Pop-up heritage : conservation of temporary architecture : a case study of bamboo theatres in Hong Kong

Abstract

Temporary Architecture is a unique genre of building or structure that facilitates modification in urban spaces without making any permanent change to existing building fabric or urban planning. Previous research efforts have, for example, documented the construction techniques of temporary structures as a tradition in foreign contexts. However, in the Hong Kong context, despite broader research and documentation of permanent built heritage conservation and intangible cultural heritage, little addresses the heritage significance and conservation of Temporary Architecture. Inspired by the idea of Temporary Architecture as part of urban heritage by Wozniak-Szpakiewicz1 , this research discusses the conservation of Temporary Architecture through a case study of Bamboo Theatres in Hong Kong. This study includes a heritage value assessment of both the tangible and intangible resources of Bamboo Theatres, as well as an exploration of the vulnerabilities and opportunities in conserving Bamboo Theatres as Temporary Architecture and suggested conservation measures for Bamboo Theatres in Hong Kong. It is seen that current discussions of Bamboo Theatre in Hong Kong mainly focus on sustaining Cantonese Opera as an intangible cultural heritage of the city, together with the Building Technique of Bamboo Theatres. However, the theatre as a Temporary Architecture is not emphasized. Based on the findings in this study, it is realized that the temporality of Bamboo Theatres should not be neglected and the conservation should respect its temporality and avoid converting the pop-up theatres into permanent structures. Another key element of Bamboo Theatres that should be accentuated is the reliance on the construction masters’ instinct and experience, where no readily made design or standard on construction method has been established. And thus, the conservation of Bamboo Theatres as Temporary Architecture would require both the sustaining of the cultural context and the craftsmanship in reconstructing the pop-up theatres year after year. In a broader sense, this research gives a future reference for understanding how Temporary Architecture can be conserved as pop-up heritage.