
A city of organized chaos —
Before it was demolished in 1994, Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong was considered the densest settlement on earth, with 33,000 people living within the space of one city block.

An organic evolution —
A largely unregulated space, the Walled City grew massive as residents built new structures directly on top of existing structures.

'Unplanned and unregulated' —
"The Walled City was a kind of architectural touchstone in terms of what a city can be -- unplanned, self-generated, unregulated," says photographer Greg Girard.

A legal grey area —
Because of the government's hands-off approach to regulating the City, there were effectively no health or safety laws present.

Dark but vibrant —
Many buildings enclosed within the Walled City had no access to outside light or air.

A self-contained world —
Deep within the building's darkness, a variety of small businesses flourished.