Trolleys Central | Hong Kong

Trolleys Central

  • Category: Placemaking, Art & Culture, Story-telling & Communications

    Type: Outdoor | Exhibition

    Location: Tai Kwun, Central, Hong Kong

    Client: Tai Kwun

    Completion: 2019

    Area: 1,500 sqm

In 2019, onebite collaborated with Tai Kwun to design the exhibition “Trolleys Central” held between 30 March and 12 May 2019. The main focus is on trolleys and their manufacturers, which are found in the Central and Western District of Hong Kong Island, where Tai Kwun is located.

From time to time, the sound of a trolley can be heard passing through the streets of Hong Kong, accompanied by the delivery person pushing the trolley shouting out warnings to pedestrians to be careful. There is a jarring, sharp yet memorable sound made by rusty trolley wheels as they moved along the rough tarmac road or the bumpy granite steps. Yet trolleys have become such an integral part of our sloped city that most of us take the efficiency and the tireless efforts of both man and machines for granted. We hardly notice how important yet mundane trolleys are in everyday life and how they have adapted to the rugged terrain of the Central and Western District,

This exhibition wanted to highlight and celebrate these trolleys, and by proxy, pay tribute to their makers and users. They may not be anything special, but the iron trolleys that ply the streets of Hong Kong are a real handicraft. One such company which specialised in this craft was Chui Kee which retired and closed down in 2017. The trolleys it produced were made by hand with hammer and other simple machinery, using iron bars to form their supporting bases. Fortunately, Chui Kee’s trolley-making machines were donated to Wheel Thing Makers, a group dedicated to cycling and community building.

More often than not however, the knowledge and skills associated with this traditional craft would fade away quietly upon a company’s closure and retirement of its craftsmen, much like how the hard work and sweat of craftsmen and deliverymen had gone unacknowledged on the street corners of Sheung Wan. For example, those of us who do not use trolleys might not notice the tracks of iron trolleys imprinted onto the brick pavements and concrete roads of Hong Kong, nor do we realize that trolleys have appeared on the streets of Central and Western District for decades, if not centuries.

  • Trolley Central is inspired by the wheels of trolleys, and the circular shape of wheels appeared as a primary motif for the 18 exhibition platforms which displayed different types of trolleys and used a variety of mobile and interactive display techniques to showcase history in an innovative and fun way. Participants can interact with the exhibits and “push” history along according to their interests or what attracted them, instead of just receiving historical facts and stories passively through text-heavy panels.

    In addition to the dark blue trolleys and other common types we see on the streets, the exhibition also featured stories of everyday people who rely on them as a means of livelihood and have modified trolleys to facilitate their particular uses. Deriving from this interesting discovery, the community design team Making On Loft conducted research in the community to understand the needs of the various users and used this exhibition to re-imagine the future design of trolleys customised for a multitude of uses. These different versions not only acknowledged the army of hardworking people sustaining our community through their deliveries using trolleys, but also highlighted how the undulating terrain and the bumpy stone pavements of the Central and Western District have shaped the durability and functionality of our trolleys.

    The exhibition also represented the inimitable relationship between urban life and everyday tools, and how the mark of a modern city was not just about technological advancement, but rather the efficiency, tenacity, and reliability of both machine and man to serve and deliver.

Additional Resources:

Trolleys Central Virtual Tour

The Parade with The City Commanders

  • How do we build a sense of belonging to Hong Kong? Perhaps a good place to start is with the everyday aspects of life, of which the trolley is an important symbol. As a tool, the trolley represents a kind of community mobility and connectivity. As one of the most important cultural and artistic landmarks in Hong Kong, onebite found it fitting that an exhibition about trolleys could be held in Tai Kwun to celebrate its overlooked historical and social significance.

    The exhibition's use of colorful and interactive design made this everyday object approachable and appealing to the public. By learning about what makes trolleys special to Hong Kong, visitors also got to learn about how the geography and history of Central and Western District made trolleys an essential part of delivering goods and making our lives more convenient. As the exhibition’s designer, onebite hoped to highlight and emphasise the importance of unassuming products and the impact they have on our lives. We hope people would feel more connected to their community and gain interest in local culture, and develop a deeper understanding for essential but invisible work that keeps this city moving.

    Design for Good Values

    • Positive Impact

    ESG/ Sustainability Factors

    • Community
      - Civic Engagement & Giving

    • Customers
      - Education, Arts Media & Culture

  • Programme Partner: Making On Loft

    Visual Identity Designer: Going Merry Studio

    Photographer: Tai Ngai Lung

    One Biters: Alan Cheung, Luana Kwok, Sarah Mui, Hin Tse, Tony Zhang

  • #TaiKwun101 #TaiKwunHeritage #exhibition #centralpolicestationcompound #story

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