CU Press Makes a Stand for a Greener Booth
Visitors to the Hong Kong Book Fair held at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre from 15 to 17 July this year might recall a booth dominated by five sets of rustic-looking book stands in inverted ‘V’ shapes that resembled mountain ranges. This eye-catching booth was one of the creations that marked the 26th anniversary of the participation of The Chinese University Press (CU Press) in the Hong Kong Book Fair, with ‘Green’ being the theme celebrated this year.
This theme was reflected in several innovative ways: first and most apparently, the ‘hilly’ look was a nod to scholars’ concept of ‘mountains of knowledge’, and also brought to mind the hilly green campus of the University; material-wise, the display stands made use of eco-friendly materials, being constructed mainly with ladders, a reusable equipment, and chipboard, a type of engineered wood made of unwanted wood chips.
Mr. Mo Kar-him and Mr. Luka Ng, two students of the School of Architecture who helped CU Press design the display stands, came up with the idea of using ladders in the design.
‘As most booths at the Book Fair used the same kind of display stands, Luka and I tried to come up with a design that would help the booth of CU Press stand out, and also be constructed using reusable materials,’ said Kar-him, who is in the last year of his PhD studies.
‘We thought of using ladders as they’re commonly used overseas by people who need an easy and “DIY” way to build shelves. The major challenge is that the ladders used need to be of a uniform size and height, as we discovered while building a model in the early stage of the design process. So, to make sure everything is assembled correctly for the Book Fair, we gave special instructions to the contractor to do a trial set-up of the entire installation prior to the event.’
Function-wise, the booth also served as a ‘green oasis’ where visitors could relax and be rejuvenated, as it came with practical reader-friendly extension tables where visitors could stay and read. Ms. June Chan of CU Press, who came up with the idea of the green book display and oversaw the project, shared, ‘Visitors to other booths usually passed through quickly after making their purchases. Our display stands were not only eye-catching but also provided tables for visitors to put down their books, take a relaxing break and do some reading. It was like a little oasis of tranquillity amidst the bustle of the Fair. We’ve received many positive comments on the display stands from visitors. In fact, most visitors to our booth to whom I’ve spoken liked it.’
With the help of the Campus Development Office (CDO) and the Estates Management Office, the materials left after the Fair were transported back to the campus for reuse in other future projects, sparing them from a one-way trip to the landfill like some resources in other booths. The Office of Student Affairs has installed some of the stands in a student activities room, and CDO will find opportunities to reuse the others in future projects on campus where suitable.
As shown by the visitors’ positive reception, with dedication, planning and thoughtful design, greening an event can be taken to a new level with style!