Most of the developments in the district are either initiated by individual developer or selfmotivated over time, and such developments are disconnected physically, separated horizontally by the traffic pattern into broken islands that scattered over the area, as well as vertically with programmes and activities moving to upper levels within building blocks. Thus mentally to the city dwellers that although the district in a broad way is comprehensive overall, the programme it possessed does not appeal to having an intimate inter-relationship or communication. The design would offer a variety of different possibilities ranging from active recreation (inland part) to places for quite reflection(waterfront). The passive boundary space in between the urban core and the park will become an active node for attraction with a mix programme of entertainment, cultural, commercial and generate a venue for collection of vistas of the contrasting context and intervals is activities organized in phases along towards the harbour front. . The waterfront will be preserved as a stage for the Victoria Harbour through the extension of the park with a series of outdoors rooms and a public promenade along the water edge. By forming linkage between these developments pieces and transportation source, would eventually engender a new node as a spot for circulation concentration from different direction, channeling people from the urban context to open space landscape on one end, and dispersing throughout the whole area in a way to reorganize the overall programming of Causeway Bay and also bringing connection to activities from street level to upper floors within buildings, in order to “morphologize� the social and physical attribute of the most significant entertainment venue in Hong Kong, rejuvenating the existing city fabric with a new life style.
department of architecture university of hong kong thesis report 2007/2008
CONTENT 1.
synopsis
2.
design intention
03
05
‣ 2.1 hypothesis ‣ 2.2 urban morphology approach ‣ 2.2 scope of work 3.
design background
08
‣ 3.1 introduction ‣ 3.2 edge in a city ‣ 3.3 landscape and open space identity in hong kong ‣ 3.4 existing open space landscapes and government’s position ‣ 3.5 under-utilization of urban open space ‣ 3.6 the most prominent urban open space - victoria park ‣ 3.7 fading color of the victoria harbour ‣ 3.8 government’s participation and position 4.
5.
6.
design opportunities
‣ 4.1 connect the disconnected ‣ 4.2 accessibility ‣ 4.3 vibrancy and diversity ‣ 4.4 leisure and relaxation ‣ 4.5 state of the art ‣ 4.6 open space design strategy
19
‣ 5.1 site justification ‣ 5.2 site introduction ‣ 5.3 history of causeway bay
23
33
‣ 7.1 derivation of programme ‣ 7.2 programming details
research - the current development of HK open space
35
site & context
advanced site analysis
‣ 6.1 zoning pattern ‣ 6.2 land use zoning ‣ 6.3 traffic pattern ‣ 6.4 conclusion of site issues 7.
8.
architectural programming
‣ 8.1 central waterfront ‣ 8.2 wanchai waterfront 9.
special study - alternative journey
10. records on thesis design jury
15
42
60
80
‣ 10.1 first thesis design jury ‣ 10.2 second thesis design jury ‣ 10.3 third thesis design jury 11. bibliography
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1. Synopsis Contemporary Hong Kong, because of its market-driven urbanism and its hyper-density, offers very specific challenges in terms of the development of open space as part of a strategy for increasing urban sustainability. This issue of urban identity, quality of life and environmental sustainability take on increasing significance in the urban development debate. This thesis study started with the focus on the Hong Kong’s urban revitalization at a time when the city is exploring its urban identity and when the urban renewal and rejuvenation is a significant contemporary issue for many cities throughout the world. With the introduction of a hybrid programme, the development and planning strategy aims at delineating the boundary between the urban and the rural, and at the same time to rejuvenate the existing city fabric. The new development could also facilitate the blurring of edges in between and mediating the relationship between sidewalk, street and building. The new working , recreational and cultural facilities area juxtaposed to act as social condensers for new communities and new lifestyles.
fig 01. Hong Kong overview
fig 02. Major developments along Victoria Harbor coastline
In this era when most of the public activities have moved into big shopping malls and arcades situated in the inner city away from the waterfront, and when these places have all became monotonous and losing the locality and identity, the public realm concept has been inexorably eroded. Instead of pushing the edge forward by reclamation, the existing highways, with the integration of the existing urban fabric and development, possessed a certain degree of development potential to create another dimension for social, cultural and commercial interaction. This thesis sought to challenge against the land reclamation policy in Hong Kong and proposed an alternative for generating an unique place of the city for enjoyment and relaxation, and at the same time regenerating this underutilized coastline. The marriage of “dynamicism� of pace of life and the static architecture is sought to achieve through the introduction of a mixed programme of recreational, cultural, commercial and residential activities with the integration of the traffic system, and could serve as a connecting tissue for the inner city to extend across different urban cores with the reintroduction of greenery and landscapes. The section of Gloucester Road next to Victoria Park, extending to the Typhoon Shelter in Causeway Bay, have been chosen as the site for experimentation. The chosen site in Causeway Bay is in the conjunction of the urban zones occupied with shopping arcades, hotels, restaurants and bars, residential towers with retail shops on ground level, and one of the biggest urban open greenery space in Hong Kong, the Victoria Park. The contrast in context, activities, texture, scale and reflects the complexity and vibrancy of Causeway Bay . Through the understanding of the historical and cultural background of Causeway Bay and the typhoon shelter, the design proposal attempts to create a potential new public realm that gets in close contact with the adjacent
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fig. 03. Night scene over Gloucester Road
department of architecture university of hong kong thesis report 2007/2008
urban context and richness of activities in the district. Diverse forms of public place, from indoor to outdoor, public square to greenery, will be planned along the road to encapsulate the vibrant and ever-changing daily lives as well as introducing a new form of lifestyle in Causeway Bay.
