This submission for the Internation Design Ideas Competition for Liantang was designed by A.Lo Design for Hong Kong, China on a site bridged between the urban fabric of Liantang and the natural site of Heung Yuen Wai. Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point Passenger Terminal Building sits within the boundary and balancing point between city and nature. The design philosophy of the project is to redefine the nature of infrastructural facilities that embrace nature rather than destroying and replacing it.
Read on for more on this project after the break.
The exploration of the traditional design of an infrastructural facility begins by looking at the unused surfaces of a building. The unused roof is now turned into the “Architectural Gills” for the building: harvesting sunlight and rain water, plants serve as an air filter to provide oxygenated fresh air for the passengers. Aiming to bring harmonious balance with the site surroundings in an ecological, physical and visual facet, the design not only produces an iconic gesture, but also expresses seasonal change due to the life cycle of the vegetation on the roof features. The new terminal building becomes a symbolic and literal response to bridge the two distinct locations physically and environmentally.
Architectural improvements are made to the original design to enhance the terminal building performance and serve the passengers better. Now both the inbound and outbound facilities are located in the same level, allowing passengers in both directions to have open views. It also maximizes the use of daylight, reducing the energy load of artificial lighting. The use of natural light is enhanced by effective low-E sky light features and solar deflectors installed to monitor the solar intake of the building. Quality indoor air, ventilation and thermal comfort is achieved through the unique design of the roof: “Architectural Gills” feature passive micro-climatic control, where renewable natural resources (solar and rain) is being use to grow vegetation, that provide shade and turn heated carbon dioxide exhaust to cool fresh air.
The terminal building references the site context of Heung Yuen Wai and the natural species of its habitat by taking the form of a pair of birds, echoing with the Shenzhen urban development in the background. Symbolizing both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, with this new connection, will fly together in prosperity. Searching for a new intriguing dimension as part of public-enjoyable landmark of the region, the design aims to achieveas a dual function as a natural interface.
