Research on the Street Walls of Chung Ying Street Area , Sha Tau Kok

The street walls, focusing on the vertical "wall" elements along the street. In urban morphology, the city is composed of streets whose vertical structures are predominantly made up of these walls. The " walls" and the " streets" both are integral and interconnected aspects that together form the tangible image of the urban environment. However, in the context of urban renewal, while streets have become a focal point of research, the 'wall' is often overlooked and sometimes even criticized as a mere divisive barrier. Indeed, the existence of a wall cannot be simplified into a black and white image or simply labeled as "good" or "bad." The rationale behind a wall often needs to be examined within the context or system where the it exist. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on street walls in the city. Chung Ying Street, located in Sha Tau Kok, Yantian District, Shenzhen, is a street approximately 268 meters long and 3-6 meters wide. In 1899, representatives from China and Britain surveyed this boundary and erected boundary markers, dividing Sha Tau Kok into Chinese and British sides, hence the name "Chung Ying Street." During the economic reforms and opening up, Chung Ying Street became known as a "shopping paradise," acclaimed as "The most famous town in the world". It stands as a historical witness to the British occupation of Hong Kong and the leasing of the New Territories, as well as a microcosm of the mainland's economic prosperity brought by China's reforms and opening up, and as the border of " one country, two systems" . However, with Hong Kong's return to China, the commercial trade on Chung Ying Street was impacted, urgently needing transformation. The Chung Ying Street area has typical characteristics for studying street walls. On one hand, Chung Ying Street itself serves as an invisible "wall" as the border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. On the other hand, under the historical context of "one street, two systems," Chung Ying Street has developed a unique "one street, two systems" streetscape, shaped by the distinctly different street walls on either side of the street. Moreover, the daily lives of residents in the Chung Ying Street area also closely rely on these walls, which become important carriers for daily activities and windows through which residents express themselves and impact the street environment, providing rich material and insights for the study of walls. Therefore, conducting research on the walls of Chung Ying Street is highly meaningful. Chapter 1 of this research identifies the research subject and clarifies the research questions, guiding the direction for specific studies. The Chapter 2 investigates the overall historical evolution and current situation of the Chung Ying Street area at the district level, enhancing the understanding of the temporal and spatial formation of street walls. Chapter 3 and 4 respectively survey the current state of street walls at the street and building levels, compiling primary research data. The fifth chapter analyzes the elements, problems, and potential of the previous research, finally proposing street wall design strategies. The sixth chapter carries out an optimized street walls design of the Chung Ying Street, representing a practical attempt to use street wall design to renew the street.