fig. 04. Gloucester Road next to Victoria Park, with mixed-use podium type buildings
fig. 05. Flyover connecting Gloucester Road to Victoria Park Road
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2. Design Intention 2.1 Hypothesis Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, located on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island. It is one of Hong Kong's major shopping districts. The district is indulged with high-valued commercial activities including retail, entertainment, food & beverages, hotels and other tourist attractions. Situated adjacent to this area is the largest urban park in Hong Kong, the Victoria Park, which is conceived as a major public open space in the district. The park is popular for its sports facilities and spatial quality for homing of many festivals and events in the city. In addition to the Victoria Harbour on the north side of the district, the coalition of the 3 zones is anticipated to be a vital and major center with sustainable and comfortable environment However the individual character of the 3 areas has been significantly deteriorated while coming towards each other. This has been a common phenomenon in other urban cores along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island with high-speed traffic infrastructure obstructing the access to the harbour front and separation between urban blocks and greenery. Eventually these open space and waterfront had been degraded as an urban residual, the landscapes within the city had been dissipated, the implication and the potential of which has been seriously sabotaged. The writer hypothesizes the identity of the city could be visualized through the appreciation of the valuable asset of the nature with the emergence of the cultural and commercial factor. In search of a new architecture, this thesis attempts to transform these urban edges as primary cultural communal space in the city, establishing an extension of a vibrant city towards it’s urban edges and to rejuvenate the city fabric with the integration of open space and greenery within the city and the implementation of appropriate urban infrastructure and furniture. In Hong Kong, the physical development of the city has resulted in social space being alienated from the public and private developer power commands almost all significant open spaces in the urban area. In establishing a connection between the city fabric with the nature, the same methodology could be applied to other similar context throughout Hong Kong.
fig. 06. Integration of different scale, context and programme
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2.2 Urban Morphologization The richness in urban context and variety in programming in Causeway Bay have characterized this busiest and at the same time densest area in Hong Kong. The compactness of buildings, the ever-changing streetscape with traveling pedestrians and vibrant activities occurring on ground as well as in the upper levels of the building in this area has become an image of this district where everything was intimately allocated together. Apart from the tightness of buildings in the central core, there is also the most popular urban greenery, the Victoria Park opposite to the buildings forming a contract in context and density. Together with its confrontation towards the precious Victoria Harbour, the introduction of a connective tissue that connects the land and the water, urban excitement and greenery leisure could ‘morphologize’ this district in a way by initiating a new life style to the community, rejuvenating this long developed city fabric and infrastructure, and revitalize the harbour front area as a new attraction in the district.
fig. 07. Urban morphologization
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2.3 Scope of Work I.
Design Background ‣ Introduction ‣ Design objectives
II.
Design Potentials ‣ Spatial Implication of Public Areas and Open Space in Hong Kong ‣ Potential and Deficiencies
III. Methodology ‣ Selection of a specific site for experimentation ‣ Study of the relationship of the open space with the surrounding urban context with the specificity of the site ‣ Deriving suitable programmes along the specific site IV. Site Analysis ‣ Land use zoning ‣ Traffic pattern ‣ Public Transport ‣ Open Space and greenery ‣ Access connectivity ‣ Urbanism of time ‣ Derivation of programmes according to site context V. Research - The current waterfront development in Hong Kong ‣ The development of waterfront in Hong Kong ‣ Deficiencies of the current waterfront developments ‣ Prospects of waterfront architecture VI. Architectural Intervention ‣ Structure ‣ Underground spaces ‣ Roads, Bridges and fly-overs ‣ Accessibility ‣ Landmark ‣ Open Spaces and Greenery
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3. Design Background 3.1 Introduction New designs for public space and urban revitalization has become a contemporary popular issue and discussion over the six continents, that are changing the way we live, play and work in the cities. In the past few years, city dwellers around the world have faced often terrible challenges to using, much less designing and building public spaces. At the same time, recent history has also underscored how much public space is still valued and vital, from memories, to protests, to the everyday pleasure of eating lunch in the park. Every city is full of sites where memory, commerce, arts, recreation, and transit all command the investment of time, energy and resources to build and to rebuild a shared public realm. 3.2 Edge in a city
fig 08. Urban edges along northern coast of Hong Kong Island
Edge of a city by definition refers to the border area of different area, different context, different scale and density. It can be either be the beginning or the end, in the aspects of activity intensity and circulation flow. The edge of a city is a philosophical region, where city and nature overlap, existing without choice or expectation. They were traditionally regarded as buffer zone in between different urban cores, activity intensity depredates away from the centre of these urban cores and the boundaries were remained to be the transportation and circulation corridors. In Hong Kong these edges occur in between different urban development and most of these edges are form by traffic network which form the boundary that limit the extension of development as well as access and circulation within and across urban cores. The resulting edges have become circulation corridors and activity intensity dramatically diminishes from each urban centre while moving towards them. 3.3 Landscape and Open Space Identity in Hong Kong In Hong Kong, the relationship between city form and natural environment is clearly expressed. Hong Kong’s urban form is an expression of the relationship between the citizens and the physical limitation by the topography of the mountain and harbour. The rugged topography has limited the extent of urban development, and plunging into the harbour, squeezing the hyper-dense high rise building blocks and busy traffic in between. It is a representation of the most extreme contrast between human settlement and the natural landscape.
