Prev | Next
Tonkin Street, Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong (2014)
Stefan Irvine & Jörg Dietrich
Limited edition of 18 + 2 AP's
Archival Pigment Print
61cm x 28cm
2014
SI008S
500
Limited edition of 18 + 2AP's
Archival Pigment Print
85cm x 39cm
2014
SI008M
1000
Limited edition of 8 + 2AP's
Archival Pigment Print
121cm x 56cm
2014
SI008L
This panorama depicts Nos. 24-38 Tonkin Street, and features two classic tong lau buildings from the mid-1950’s. Situated at the boundary of Cheung Sha Wan and Sham Shui Po districts, these mixed-use structures provided residential homes in the upper floors and retail units on the ground floor for more than 60 years. In 2020, the Urban Renewal Authority began a redevelopment project resulting in the demolition of these buildings, which soon will be replaced by a high-rise block of around 175 new apartments.
Fuk Wing Street, seen at the right of the photograph, is also known locally as “Toy Street”, due to a cluster of more than 30 stores selling affordable toys, stationery and party accessories further to the south in Sham Shui Po.
In April 2006, drainage workers uncovered more than 580 explosive items, including cannon shells, bullets and grenades. These were buried between 1 and 3 metres beneath the surface at Tonkin Street and Fuk Wing Street. The material had belonged to the British Army around the period of World War II and local residents were temporarily evacuated to allow ammunition experts from the Hong Kong Police Force to safely detonate the devices.
Fuk Wing Street, seen at the right of the photograph, is also known locally as “Toy Street”, due to a cluster of more than 30 stores selling affordable toys, stationery and party accessories further to the south in Sham Shui Po.
In April 2006, drainage workers uncovered more than 580 explosive items, including cannon shells, bullets and grenades. These were buried between 1 and 3 metres beneath the surface at Tonkin Street and Fuk Wing Street. The material had belonged to the British Army around the period of World War II and local residents were temporarily evacuated to allow ammunition experts from the Hong Kong Police Force to safely detonate the devices.
1900
Stefan Irvine
Born in London in 1976, Stefan Irvine has been based in Hong Kong since 2002. With a background in photojournalism and commercial photography, the last few years have seen Irvine focus on fine art photography projects. His photographs have been exhibited in New York, London and Hong Kong, as well as appearing in publications including The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the winner of the Independent on Sunday/Oxfam Photojournalist Award and his documentary work in Hong Kong was short-listed for the Sunday Times Ian Parry Award and The Observer/Hodge Awards.
For his latest series, Stefan Irvine has collaborated with post-production expert Jörg Dietrich to create images which celebrate Hong Kong’s rich architectural heritage. Irvine meticulously researches and plans these linear panoramas making repeated trips back to the same location. He carefully shoots along entire city blocks, capturing the whole facade of the buildings at precise intervals and distances. These photographs are then digitally merged by Jörg Dietrich into one image, creating unique visualisations of everyday architecture. This series of panoramic photographs offers a unique new perspective on Hong Kong’s much-loved architecture, the “tong lau”, and documents the city’s urban culture, allowing the viewer to examine the bustling life of a whole street.
