Archive 011
Cyberpunk — Hong Kong
The neon that made this city legible on film was mostly gone before the films became canon. What was actually up there, and what replaced it.
I went to Hong Kong looking for neon and came back with paperwork. The paperwork turned out to be the better story.
In this entry
Section 01
The tube
Bent glass, an electrode at each end, and a trade that took a decade to learn.
Section 02
The gases
Neon gives you red. Everything else is argon, mercury and a coated tube.
Section 03
The takedown
How a building-safety rule quietly removed most of the skyline's signs.
© 2026 Nollistudio
Updated 7 August 2026