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fig 09. Hong Kong hyper-dense urban form and undeveloped open space on mountain
The image of Hong Kong is presented in the relationship between its topography - hills and the harbour - and the inhabitation of this zone by the hyper-dense city. This image is further intensified by the contrast between the intensity of buildings on the flat coastal edge and the lack of development uphill. This powerful landscape form is currently threatened by the urban sprawl with disproportionate new skyscraper and the continuing reclamation of land. Since the Handover to PRC in 1997, Hong Kong has been in a transition state, continues with the ongoing search for a new identity and role in the new generation in order to attract business, tourism and investment and maintain its role as conduit from China to the rest of the world and vice versa. The urban image, cosmopolitan ambiance, environmental quality and the standard of living of its residents are all key issues for Hong Kong to maintain its role as a gateway to China as well as a distinguishing international financial center of China and SouthEast Asia. 3.4 Existing Open Space Landscapes and Government’s position Over the years of development, there has been week or inadequate overall urban planning or design implemented. There was no fabrication of grand urban spaces, gardens, parks or ceremonial spaces. There has no great attention nor investment in the physical environment because the Territory’s focus was strictly on business and commerce of the city. There is no planning or design intention for the city as a location for permanent settlement. Forty percent of Hong Kong’s land has been designated as open space. Traditionally these areas mostly are remained undeveloped because of the steepness of the terrain made development impossible or costly and at the same time there has also been needs to protect the valuable natural greenery and habitat. These landscapes are mainly located in the New Territories. Within the urban cores, however, the population and buildings are extremely dense with relatively limited open space. Within the urban districts in Hong Kong and Kowloon, only about 6.7 percent of the land is allocated for open space. The Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines recommends a minimum of 15 hectares provision of open space per 100,000 urban population. However this is even lower than the standards for mainland cities such as Shenzhen or Guangzhou which are 20 and 30 hectares per 100,000 respectively.
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The planning standards, which presumably reflect a preferred situation, for open space in Hong Kong is comparatively low reveals that relatively low priority has been given to the provision of infrastructure that are not commercially related. Another significant issue is the state ownership of land makes the Government in fact the largest development. Taxation from land development is a major source of Government funding and revenue which drive the Government to engage in land development just as the private sector is, resulting in lacking of conservation and environmental protection and the minimal investment in urban open space. Another factor leading to the scanty quantity of open space in Hong Kong relates to the undesirable topographic conditions of the steep mountain and harbour. These limitations had driven Hong Kong’s dense urban form into the condition that hyper-density is often situation adjacent to either the open space of the mountains or the Victoria Harbour. Both of these provide significant visual contrast and psychological relief from the urban density and this explain the city’s tolerance of a low standard of open space provision within the urban area. 3.5 Under-utilization of Urban Open Space
fig 10. Contrasting context is Hong Kong’s urban area
Despite the fact that the quantity of open space within the urban area is very limited, most of these area is still unfortunately underutilized. This is resulted from different factors including their distribution, accessibility, facility availability and the design of the open space which reflect the low priority given to the provision of open space in urban district. The existing open space are mainly sitting out areas, leftover space, corporate plazas, conventional parks and scenic areas. However most of these open space within the urban core do not meet the minimum standard as stated in the Hong Kong Planning Standard and Guidelines provision for open space. The type of open spaces which are found in Hong Kong’s urban cores can be categorized into certain group based on their location and character. There are urban parks such as Victoria Park, which is severely impacted by the surrounding traffic and roads, or the Hong Kong Park which is a Picturesque landscape in the heart of Central. There are also plaza spaces associated by by many commercial towers, and the most interesting will be the undercroft space go through under the HSBC Headquarter, a popular public space gathered by foreign
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domestic helpers during holidays. Some of them are of special uses such as the scenic area at Victoria Peak, which contribute significant area of open space. There are also some of the most vibrant ones occupied by informal market and restaurants occur on streets, sidewalks and footpath. And of all the types of open space, most of them are designed as a amalgam of the traditional and modern, subtropical vegetation and Chinese detailed landscape as seen in Hong Kong Park. Physically the urban environment is extreme: high-rise living, the most prevalent type of accommodation in both the public and private sectors; then density of building blocks and the way how vehicular traffic accommodated in the city, has also resulted in a separation of public open space from city dwellers settlements, and an emphasis on vertical circulation within buildings and through elevated walkways in between them fig. 11 Public space underneath HSBC Headquarter in Central over traffic roads, escalators and flyovers prevalent to an extent not seen anywhere else. The city is suffering from the problem of transportation and commuting although the integration of residential development had started as a major trend throughout the city. These residential development are integrated so that they are surrounded by businesses, shops, restaurants and other programmes in order to achieve a better community intensity and convenience. Despite the fact that are certain open space available in the urban cores, most of them are not functioning effectively. In sight of the deficiency in the statutory provision for open space in urban areas in Hong Kong, much of these space are unusable: they are surrounded by traffic, heavily polluted and without appropriate supporting facilities or design character. The recent protest against the reclamation and the public debate on the Central Waterfront emerges the public attention towards the issues of public space and environmental quality are now not only of public social concern, but also has been put into political agenda which causes this open space objective even harder to achieve. fig. 12 Elevated walkway network in between building towers
Hong Kong has always been relied on reclamation of land from the harbour and the sea for land supply. This has been a key role in the urban form constitution and the main consideration in the current city planning. Since WWII, 3,600 hectares have been created from the harbour. still it has still been regard as an infinite source of land supply until the recent public concerns and protests against the reclamation and the constitution of the Protection of the Harbor Ordinance. Today, the waterfront is extremely under-utilized despite the significant connection between the city and the harbour. New waterfront edges are created after phases of reclamation and resulting in a new urban form, however the waterfront has never ben conceived in an identifiable edge condition in either use or form. So although reclamation is creating the most valuable real estate in the city, its temporary status has always mitigated against development that
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takes advantage of the edge. Currently there are only 3 waterfront area within the urban districts are open for public activities:, the Cultural Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui, the Convention and Exhibition Centre at Wan Chai and the Edinburgh Palace at Central but still none of these area is successful as public space. As a result it would be a good opportunity to rethink the urban strategy in relation to open space. Open space system can work to reinforce the city’s urban typology and support urban living at this extreme density. Extensive open green space beyond and within the city is essential to the develop a typology of open space which can work at this density. Open space planning and design can also play a significant role in preserving and enhancing the city’s key visual assets of the wooded mountain, the harbour and its edge. A more developed open space system would improve the quality of life for urban residents and provide more of the leisure and recreational amenities found in other international cities. A more strategic open space system could also be used to reinforce environmental strategies concerning water management, tree planting, urban beautification air pollution and waste treatment. 3.6 The most prominent Urban Open Space - Victoria Park
fig 13. Hong Kong largest urban park - the Victoria Park
As a signature landmark, Victoria Park is unique. It is conceived as a piece of oasis within one of the most hyper-dense district in Hong Kong, with high-rise buildings on both sides and steep hills in the background. There are many other urban park within cities: New York, Vancouver, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney come to mind. But, as a subject for urban planning and design, none has such unique character as Victoria Park. The park was previously a typhoon shelter, used to protect fishing boats and yachts during typhoon seasons. In the 1950s, the shelter was reclaimed and a park was built on top of it. The typhoon shelter was then relocated to the north of Victoria Park. The park includes various sports facilities, swimming pool, central lawn and children areas. The tennis central court in the park is often used to host international tennis tournaments. The There are several pools of water located in the garden area that are often used by the locals for remote-controlled toy boats.
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The park has become the venue for hosting many events and festivals in the city throughout the year for its large space and convenience such the the annual lunar new year fair, Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, Hong Kong Flower Show and the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. Besides it is also the venue for many protests and demonstration gathering spot such as the June 4 vigil and the July 1 Marches. A city forum is also held every Sunday in the park for the citizens to voice out their opinions on Government policies and affairs. Recently, there has been a tradition for thousands of Indonesian domestic workers to congregate in an around the western end of Victoria Park every Sunday and gradually this urban park has been dominated foreign workers and started a small community along Sugar Street which is now full of Indonesian restaurants and shops. This generates an inspiration for rediscover this largest piece of inland open space and extension the city activities into the park such that more local city dwellers can appreciate this green space by overcoming the boundary of traffic network. 3.7 Fading color of the Victoria Harbour Besides the park, Victoria Harbour is another significant natural open space prevailed in the city. Any photograph or sketch showing a harbour running through the middle of a city readily leads the viewer to think of Hong Kong. It is in fact one of the most important natural asset of Hong Kong In terms of physical and psychological qualities. And it's part of Hong-Kong people's lives: every day, a large proportion of the population crosses the harbour using various modes of transport. For over 100 years, the harbour was a major source of flat land suitable for development. As it was needed, new land was created by reclaiming the inner harbour instead of large-scale site developments in the New Territories. Perhaps the expiry of Britain's lease in 1997 had something to do with that mindset. Successive reclamation projects pushed out the shorelines on both sides of the harbour. Planning and development of the new waterfront areas were engineering-led, practical and utilitarian. New roads, piers, pumping stations, sewage plants and transformer stations took up logical positions - from the engineering standpoint.
fig 14. Hong Kong Victoria Harbour
The space in between was designated for residential property or other development purposes. The result was highly efficient as engineering, but it had little regard for appearance or quality of life. As a result, many of our waterfront areas are not pedestrian-friendly. Most of
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them are barren, with a cold, hard ambience. Almost none are softened with greenery. There is little evidence of urban design. Visiting a restaurant on the harbour on foot involves negotiating an obstacle course over highways and through office buildings. And the view isn’t entirely idyllic. As well as those sampans, patrons can also watch half a dozen barges dumping stones and dirt into the water, hence each day robbing Hong Kong of a little more of its most famous feature. Successive generations of Hong Kong people have been terrific at filling in their harbor: the fashionistas’ haunts in Causeway Bay, the new 88-storey IFC II building (sixth tallest in the world) in Central, the dominating waterfront feature of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in Wanchai, the world’s busiest container port, the runway at the old Kai Tak airport that used to have white-knuckled flyers fingering their rosaries- they were all built on reclaimed land. One hundred and sixty years of hauling landfill from mountainsides and construction dumps and shoveling it into the water has left Hong Kong with a harbor that, between the Central business district and Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side, is now just about 1km wide - shorter than the span of New Work’s George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River. Visitors to HK who arrive in town expecting an easily accessible, vibrant waterfront like the ones in Sydney or Baltimore are in for a rude surprise: most of Hong Kong’s shoreline is hidden behind skyscrapers, parking lots, utilities and highways. “I need to jump over the road barriers to get there.” Paul Zimmerman, founder of Designing Hong Kong Harbor to encourage new thinking in waterfront planning. But the development of the city’s waterfront has been both relentless and uncoordinated. Hong Kong has no central planning for the harbor: its use and misuse are dictated by more than a dozen competing government departments and covered by at least 15 separate zoning plans. 3.8 Government’s participation and position The Government wears two hats with conflicting roles. On the one hand, it is our largest producer of land through harbor reclamation and deprives almost one-third of its total revenue from land sales and other sources of income directly and indirectly related to land; such as Government rent, property tax, rates, stamp duty, profits tax from developers etc. On the other hand, it is the administration of Hong Kong with a duty to protect the harbor and the environment.
fig. 15 Public protest against the latest Government reclamation project
Hong Kong almost lost its harbour because of these conflicting roles as the Government was more concerned with its role as land owner rather than its role as the administration and protector of the harbor. The Protection of the Harbor Ordinance constituted the harbor a special public asset and a natural heritage of Hong Kong people.
