City of Anarchy

This infographic, based on the infamous Kowloon Walled City, is the product of exhaustive research and represents a seminal work in visual journalism and illustrative reconstruction.

I tried meticulously to dissect the legendary settlement, moving beyond its infamous reputation to reveal its crazy internal anatomy.

Detailed infographic of Walled City of Kowloon, Hong Kong, showing its history, urban layout, population, and notable features like densely packed buildings, rooftop gardens, narrow alleyways, makeshift shops, and historical background from 1898 to 1993.

This backpage print was published in the South China Morning Post on March 15, 2013.

Kowloon Walled City was a unique phenomenon of urban anarchy and self-governance in modern history. Originally a Chinese military fort, it became a notorious enclave within British colonial Hong Kong, existing in a state of legal limbo.

A detailed illustration of multistory buildings showing various indoor scenes of residents engaged in daily activities, with labels indicating population density, residents carrying umbrellas, and authorities installing freshwater standpipes outside the city.

Without any effective administration, it was organically constructed and reconstructed by its residents into a towering, densely packed megastructure.

An illustrated drawing of a multi-story apartment building with laundry hanging on balconies, potted plants, and various household items visible through the windows.

By the late 1980s, it had become a labyrinthine universe unto itself, home to an estimated 35,000 people living within its mere 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres), making it the most densely populated place on Earth.

Multiple floors of a cluttered apartment with various rooms, including bedrooms, a laundry area, and a living space, with people engaged in different activities.

It was a place of staggering contradictions—a realm often associated with crime and unsanitary conditions, yet also a vibrant community with factories, clinics, schools, and temples all operating within its dark, interconnected walls.

My process began with exhaustive research on this fascinating place. After gathering all the information I could, I did what any designer does next: preliminary sketches. This is the initial page layout and overall concept, drafted in digital and on my Moleskine notebook.

Preliminare sketches

A detailed architectural sketch of a modern building with rooftop greenery, annotations, and smaller concept drawings of the building's evolution and history.

If you are interested in the details of how I developed this graphic, you can read the post I made on Substack to mark the tenth anniversary of the creation of the "City of Anarchy" infographic.