Smart Lamppost
Old Town Central Lamppost, Hong Kong, 2017
The Tourism Board of Hong Kong asked designers to imagine street signages that would appeal and attract tourists through Central district.
In fact, street signs contribute strongly to the unique character of Hong Kong which has become one of the tourist attractions; they are an integral part of the unique urban identity and still play an essential role in providing information to pedestrians. In the vertical city Hong Kong, where most of the time shops and activities are hidden inside buildings, signs work as an “alternative shop window” attracting the attention of passers-by in the street.
The city is a symbol of modernity with its tech-savvy environment and compact high-rise buildings. The concept of the design aims to integrate these two characteristic aspects of Hong Kong: the tradition of visual signage and the future of smart communication. The lampposts will act as a “live” tourist guide in the city, interacting with visitors and residents of the district.
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The graphics on the bunting will show the themes linked to that specific pole, while a QR Code located at the base of the pole will connect tourists to the website of Old Town Central where he or she can find information about nearby restaurants, cultural events, art galleries or heritage buildings to visit.
The lampposts become “live tourist information providers”, which will guide visitors around Old Town Central.
Each lamppost focuses on one of the four themes, Culture, Cuisine, Heritage and Art. Its task is to inform visitors about events (CULTURE), restaurants (CUISINE), expositions (ART) and locations to visit (HERITAGE), which are happening or are located within a north-south oriented band ranging not more than 200m.
Smart Lamppost Charity Event
Hong Kong, 2018
These unique street signs where planned to be displayed for a limited amount of time after which they would be dismantled and discarded. For this reason we decided, in accordance with the Tourism Board of Hong Kong, to organize a charity event where the street signs would be the prize of a lucky draw, of which 100% of the proceeds would be donated to charity.
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The event was supported, among many, by the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong, the Consulate General of The Netherlands in Hong Kong, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong, Italian Cultural Institute of Hong Kong, Dante Alighieri Society.
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The event was a success and raised an important sum of money for an association that takes care of the elderly in need in Hong Kong.
New life to the panels
New lifes was given to the panels. Who purchased them at the charity event chose a perfect spots in their homes giving to the art works a new meaning.
