Keith Tam School of Design
· Hong Kong Polytechnic University The visual language of Hong Kong’s neon signs

Fremont Street, Las Vegas c1952
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Big sign, little building vs
building as sign Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour (1972) Learning from Las Vegas

Relationship between space, scale, speed
and symbol Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour (1972) Learning from Las Vegas

Fremont Street, Las Vegas c1952
Source: Wikimedia Commons antispatial

Fremont Street, Las Vegas c1952
Source: Wikimedia Commons form in space

Fremont Street, Las Vegas c1952
Source: Wikimedia Commons form in space symbols messages

Jordan Road, Kowloon

Jordan Road, Kowloon
antispatial

Jordan Road, Kowloon form in
space

Jordan Road, Kowloon form in
space symbols messages

Sung Wong Toi inscription, Kowloon
City

Sacred Hill, Kowloon City c1920
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Tung Wah Museum, built in
1910

Tung Wah Museum, built in
1910

Tung Wah Museum, built in
1910

Queen’s Road, late 19th century
Source: Images through time: photos of Hong Kong exhibition catalogue, Leisure & Cultural Services Dept (2013)

Jordan Road, Kowloon

Sunbeam Theatre, North Point

Shun Hing Restaurant, Sham Shui
Po

Projecting and shopfront signs, Jordan

Hong Kong signscape typology: corner
building Façade coverage Projecting columnar Projecting irregular Projecting banner Building fascia Building columnar Building corner fascia

Hong Kong signscape typology: side
elevation Projecting banner Projecting columnar roadpavementbuilding Shopfront projecting

Hong Kong signscape typology: front
elevation Shopfront projectingPlaque inside shop Shop window Building fascia Shopfront fascia Building columnar Shopfront columnar

Hong Kong signscape typology Keith
Tam 2014 Shopfront S1 Shopfront fascia S2 Shopfront projecting S3 Shopfront columnar S4 Shop window S5 Plaque inside shop Building B1 Building columnar B2 Building fascia B3 Building corner fascia B4 Façade coverage Extension E1 Projecting columnar E2 Projecting banner E3 Projecting irregular

On Hong Ning Drug Company,
Yau Ma Tei

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant, Yau
Ma Tei

Projecting columnar sign

A selection of projecting columnar
signs

Projecting columnar sign

Projecting horizontal sign: Yuet Heung
Restaurant,Wanchai

Projecting irregular signs: a selection
of pawn shop signs

Tak Sang Pawn Shop, Yau
Ma Tei

Projecting irregular signs: Tai Ping
Koon, Causeway Bay; King’s Sauna, North Point

Building fascia: Sunny Paradise Sauna,Wanchai

Corner fascia: Tak Hing Dried
Seafood, Yau Ma Tei

Corner fascia: Swan Lake Sauna,
Sham Shui Po

Façade coverage: Tai Lin Radio,
Yau Ma Tei

Façade coverage: Shing Lei Mahjong
Parlour, Yau Ma Tei

Shopfront columnar: electronic store on
Nathan Road

Yen Zhen-qing (Tang) Zhao Zi-qian
(Qing)

A specimen of Au Kin
Kung’s calligraphic scripts

A specimen of Au Kin
Kung’s calligraphic scripts

Shui Hing Mahjong Parlour in
Yau Ma Tei, calligraphy (possibly) by Au Kin Kung

Wing Hing Pharmacy, Yau Ma
Tei Wing Lung Bank, Quarry Bay

Shun Hing Restaurant, Sham Shui
Po

Chinese lettering styles: Kaishu, Beiwei
Kaishu, Lishu, Songti

English (Latin) lettering styles: Grotesque
capitals, cursive script, seriffed capitals

American Restaurant,Wanchai

Goldfinch Restaurant, Causeway Bay

Different styles of character rendering
in neon tubes

Nam Wah Neon Company

Colour rendering painted with gouache
in a reduced scale Nam Wah Neon Co.

Nam Wah Neon Co.

Rough sketch on a colour
rendering Nam Wah Neon Co.

Gouache rendering with client’s approval
signature Nam Wah Neon Co.

Gouache rendering with grid used
for enlargement Nam Wah Neon Co.

Streetside signwriters in Hong Kong
in the last century Tse Tak Lung (1993) The bridge between design and printing

Outline drawing on craft paper
in actual scale Nam Wah Neon Co.

Mr Lau Wan at Nam
Wah Neon Company

Mr Lau Wan at Nam
Wah Neon Company

Mr Lau Wan at Nam
Wah Neon Company

Nam Wah Neon Co.

Causeway Bay Plaza Phase 2,
Causeway Bay

Wah Hong Restaurant,Wanchai

Federal Palace Restaurant, Yau Ma
Tei

Sands Sauna, Jordan

Flood-lit billboards in Mong Kok

Thank you! @keithchtam
invisibledesigns.org