Meet Me under the Moon | Hong Kong

Meet Me Under the Moon is a meditative and interactive installation commissioned by the Harbour Office. It is inspired by the mesmerising glow of the full moon, and the poetics of its shimmering moonlight which resembles the pulsating movement of breathing and heartbeats. Armed with motion sensors, the installation invites families and friends to sit on the benches that are shaped like clouds. The more people sitting there, the brighter the full moon becomes. The dynamic movement of people sitting and leaving, creates a regular rhythm in the ebb and flow of the moon’s shimmering brightness, akin to how it breathes. 

Apart from the 4m tall moon structure, there are three other smaller moons of around 1.5 – 2.0m diameters suspended from the pierside pavilion, each with an expressive and playful moonface, making it an idea backdrop for group pictures and selfies. Designed with a minimalist yet playful style, the installations are designed to blend in perfectly with the stylish park structures of Pierside Precinct in Wan Chai. The moon’s interactive features, adorable “moonfaces”, and playful stickers decorating the glass balustrade along the waterfront, all seek to enhance visitor engagement and elevate every visitor’s experience at the harbourfront.

Halloween followed closely behind the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2021. To celebrate this popular and fun festival, the installation was transformed from Meet Me Under the Moon to Meet Me at Halloween with the gigantic 4m tall moon replaced by a glowing pumpkin that makes for a jolly-looking jack o’ lantern. The three smaller moons were also covered with white cloth to mimic pretend ghosts covered with white bed sheets, a favourite play activity among the young and those young at heart. Throughout the Mid-autumn festival and Halloween period, the atmosphere along the Wan Chai harbourfront was transformed into a carnival-like destination where Mid-Autumn Festival gatherings and Halloween parties took place side by side beside the giant moon and pumpkin.

With the success of Meet me Under the Moon, onebite was invited by Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to showcase the installation in the city state during its iLight Festival in 2022. Held between 3 and 26 June, the popularity of the installation in another environment and cultural context affirmed the universality and approachability of the design intention. It is also a poetic symbol of togetherness: no matter where we are, we look up to the same moon in the sky.