The Jockey Club Life Journey Center is a unique experience centre set up by the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association in 2013. Through a 60 minutes innovative and interactive “time tunnel” journey enriched by multi- media exhibits, demonstrations, audio and visual effects, participants are inspired and to create cognitive and affectionate enlightenment in understanding the life journey, in accepting being old and treasure time, in building empathy and respect elderly in the society. There are four game zones in the centre: 1. “Are you ready for the journey”; 2. “Many choices in Life”; 3. “One-way Tunnel”; 4. “Rest in Peace”. A Life Educator debriefs at the end of the journey.

The main requirement of this project is to achieve the main theme “educate, enlighten, engage, and encouragement” and to create cognitive and affectionate enlightenment in understanding the life journey and reduce the negative stereotype of “old age”. As such, the design should focus more on the overall concept of life. No matter the games themselves or the space design, they all should be created to reinforce this life theme, thus visitors can treat “the old people” in a positive way by understanding and realizing that growing old is a normal stage of human being’s life journey and visitors can also be inspired to accept being old and to build empathy and respect for the elderly people in our society. Four game sections are designed to be coherent with each other through meticulous details.

We designed a boarding pass for every visitor and there is a special code on each pass. Visitors can check in each game by scanning the code and gain their own marks. Participants have different marks in the games which imply the ups and downs in their life. Apart from the boarding pass, interesting patterns and pictures are used to decorate the game devices which make the games more interesting. In the third stage of one-way tunnel, we put striking large characters of different ages on the doors. In the fourth stage of rest in peace zone, visitors will enter into a tranquil space and get their affairs in order. In order to comfort visitors’ mood, we designed a beautiful wall with pictures of a large lavender field as well as peaceful blue sky and flying butterflies.

will meet this wall again after their rest in peace experience. The design of washing room is also full of meaning of life. Attractive graphics and meaningful slogans on the door and wall present the design in an integral and coherent way. Moreover, we also equipped the center with red post boxes and telephone booths thus participants can send their messages in time. The design of this center is very different from ordinary residential or retail design. The challenges designer confronted is not achieving comfort or coziness anymore but the combination of delight and reflection of life and how to make the visitors enjoy the games and also let the games inspire visitors.

Design: Clifton Leung Design Workshop
Photography: Shia Sai Pui