Sam Lubell posted an article “Who cares about Architecture?” He wrote that developers who hires architects do not care about architecture.

To an extent, I think it is true. In a recent trip to Hong Kong, I found that in the newly developed area, where developers built armies of high-rise residential buildings, that do not have much characters. All projects look as if they are in uniform. People do not seem to care about the aesthetic appearance of the buildings, but merely the locations, size and investment values. Only in the old part of Hong Kong, like Central and Sheung Wan, some colonial and modern unique buildings were found.

Architecture is not only about aesthetic appearance, but sensitivity to functions that satisfy the users’ experience also. The users of buildings care about architecture. I visited Tuen Mun Town Shopping Center in Hong Kong. The shopping culture seems to dominate. When I first entered the Center, I didn’t see anything else, but the merchandize in the frameless and well-lit display windows. However, when one needs to find a restroom or a certain restaurant, even local people had hard times explaining directions to the destinations. Fixed landmarks like the whimsical fountain was gone, the unique local stores shopping aisle was sacrificed for the chain stores with bright white lights.

The shopping center was sort of zoned. All the travel agencies and mobile phone shops, etc. are in their designated areas. Other than that, the planning is hardly sensitive to the visitors like me. I like to see the stylish merchandize, yet after a couple hours of shopping, I need to relieve my eyes, and I couldn’t find a public place to just sit down and relax.

This may be the shopping culture that has overpowered humanity, that I believe many architects still care about, and many people still appreciate.