On 22 April 2026, the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building and Urban Science Hong Kong Base (SKL-SBUS-HK) opened its inaugural exhibition at the Glass Room, Knowles Building, The University of Hong Kong. The exhibition, titled “𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲”, transformed the Glass Room into HKU’s first indoor subtropical jungle garden. Through layered subtropical planting and a hydroponic vertical green wall system, it creates an immersive and publicly accessible green setting that invites guests to reflect on how the coexistence of nature and society may respond to challenges of rapid urbanization and the shifting climate boundary.
The exhibition was curated by Professor Shenjing He, Head of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at HKU, and Professor Yung Ho Chang, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at HKU. The opening brought together Mr James Chan Yum-min, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Hong Kong Housing Society, Professor Kelvin Wong, Executive Associate Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at HKU, Professor Wendy Y. Chen, Department of Geography, HKU, as well as guests from academia and industry, members of the Hong Kong Base, Professors and students from HKU Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education etc., and members of the public, all convened to commemorate the opening of the Hong Kong Base’s first exhibition. As the first exhibition following the launch of the SKL-SBUS-HK, this event reinforced the HKU Faculty of Architecture’s sustained commitment to and ongoing engagement with research and practices in subtropical building and urban science, while further responding to the intertwined questions of rapid urbanization, climate change, wellbeing, and future livability. Guests were also invited to adopt a sprig of Selaginella, carrying a touch of greenery from the indoor jungle and extending the exhibition’s natural imagery beyond the site itself. Over the coming month, the Glass Room will remain open to the public as a space for participation and relaxation, continuing to host this indoor subtropical garden setting and welcoming more reflection on this living lab and meeting point between nature, the city, and contemporary urban concerns.