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4. Design Opportunities The open space has not disappeared, of course, but rather systematically blocked by a variety of structures, that deny people's right of access to the natural heritage. The Victoria Park and the Victoria Harbor is the largest 'Open Space' of Hong Kong but yet they are veiled from most people's daily life because there is no way to get in touch with it. Since the colonial era, Hong Kong’s development has been focused more on economic development than environmental conservation. As a result, the city has a a level of environmental amenity commensurate with a much lower level of economic development. Few people can slow down and take a break from their routine businesses to savor and relish what all they have already possessed, and what has bestowed on them by the nature - experience the freshness of woods and plants, the vastness of the sea, enjoy its breeze and serenity, and feel the immenseness of heaven and earth. The urban open space should be a solitude space which soothe the bustling, allowing the public to meditate and enjoy the tranquility.
fig 16. Convergence of urban context and landscape
In sight of these desire for a better utilization of the open space within urban areas, a certain design parameters could be laid out based on the existing major phenomenon along the traffic highway running along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island, which significantly cut off the access and activities extending from the inner city of Central, Wanchai, Causeway Bay and North Point etc which are indulged with commercial retails arcades, residential and other entertainment and leisure facilities. •
Connecting the disconnected
•
Improving accessibility
•
Integration of Vibrancy and Diversity
•
Re-introduction of leisure and relaxation into the city
•
State of the Art
•
Refining open space design strategy
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4.1 Connect the Disconnected Most of the developments in the district are either initiated by individual developer or selfmotivated over time, and such developments are disconnected physically, separated by the traffic pattern into broken islands that scattered over the area as well as activities moving to upper levels within building blocks, and mentally to the city dwellers that although the district in a broad way is comprehensive overall, the programme it possessed does not appeal to having an intimate inter-relationship or communication. The major developments prevailed in between the Island Eastern Corridor and the MTR station, where circulation is driven by these 2 main transportation nodes. In addition, while the chosen site is on the edge between the urban core and the Victoria Park, the new introduction of space in between could generate a venue for collection of vistas of the contrasting context and intervals is activities organized in phases along towards the harbour front. The issue of the determination of the value of natural asset of Hong Kong could be reinforced.
fig 17. Convergence of urban context and landscape
By forming linkage between these developments pieces and transportation source, would eventually engender a new node as a spot for circulation concentration from different direction, and dispersing throughout the whole area in a way to reorganize the overall programming of Causeway Bay and also bringing connection to activities in between ground and upper levels within buildings, in order to “morphologize� the social and physical attribute of the most significant entertainment venue in Hong Kong, rejuvenating the existing city fabric with a new life style. 4.2 Accessibility The current Victoria Park area is disconnected from the city. It has been isolated from the vibrant life and metabolism that surrounds it both mentally and physically. It is a key issue to reconnect the landscape to the community and encourage interactions between the public and the park. Therefore inviting the communities to reach over the traffic boundary to the green space has become a primary objective. This could be achieved with free flows of pedestrian traffic, up to and around the existing urban context, with the area to be opened to the public instead of a underutilized escape from the city.
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fig 18. Enhancing accessibility in between the 2 context
To better connect the harbour front and the inner city of Causeway Bay, one approach is to detour and depress the traffic road in between and generate new space above for development. This open space will form as an extension from the most popular greenery in the city centre guiding people towards the harbourside. Alternatively, an underground street could be introduced under the traffic with connection to the MTR station to form a new shopping and entertaining experience and adjourned with the destination of the wonderful revitalized harbour front area without altering the high-speed traffic. Both approaches aim at achieving the target of “zero” reclamation with minimum land intake. 4.3 Vibrancy and Diversity The marriage of dynamicism of pace of life and the static architecture is sought to achieve through the strategy of layering and weaving a number of programmes together. One of the design parameters would put into consideration of integrating the proposed multi-usage to the existing programmes surrounding the site, whilst also holding its own programmatic identity as the front door and future focus of Hong Kong’s public life. All age groups, gender and nations will enjoy this dynamic waterfront. It will become a 24/7 hub of activity, and connects its people to the place. The introduction of a mixed programme of a number of key public usage such as recreational, cultural, commercial and residential uses to be distributed throughout the waterfront, key ‘destinations’ and magnets for activity. Together with the integration of the traffic system and could serve as a connecting tissue of the city to reach out to the harbour front and encourage incredible public use.
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4.4 Leisure and Relaxation Recreation and leisure is what was intended to celebrated in the urban open space. As an antidote to the stresses of everyday life in Hong Kong, the new green space shall serve not only as a place for functional use, but also allowing space for quiet contemplation and a pleasant environment escape from the hasty working pace and busy lifestyle. Gardens, parks and water elements weave many urban spaces, events and destinations into a continuation landscape, extending from the Victoria Park, and to bring in greenery into the urban space filled with concrete blocks and vehicular traffic and create a new experience of shopping and appreciating the city, at the same time attempts to re-attached the discontinued greenery in Causeway Bay. 4.5 State of the Art Facing forward to the spectacular harbour view, the park and the waterside is a perfect venue for cultural and educational events served as an extension from the Exhibition and Convention Centre, the Art Centre and the Academy for Performing Arts in Wanchai, contrasting the current commercial orientated context in Causeway Bay as being one of the exceptionally dense urban area in Hong Kong where is deluged with shopping malls and arcades. A series of more intimately scaled garden spaces, urban squares, performance hall and convention centre provide a peaceful experience a collection of outdoor artworks, a sequence of ornamental gardens and various pavilions nestled into the rolling landscape. Apart from the exhibited artworks and sculpture, the buffer area is also proposed to be dressed up to detail all the way down to urban furniture such as paving, handrails and bollards, even down to garbage bins and storm water grates are all being treated as pieces of artwork to achieve an unique, artistic ambience. More importantly, this could also be a platform for illustration of local design community’s work, reinforcing the idea of interaction between the public and the waterfront. 4.6 Open Space Design Strategy Achieving a successful open space strategy is all about understanding the issues of quality rather than the quantitative standards. The very particular physical characteristics of Hong Kong’s hyper-density lead to a number of strategies in terms of the physical configuration of open space. Open space needs to operate either at a relatively small human scale (room, courtyard, forecourt, street, lane) or much more expansively (corridor, park, waterfront). At the small scale open space can operate in relation to a specific building. Many of the most successful existing spaces such as street markets or informal street corner spaces are this scale. Another type would be to build small private or communal open spaces into tall buildings - even open courts can work up to a certain elevation. This could be appropriate in residential and mixed-use commercial buildings and can also work for some recreational and sports facilities. The configuration of open space can also be significant as linear open space corridors which can create pleasant outdoor environment while using relatively small area of land. There can also be compliment access ways and other infrastructure, facilitating multiple use, which is a general trend in the provision of new open space. This would allow the merging of urban infrastructure with the landscape and integrating into the existing human settlement.
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5. Site and Context Before further developments can be achieved, a study of an actual site is essential as well as for the experimental implementation. The site justification and analysis will be illustrated in this chapter. 5.1 Site Justification Causeway Bay is the heart of the city. Retails shops, cinemas, restaurants and hotels are distributed around the district. Thousands of people will gather here after work or during weekends. The vibrant lifestyle and pace of pedestrian and vehicular movement signifies the live and energy
fig 19. Satellite image of Causeway Bay
To evaluate the development possibilities of creating a linkage between the harbour and the city fabric, certain criteria have been set out for the choice of site within the district of Causeway Bay: i. contrasting characteristics between different zonings in the district: complex building developments and small scale podium-type buildings; urban fabric and open space greenery; different uses of buildings; ii. potential for access to the water front area iii. contravening the traffic highway as part of the main design objective of overcoming the alienation of the traffic network along the north coast; iv. space would introduce minimum disturbance to the existing buildings and development
fig 20. Outline proposal
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The above satellite image and diagram illustrates the existing development and density of Causeway, with the indication of the future development of a new by-pass highway and the new coastline proposed by the Government. The buildings and the traffic road network also represents the phases of urban development together with the establishment of different coastlines, from the inner part of the location of the tramway, extending towards to the current coastline, throughout the several major reclamations in the past decade, including the whole are of the Victoria Park. The section of the Gloucester Road on the junction between the Victoria Park and the major urban fabric of Causeway Bay has been chosen as the primary site for certain reasons. Here the issue of a physical edge of the limit of land is to be encountered of which such edge is formed by highway obstructing the North-South Movement, from the inland zone to the waterfront. The area also possesses an exceptionally contrasting character of the district, on one side is one of the most popular open space in Hong Kong - the Victoria Park, and on the other side is a wide variety of different land uses, from shopping arcades, hotels to residential blocks. In particular, this road is one of the major road perpendicular to the coastline, which links up the inner Yee Wo Street, and the Victoria Park Road along the waterside, thus it has already possessed the opportunity to become a link between the land and the sea, not only for roads, but also an implicit linkage between our sense of identity and orientation with our ability to appreciate natural features, especially those landmarks far away. The possibility for people to see natural features in the background would enhance one's sense of orientation and psychological health. 5.2 Site Introduction Basic district information: Causeway Bay 2 Area: 293.46 km Population: 478,434 (82.49% local, 17.51% overseas) 2 Density: 1630.3/ km
fig 21. Aerial view of Causeway Bay and typhoon shelter
Causeway Bay is one of Hong Kong's major shopping districts. It includes the 13-storey Japanese department store Sogo and Times Square, an indoor shopping complex. There are also smaller malls such as World Trade Centre, Windsor House, Hang Lung Centre, Fashion Island, Fashion Walk, Lee Gardens and Lee Gardens Two. Causeway Bay is one of the most crowded areas in Hong Kong since it contains many trendy shops carrying both locally made
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fashion and products from Japan. As such, it is a popular social spot for young people. Many shops are open until well after midnight. Notable hotels in Causeway Bay include the The Excelsior and Regal Hong Kong Hotel. Modern service apartments such as JIA and Shamas have opened in the past few years. Kellett Island off the coast of Causeway Bay has disappeared and connected as a result of land reclamation. It is the home of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. For years, Jardine Matheson has fired a cannon shot at noon every day in Causeway Bay, by Victoria Harbour, slightly eastward of the former Kellett Island. The gunshots have served as time signals for many generations of old inhabitants of Hong Kong. This tradition still continues today.
fig 22. Figure ground diagram illustrating building density
fig 23. Figure ground inverse diagram illustrating open space distribution in the district
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5.3 History of Causeway Bay Throughout its early history in which it was somewhat isolated from the development of the rest of Hong Kong, the former Causeway Bay was simply a rural village and stone quarries. In 1904, with the advent of the tramway, the distance between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, through Causeway Bay, was brought closer. Other than quarries, the Butterfield and Swire Co. set up sugar refineries in Quarry Bay in 1881 and built a shipping dockyard there in 1901. In 1902, the HK Government built Pennington Street, Jardine Crescent, Yee Wo Street and other streets running along the area within Causeway Bay, Leighton Hill and Tai Hang Village. By 1908, the Tai Koo Dockyard had built more employee housing further west in Sai Wan Ho which also stimulated the construction of other dwellings. But, it wasn’t until the 1920s that the transportation network serving Causeway Bay really developed links to other area.
fig 24. Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay
The Typhoon Shelter located in Causeway Bay, is in between the HK Island entrance of Cross Harbour Tunnel on Kellett Island and Eastern Island Corridor. Its size is about 14 hectares. It was the first typhoon shelter in Hong Kong. The original typhoon shelter was built after the 1874 typhoon, at the present location of Victoria Park, to provide shelter for fishing boats during storm. It was completed in 1883 with a breakwater only 427 metres long.
fig 25. Typhoon Shelter, Causeway Bay
In 1953 the typhoon shelter was moved northwards to its present site and the original typhoon shelter was reclaimed to provide land for Victoria Park. The new typhoon shelter had a size of 26 hectares. However, reclamation projects which started in the typhoon shelter during the late 1960s to construct the Cross Harbour Tunnel decreased the size of the shelter.
in the 1970s, the typhoon shelter was a popular nightlife entertainment destination and was called “nightclub on the sea”, people went to the boats for food and the atmosphere, and when air-conditioning was not common, the sea breeze. The four types of commercial boats in the shelter were selling seafood, fruits and drinks, congee and noodles and performances. Although the night life in typhoon shelter has descended, the food served is still popular amongst Hong Kong Chinese restaurants, “typhoon shelter style” fried seafood can be found on most menus.
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fig. 26 Figure ground diagram illustrating building density
fig. 27 The round seaside causeway can be seen on the left (the Chinese name for Causeway Bay means “bronze gong bay�) that gave Causeway Bay its English name. In the distance can be seen warehouses including those owned by ICI and Jardine. The seaside area was later filled in and Victoria Park was built on this area in 1950s.
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fig. 28 A 1953 photo taken from the Tiger Balm Garden showing the reclaimed land in Causeway Bay where Victoria Park was under construction. To the right is a newly built school, Queen’s College.
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6. Advanced Site Investigation and Analysis
institutional zone large scale
commercial/residential zone mid, large scale high-rise
commercial/residential zone small scale mid-rise fig 29. Existing development of Causeway Bay
6.1 Zoning Pattern
fig. 30 Diagram of building heights around chosen site
Distinctive urban fabrics were developed into layers. These layers were divided by the major traffic network. The chosen site of part of Gloucester Road, was cutting through 2 tiers of mixed used buildings, starting from original coastline of Causeway Bay in old times, and lead towards to the current and the future proposed new coastline, designating the different phases of reclamation development.
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fig. 31 Diagram of building age around chosen site
Along the road there reveals a distinct transition of large complex buildings to smaller podium type towers closer to the harbour around the area of Paterson Street and Cleveland Street.
fig. 32 Images of chosen site in Causeway Bay
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6.2 Land Use Zoning
fig. 33 Land use zoning of Causeway Bay
The major open space is the Victoria Park and other small siting out areas along the Victoria Park Road and Gloucester Road. The park was previously the typhoon shelter until it was reclaimed in the 1950s and after that a park was built there. Different venues and sports ground are available such as tennis courts, soccer and basketball field, outdoor swimming pool and children areas. These open space are favored by the local residents and students nearby, and will be full of people while in use. However the accessibility from the major public transportation is still inadequate for serving as a communal space. The red coded commercial buildings area are major concentration of shopping arcades and retails shops, most notably to the north of Yee Wo Street where several large-scale malls are located such as Sogo and Fashion Island, creating the driving force for the contribution of the major pedestrian flow pattern.
fig. 34 Large scale commercial building with shopping
fig. 35 Podium-type mixed used buildings
There are a few podium-types mixed used buildings to the south of Gloucester Road. The ground level of these buildings has developed into a Vogue Alley, indulged with designer branded shops and flagship stores, as another mode of retail apart from Sogo and Times fig. 36 Transformation of old residential buildings with G/F Square. The building block above the podium are mixed-use, with originally mostly residential apartments and now are mainly occupied by restaurants, retails shops and hair salons.
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fig. 37 Outline zoning plan of Causeway Bay
6.3 Traffic Pattern The Island Eastern Corridor, an expressway along the north shore of Hong Kong Island, It starts from Causeway Bay in the west and ends in Chai Wan in the east. It is part of Route 4. The section between Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay consists mainly of viaducts built along Victoria Harbour. It is often criticized for using up fig 38. Island Eastern Corridor the seafront which could have been enjoyed by residents of Hong Kong had alternative alignments been chosen. Residents have also complained about traffic noises owing to some sections' proximity to residential buildings.
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fig. 39 Traffic condition on Gloucester Road
The chosen section of Gloucester Road is linking up 2 main arteries, with the Victoria Park Road, connecting the Island Eastern Corridor and the Gloucester Road being the highest, second by Yee Wo Street, mainly used by the public transportation and the tramway on Hong Kong Island. Pedestrians can flow easily on the street level in between these 2 main roads, with partial area being pedestrianized. However the access across the Victoria Park Road are restricted due to the high traffic flow and lack of crossing facilities. The Government had originally approved the proposal of a construction of a bypass fly-over bridge in front of the existing coastline to sooth the traffic congestion problem in Gloucester Road for the high traffic consumption from between Central, Wanchai, North Point and Chai Wan. However this further reclamation has met a massive opposition from the public for further deteriorating the waterfront area.
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6.4 Conclusion of Site Issues The following issues are summarized after the investigation of the site and form the parameter and direction for the design proposal to the discussed in the latter chapter. 6.4.1 Alienation by Traffic highway
fig. 40 Traffic highway in the site
The high-speed traffic of the Island Eastern Corridor, the Gloucester Road and the Victoria Park Road forms a barrier which block the access to the waterfront area from the inner city of Causeway Bay. As a result, the waterfront promenade is currently under-utilized and all the activities in Causeway Bay were bounded by the traffic network. 6.4.2 Discontinuation Open Space and Greenery
fig. 41 Limited greenery in the site
Although the Victoria Park is one of the most popular open space in district, however the greenery is also bounded by the traffic network and in the areas around the sea front, greenery is broken down into pieces and eventually deteriorated into under-used siting-out area.
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6.4.3 Privatized Waterfront Area
fig. 42 Separated waterfront area
The existing typhoon shelter is only being used for boat storage, loading and unloading of private boats and cruises. The old-times night life activities had died down due to the low pedestrian flow as well as the waterfront being privatized by the Hong Kong Royal Yacht Club and the Police Club House. 6.4.4 Lack of Public Access
fig. 43 Under-used circulation infrastructure
The urban infrastructure that connects the waterfront and the inner city of Causeway Bay is inadequate, together with the blockage of the highway in front, further reducing the utilization of the current waterfront.
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6.4.5 Urbanism of Time
fig. 44 24/7 activities in Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is a 24/7 district, it is always energetic, with different activities taking place all day long in the area. Most of these activities have long opening hours such that people flow in the area remained very high throughout the whole day. This can be an advantage for the connection to the water and revitalizing the sea front area with better transportation connection and infrastructure is provided.
