Recontextualizing Cultural Heritage and Identity through Three-dimensional Spaces: The Case of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum

Abstract

This article analyses issues of three-dimensional semiotic space with reference to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum—a former ferry pier—and the connection between the spatial design of the museum and the preservation of cultural heritage. Application of a social-semiotic theoretical model of spatial grammar proposed by Stenglin provides an effective means for explaining two different strands of meaning (i.e. ideational and interpersonal meanings) afforded by the spatial texts in the fifteen galleries that are created in the museum. Examples of the museum artifacts are examined closely to support the analysis of the functions of space. The article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s rich maritime heritage, while at the same time highlighting the shared values of a distinct Hong Kong identity as embodied in some of the museum exhibits that align with the multiple facets of the city’s sociopolitical past, thereby recontextualizing a uniquely Hong Kong story for the museum’s visitors.