiring signs to be resized to comply with local ordinances. Some businesses that could not afford the added maintenance costs. As a result, 3,000 neon signs were removed every year since 2006. The neon sign evaluation process was also criticized for being impractical and lacking transparency.
Instead of eliminating neon signs completely, could the government provide more options such as subsidizing the maintenance costs for small business owners or increasing manpower to retrofit these signs? Many believe the cultural and heritage value of the neon signs has been overlooked. The unique Chinese calligraphy and illustration could not be found anywhere else in the world. Did the government policy leave room for business owners and the public to decide whether or not to keep these neon signs?
To commemorate these vanishing neon lights of HK, I made this AR effect hoping to embrace these sign makers’ craftsmanship and preserve the uniqueness of Hong Kong culture in the virtual world.
