Sincerely I had not dug deep into the bits and pieces of Chinese University campus before. My only…read moreknowledge of the place was limited to one or two landmarks; the campus being much larger than HKU, covering the whole of the mountain; plus a few of the famous food items from their canteens.
Luckily, there was one time when I visited the graduation show of CU Architectural Department, and a cool friend took me on a petite tour around the campus.
The most special place that struck me was the Pavilion of Harmony next to some dormitory buildings, designed by an ex-architecture department professor Freeman Chan. In fact, it is merely as small pond at the top of a mole, embracing an age-old tree.
When you go up the narrow ramp on the side, or simply walk up the few steps to the terrace where the pond sits, you would suddenly see this small pond, linking seamlessly with the ocean and the sky wayyyy beyond. There is also a narrow footpath on its side abutting the slope downwards, where you can overview the whole of the Science Park below.
With just one simple gesture, it multiplies the sensations that the scene of this small mole brings to you. This is what good architecture would do to a natural scenery. It prooves that the act of building doesn't always equate destruction, but can also elevate and accentuate a place, when done right.