Unknown Brutalism: Rediscovering Hong Kong’s Modern Architecture

Discover Hong Kong’s hidden Brutalist heritage with Bob Pang, concrete structures that shaped community and identity from the 1950s - 1980s Architect Bob Pang founded the Brutalism Hong Kong Research Group in 2021 and has since documented over 40 examples of Brutalist architecture across the city. His talk looks beyond Hong Kong’s neon signs and glass towers to reveal a concrete soul, raw, monolithic structures that shaped community and identity from the 1950s to the 1980s. “I never expected Hong Kong’s architecture to be so fascinating and meaningful, especially beyond the conventional narratives of capitalism,” says Bob Pang, a Hong Kong architect who founded the Brutalism Hong Kong Research Group in 2021. His team of 20 researchers has uncovered both surviving and demolished buildings - beyond the neon signs and glass towers lies a ‘concrete soul’ that tells a different story of Hong Kong. His talk invites you to look beyond the skyline and discover how these raw, monolithic structures became a silent framework for community and identity, revealing a surprisingly human side of the city’s urban history from the 1950s to the 1980s. Bob Pang is a registered architect in Hong Kong and a member of the Docomomo Hong Kong Chapter. He has lived in London, Vienna and Shanghai. From 2011 to 2012, he worked as a project architect at the studio of Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Since 2015, he has actively promoted local architectural culture and currently writes as a columnist for City Magazine. Most recently, Bob contributed to Brutalist Asia, published by Blue Crow Media, the first major survey of Brutalist architecture across the Asian continent, spanning 28 countries. About his books for reference: https://twelve-books.com/collections/bob-pang About the research for reference: https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/hong-kong-brutalism-architectural-map https://www.prestigeonline.com/hk/lifestyle/art-plus-design/ode-to-concrete-author-bob-pang-on-uncovering-the-history-of-brutalism-in-hong-kong/ Recently his latest book was featured on Dezeen: https://www.dezeen.com/2026/10/03/brutalist-asia-book-roundup/