A study of the visual language of Hong Kong’s neon signs and its connections to architecture, typography and the context of Hong Kong’s urban environments. Keynote presentation at the Hong Kong Arts Centre on 28 May 2014, organised by M+, Hong Kong’s museum of visual culture. Full article of the study: (English) http://goo.gl/vHfYIO (Traditional Chinese) http://goo.gl/iW4cEf

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

2. Fremont Street, Las Vegas c1952
Source: Wikimedia Commons

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

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

5. Fremont Street, Las Vegas c1952
Source: Wikimedia Commons
antispatial

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

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

8. Jordan Road, Kowloon

9. Jordan Road, Kowloon
antispatial

10. Jordan Road, Kowloon
form in space

11. Jordan Road, Kowloon
form in space
symbols
messages

12. Sung Wong Toi inscription, Kowloon City

13. Sacred Hill, Kowloon City c1920
Source: Wikimedia Commons

14. Tung Wah Museum, built in 1910

15. Tung Wah Museum, built in 1910

16. Tung Wah Museum, built in 1910

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

18. Jordan Road, Kowloon

19. Sunbeam Theatre, North Point

20. Shun Hing Restaurant, Sham Shui Po

21. Projecting and shopfront signs, Jordan

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

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

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

25. 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

26. On Hong Ning Drug Company, Yau Ma Tei

27. Tai Ping Koon Restaurant, Yau Ma Tei

28. Projecting columnar sign

29. A selection of projecting columnar signs

30. Projecting columnar sign

31. Projecting horizontal sign: Yuet Heung Restaurant,Wanchai

32. Projecting irregular signs: a selection of pawn shop signs

33. Tak Sang Pawn Shop, Yau Ma Tei

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

35. Building fascia: Sunny Paradise Sauna,Wanchai

36. Corner fascia: Tak Hing Dried Seafood, Yau Ma Tei

37. Corner fascia: Swan Lake Sauna, Sham Shui Po

38. Façade coverage: Tai Lin Radio, Yau Ma Tei

39. Façade coverage: Shing Lei Mahjong Parlour, Yau Ma Tei

40. Shopfront columnar: electronic store on Nathan Road

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

42. A specimen of Au Kin Kung’s calligraphic scripts

43. A specimen of Au Kin Kung’s calligraphic scripts

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

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

46. Shun Hing Restaurant, Sham Shui Po

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

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

49. American Restaurant,Wanchai

50. Goldfinch Restaurant, Causeway Bay

51. Different styles of character rendering in neon tubes

52. Nam Wah Neon Company

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

54. Nam Wah Neon Co.

55. Rough sketch on a colour rendering
Nam Wah Neon Co.

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

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

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

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

60. Mr Lau Wan at Nam Wah Neon Company

61. Mr Lau Wan at Nam Wah Neon Company

62. Mr Lau Wan at Nam Wah Neon Company

63. Nam Wah Neon Co.

64. Causeway Bay Plaza Phase 2, Causeway Bay

65. Wah Hong Restaurant,Wanchai

66. Federal Palace Restaurant, Yau Ma Tei

67. Sands Sauna, Jordan

68. Flood-lit billboards in Mong Kok

69. Thank you! @keithchtam
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