Rounded corner building in Hong Kong

Most of these buildings were constructed in the 1950s, when a surge of refugees created an urgent demand for housing in Hong Kong. Architects at the time were forced to work within tight regulations and severe practical constraints, balancing speed, cost, and necessity.
​The rounded corners found on many of these buildings were not a stylistic choice, but the result of political, economic, and spatial compromises. Because these corners were originally open, owners and developers were not required to pay a land premium on them. Over time, as the housing shortage persisted, policymakers chose to tolerate the gradual enclosure of these balconies, allowing living space to expand beyond what had once been permitted.