weston williamson+partners propose transport oriented development in hong kong

weston williamson+partners propose transport oriented development in hong kong
(above) the kissing-towers rise from the banks of the victoria harbour
all images © westonwilliamson+partners

rising from the banks of victoria harbour to a maximum elevation of 440m, the ‘arcology tower‘ designed by weston williamson+partners provide a self-sufficient, self-sustaining vertical neighbourhood in the centre of hong kong. the building houses three main functional zones spread across 250 000m2, with lower levels containing offices and commercial space, the intermediate levels an agricultural zone and the upper levels residential apartments.

transport within the building is split, with a primary lift system serving a series of public nodes situated between the functional zones in each tower. from these public nodes runs a secondary lift system which enables shorter journeys within each functional zone and keeps journey times to a minimum. responding to the context within both the city and the building, the public nodes provide a range of retail, recreational and social spaces offering all the amenities required to generate a dynamic and thriving community.

the building houses three main functional zones spread across 250 000m2

the form of the building is designed to generate the maximum high-quality floor space whilst responding to the unique intricacies of the central hong kong site. at ground level, the three towers form a large central square orientated to victoria harbour and an extensive park enhances to the wider urban realm, creating much needed green space along the central waterfront. as the building rises, each floor plate expands incrementally to provide deeper space allowing for greater flexibility in use. between the twenty-first and twenty-fifth floors, the towers momentarily ‘kiss’ creating the main public spaces within the building and allowing access to each of the three towers above. beyond this point, each tower recedes to leave three iconic diminishing towers sitting harmoniously in the hong kong skyline. the deeper floor plates are utilised for the main commercial and agricultural functions while the shallower floor plates provide high-quality residential accommodation above.

the building presents three hard, vertical corners to the south and west, responding to the dense cityscape, particularly when viewed from victoria peak. the inner form of the building is sloped and punctuated at regular intervals with public parks, triple and double height agricultural zones and private winter gardens creating a green and organic core to the building when viewed from the harbour, reflective of the mountainous backdrop which frames the skyline. the arcology tower would not be feasible without the high-speed rail link underneath the new towers connecting hong kong to mainland china.

the arcology tower would not be feasible without the high-speed rail link underneath the new towers

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom