ARC2024 reference to Generic City and Ground Control,

Stores open until late at night. As early as the 1970s, the Sharp Street Tramway Depot was already considered to be redeveloped into a small scale residential block. Wharf Real Estate Investment Company Limited, which was still under Wheelock and Company Limited at that time, was one of the biggest integrated conglomerate in Hong Kong, which focused on properties, hotel, telecom and infrastructure. After the mid-80s, the company’s main goal was to promote and strengthen their properties investment quality. Peter Woo, one of the directors of the company, was in charge of the redevelopment of the Tramway Depot. He realized the potential of the site as more than just for a residential building. Looking at Russel Street, stalls open until late till midnight.

He reckons that it will be more viable with retailing. Together with the development of Mass Transit Railway (MTR) in Hong Kong, creating the convenient transit hub to other parts of Hong Kong, that he could see this part of Causeway Bay with its potential to become a golden area for shopping. However, not like other malls that developed horizontal in form, the streets around the area is crowded and narrow, and the parallelogram shape of the site, these restricted the stretch of the building horizontally. He proposed a pioneering idea of building high low towers and a sixteen-storey vertical mall. Moreover, to reduce the narrow crowded feeling of Sharp Street and Russell street, the entire ground floor was designed as an open space with the towers set back. A huge TV Wall is also installed to attract and bring in people.

The piazza is a by-product of the mall, It was introduced to strengthen and promote their business. The production of this open space is very clear a commercial decision as part of the development of the Times Square. By dedicating the open piazza area and street widening area, as a return, Wharf Real Estate Investment Company could get a bonus floor area of 120000 sqm, which is around five storeys. Five more storeys of usable floor area mean that more shops or office space can be put in, Times square would get extra profit just simply from renting out these spaces as shops or office space. This already was already a great benefit to Wharf.What is more, the open piazza is the incorporation of the public realm in the footprint of the vertical mall, owned by the large powerful properties developer Wharf Real Estate Investment Company. Then, the pedestrian movement is directed into and channelled through the open piazza.

Firstly, by its location at the ground floor with entrance point on both Russell Street and Matheson Street, it acts as a connection of these two streets as a shortcut, instead of needed to go round the building to get to the other side. Secondly, the open piazza contains long escalators that lead to shops upstairs, basement shops and MTR station, ground floor department store and supermarket. No matter if you are going to the mall or the MTR station, you will have to enter this open piazza to access. Channeling people into this space surrounded by this monotonic program of shopping is a strategy to increase people’s urge to spend in this mall. Shift of Social Interaction Space from the Public to the PrivateMentioned previously, in the 80s, the streets were the stalls and hawkers hang around and people will come here to meet each other and socialise. (Fig 9.) After Times Square is built, the streets are now taken over by roads for cars, this left the narrow sidewalk for people.

To make sure that these rules are followed closely, CCTV and Security Surveillance exists in a form of running the rules and regulations. b. Surveillance: Security Guards Security guards hired by Times Square are guarding on site, to make sure that the rules are followed closely, at the same time Rules also grant the security guards authority and power to take action to stop any violating activities. This is most obvious surveillance of Times Square.

It is visible to the public that the security is always observing the space and any action taken when anyone violates the rules. On the day of observation of the open piazza, a man was crossing the piazza area whilst riding on a skateboard. The Security Guard keep chasing after him to stop him from continuing the use of skateboard. Skateboarding is not allowed according to rule (4) “No Bicycle, Tricycle carts or other forms of vehicular traffic (other than perambulators or wheelchairs for the handicapped) are allowed in or on any part of the Amenity Grounds …” as a skateboard is wheeled and serve as a tool for transport, vehicular traffic.

The forces of control from the public evolve from monitoring the use of the open piazza by Times Square. In the Deed of Dedication, the open piazza is allowed for non-profit making and charitable events, such as exhibition, and passive cultural performance to take place as long as the open piazza still have enough portion of the space open for other use. Radio programme of Commercial Radio Hong Kong, “On a Clear Day”, disclosed that Times Square open piazza had been privatized by Wharf in February 2008. Callers to the programme stated that they were prevented from sitting remaining in the public area despite the fact that they did nothing. Another incident disclosed afterwards was that a section of the open area of Times Square was leased to Starbucks Coffee from July 2003 to March 2005.

It was a violation of the Deed of Dedication, the coffee shop is a not a non-profit making or charitable event nor a street performance, it is commercial, which violates the fact that only pedestrian passage, non-profit making or charitable events such as exhibition and or street performance are allowed on the open space. Both of these incidents were discovered by a few members of the public and put forward to discussion in the public. The public discussions are the main evidence of public monitoring Times Square and the open piazza. Public monitoring the space is a controls the violating acts Times Square as a private company did according to the Deeds of Dedication.

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