Archival material, Hong Kong pavilion at Expo '70 (1968–1970), Osaka, Japan 日本大阪萬國博覽會香港館（1968至1970年）檔案資料

In 1970, Japan hosted Expo ’70, the first major international exposition in Asia. Held in Osaka, it featured over one hundred pavilions and received over fifty million visitors. The mega-event encouraged displays of nationalism, cultural exchange, and consumerism. The fair’s experimental design included inflatable domes, tensile structures, space frames, and information technologies. In its first participation in a world exposition, Hong Kong presented the theme ‘Enjoyment and Enterprise through Harmony’. The topic was organised in Hong Kong’s pavilion into the sections ‘Social Progress’, ‘Industrial Progress’, and ‘Hong Kong’s Cultural Heritage’, showcasing the city’s economic development and social transformation.

The pavilion was designed by Alan Fitch, a British architect working for Hong Kong firm W. Szeto & Partners. The building comprised two rectangular volumes connected by a walkway, all covered by a flat roof plane. A circular stage hosted dance performances. The project was surrounded by a small pond, inspired by Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour and its close relationship to water. The scheme features a group of thirteen orange-red sails, which, combined with the artificial lake, give the appearance of a traditional Chinese junk or sampan. The nylon sails were raised and lowered each day and danced in the wind ten to twenty-two metres in the air. The dynamic, organic qualities of the masts complemented both the geometric forms of concrete, glass, and wood, and the clear organisation of rooms and circulation.