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7. Architectural Programming 7.1 Derivation of Programme
fig. 45 Combination of different programme in the site
The above diagram shows the convergence of the 2 sides of the city fabric at right angle against the coastline of the site. The different parts of Causeway Bay operates at different time of the day, such as the retails shops, restaurants, karaoke and other entertainments, the Victoria Park and the hotels, and the chosen site was situated on a location where they collide and it becomes a place to mediate between these various activities in the area and at the same time intensifying the axis towards the waterfront area and promote the north-south movement of pedestrians. The design proposal will be located on a place that go back into the history of the development of Causeway Bay, starting from the original coast in the area, and visualizing the phases of development and the reclamation. At the end of the coast, it would further extend to the water breaker and provide a venue for the actual appreciation of the water. It would become a time gallery of the area. When people walk along the spine, it metaphysically falls apart and becomes a theatre of history of growth, as well as the every lives in the city. This spine also represents the vibrant, liveliness and diversity of the whole of Causeway Bay, and is capable to respond and relate to the city and become the centre of the district, linking up various forms of open spaces, interweaving between the public and private, indoor and outdoor spaces. The intervention with the highway along the coast would be a challenge to the programming as on one hand not the hinder the flow of the traffic, but on the other hand to enhance to freedom of pedestrian movement over the traffic and reaching the waterfront.
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7.2 Programming details
fig. 46 Programming details
Communal • serve the office workers/ sales/ workers from local household shops • Proposed programme on site: plazas. common area, open-air forum, waterfront promenade Commercial Activities combination with the existing shops and arcade and provided access link in between • further enhance the 24/7 character of Causeway Bay and provide entertainment and food and beverages • underground linkage to the MTR also provides opportunities for commercial activities • Proposed programme on site: open retail arcades, small block malls, shops, floating markets •
Art & Cultural Activities/ Bars and Night Life suggesting an alternative of lifestyle in the area • attract public attention and participation in the cultural development in the area • Proposed programme on site: Exhibition area, art galleries •
fig. 47 New design spine
Historical preserving the history and development of the district • Proposed programme on site: Typhoon Shelter Floating Museum, Museum of Victoria Harbour •
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8. Research - the current development of HK waterfront space 8.1 Central Waterfront International Finance Centre is an integrated commercial development on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central District. It is the most prominent structure as view from Tsim Sha Tsui harbour front throughout the coastline of Hong Kong Island. A prominent landmark on Hong Kong Island, it consists of two skyscrapers, the IFC mall, and the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Tower 2 is the tallest building in Hong Kong, usurping the place once occupied by Central Plaza. The complex was built entirely on reclaimed land, as part of a $40 billion complex for the Central station of the Airport Express line. However, this development faced different criticism upon its completion. The Megatower not only failed to comply with the original design plan, it also breached Metroplan guidelines prohibiting new developments from cutting the ridge-line of Victoria Peak when seen from various key points. The Metroplan states that viewers should be able to see at least 20 to 30 per cent of the hill above new developments when viewed from key points on the waterfront, including the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.
fig. 48 & 49 IFC II Tower & Central Post Office
fig. 50 Images of current Central Waterfront development
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fig. 51 Existing Central Waterfront
fig. 52 New Central OZP
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8.2 New Central Waterfront Proposal Throughout the history of Hong Kong, the city’s waterfront has been under constant flux. Land reclamation from Victoria Harbour has constantly changed the waterfront by pushing Hong Kong and Kowloon closer and closer together. Yet now after 150 years of reclamation, the community of Hong Kong has decided to stop further reclamation. The site area for the competition will be Hong Kong’s first permanent waterfront and therefore requires special attention. The importance of the competition site area is that it will become the final Central Waterfront of Hong Kong. Furthermore, as the front-door to Asia’s World City this waterfront area has inherited the exigent responsibility of defining the city to visitors and citizens alike. This competition seeks creativity to help assist the government and the city in defining the character and identity of the front door to Asia’s World City.
fig. 53 Winning propsposal of the New Central Waterfront
fig. 54 Another propsposal submission of the New Central Waterfront
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8.3 Wanchai Waterfront The second phase of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, located on an artificial island, was constructed from 1994 to 1997, and features a bird-like rooftop (also referred to as a turtle by some critics). It is connected to the old phase with an atrium link - a sky bridge, and to Convention Road with two road bridges. The HKCEC has a total internal exhibition area of more than 28,000 square metres with 16-metre headroom and spans ranging from 26 m to 81 m. Numerous functions are held at the HKCEC each year, including exhibitions, conventions/meetings, banquets and other special events.
fig. 55 HKCEC Wanchai
Outside the HKCEC is the Golden Square. The square was named after the giant statue of a golden Bauhinia sculpture at the centre of the area. A flag-raising ceremony is held there every day at 8:00 am. This Building situation on Wanchai waterfront has become an icon of Hong Kong, as well as the Victoria Harbour. However, there has been criticism saying that the centre was too dominating over the harbour view itself, and at the same time the connection was insufficient for public access. The waterfront area outside the centre has now became solely a tourist attraction and lack of interaction with Wan Chai district.
fig. 57 Aerial View of Wanchai waterfront, HKCEC & Golden Square
fig. 56 HKCEC Wanchai & Golden Square
fig. 58 The Golden Bauhinia sculpture
fig. 59 Existing roads and walkway in Wanchai waterfront
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fig. 60 Existing Wanchai Waterfront
fig. 61 New Wanchai OZP
3.4 The Government’s Plan on Wanchai development phase 3 The Wanchai Development Phase II Project is the final phase of the Central and Wanchai reclamation. The WDII Project is planned to provide land for essential transport infrastructure, including the Central-Wanchai Bypass, the Island Eastern Corridor Link, the MTR North Hong Kong Line and the fourth rail harbour crossing section of the Shatin to Central Link. The proposal also aimed at improving the waterfront with open plazas, landscaped areas, marinas, leisure, cultural and entertainment facilities as complied with the development of the key transport infrastructure and facilities.
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fig. 62, 63 & 64 New Wanchai waterfront development and perspectives
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