Xiaoyu’s thesis is inspired by Hong Kong’s emerging and expanding airport artificial islands. A fictional story is developed about the survival of companion species in this capitalist ruin: A Philippine fisherman makes a living in Hong Kong by collaborating with a pink dolphin to run a tourist program. Their risky business begins to thrive in the increasingly narrow waterways until the dolphin is taken away by the local police. The story suggests something omnipresent on the site: a high degree of artificiality, which has become a critical ingredient in the formulation of our contemporary cities and cultures.

Program: Master of Architecture

Advisor: Jeannie Kim