Harbour City | Bluespace

Habour City | Bluespace Exploring Bluespace. Bring Harbour to City

THESIS REPORT Jan 2010

Student | Jonas Tang Chin Hong s07010207 Advisor | Hendrik Tieben

dedicated to everyone who have devoted their support, care and passion for the assistance of the thesis project

Habour City | Bluespace

Research

-HK Harbourfront= Deadend?

-HK Harbour= Backyard Void?

-Social Realm -Proposition | Resolution -Bluespace | Typological Bluespace -Coastal Scenarios -History of Harbour -Mapping Harbour -Definition -Waterbody -HK Strategy -Design Resolution Study -Guidelines for a Sustainable Hong Kong Harbour

Design

-Site Selection -Habourfront.City.Water -Site Conditions -Rationales -Site Response -Overall Strategy -Resultant Strategies -Plan -Sections -Detail Plan -Perspectives -Model Development

The thesis explores the relationship between the harbour and the city in the context of Hong Kong.The research summarizes waterfront spaces should not the backsides of the city and its ultimate edge, but rather, it drives flow and exchanges of goods, people and information in a larger maritime or “bluespace” .Hong Kong’s harbour space increasingly becomes a space for only visual perception, without a sociable programme.

It differs from other harbours in the world where the activities in and around the sea are in the centre of the cities’ social and communal life.

There are strong public interests in enhancing of Victoria Harbour as Hong Kong’s main civic asset. However, through decades of development Victoria Harbour has become separated from the life in the surrounding districts. It is time to revert the backyard spaces along the water into inter-coastal connectors revealing original centrality of Victoria Harbour as the heart of the maritime metropolis.

The design proposes an intergrative solution to the situation by reorganizing flows , providing a common ground for social exchange, and facilitating intercoastal activities. The new harbour front re-connects the exicting fabric of the district (Kennedy Town) with the sea. Through inter-coastal views it re-creates the role of Victoria Harbour as centrality of Hong Kong.

HK HARBOURFRONT=DEADEND? If we see harbourfront as the ultimate fringe of land in the city, there seems to be 2 extremes. One is seeing it as the interface between water and land . Water could then be connective agent to the other shores. Other is seeing it as deadend, where city stops at the edge and water is as a void for sptial relief. Most of the Hong Kong harbourfront scenarios are of the latter case. They are usually blocked by highly self-defined and self-contained residential towers, without any active streetfront going to harbourfront. Some open grounds are fragmented by many going-across vechicular bypass and not easily accessible. As highway and by-pass way are mainly located at waterfront for ease of development. It resulted as crossing nodes where pedestrians need to wait for so many traffic lights to going to harbourfront. Last but not least, the harbourfront area is poorly designed and manged. They are not specificially harboufront but only gated park and individual green parcels.

highly enclosed development vehicular bypass

low water proximity

MI

SS

IN

G New Development in Hyper-Density Wall Effect

Lack of Marine Activities Heavy Vechnicular Occupance Underutilized Wateredges covered by Highway

HK

Poor Accessiblity to Waterfront Lack of Visual Corridors

Heavy Traffic

VICTORIA HARBOUR

Lack of Active Streetfront

KLN

Insufficient Open Space Privatization of Coastal Space

Opportunities Cultural Amenities

no active streetfront Water Networks

Open Space

Problems typical to the Victoria Harbourfront

low walkabilities

privateyard Could Victoria Harbour not only be a void to expose the landmarks and faรงades but an intangible network of cultural amenities to revive the public realm so that the coastal area is not seen as the fringe or end of the city? Could we bring Harbour to city?....and Bring city to the harbour?

HK HARBOURFRONT=DEADEND? As we understand there may be dedicated greenaries and leisure space provided along harbourfront. Much of these open space are too linear to absorb larger programmes and activities. They are mainly treated as by-pass route with specific destinations. Most of them are disjuncted from the city, which is good for urban relief but not enough to see the harbourfront as spaces for daily use. How could we see this kind of linearity to human leisure and as staying places?

?

HARBOURFRONT = DISJUNCTED SPACE FOR LEISURE ACTIVITY

HK HARBOUR=BACKYARD VOID? This part is a visual and cultural studies on how different water void brings different mentality to near-by group of people. Cases are made intentionally worldwise to broaden what could actually water as an agent has the impact to human cultural living.

01

SEA VOYAGE PIRATES, NAVIGATORS, NAVIES, WORRIERS IN EXPLORATORY NAVIGRATION

Mentality Living Style

Spatial Relationship a CONTRAST of hopes and loss develops in search of new land within vast plain of water

Land/Sea Symbiosis sea uncovers land

Cultural Value

Religion supertitious, mysterious, worry, respectful nature

an exploratory yet harsh living purely on sea confronting natural disasters and limited resources new discoveries of land spaces into unknown territories

CENTRALITY OF WATER

HK HARBOUR=BACKYARD VOID?

02

FISHERIES NEIGHBOURHOOD SELF-SUFFICIENT AMPHIBIOUS LIFESTYLES OF FISHING AND SALT-MAKING

Mentality Living Style

Spatial Relationship a COMPLEMENTARY SYMBIOSIS develops between land and water ; territory=land+sea

Land/Sea Symbiosis sea becomes land

Cultural Value Ordinary Place sea-land-scape

littoral community uses the frequent transient space of live on coast and work at sea, bluespace is then a treasure of livilihood and land as the return of homage

CENTRALITY OF WATER

HK HARBOUR=BACKYARD VOID?

ISLANDS 03 COHABITING CLOSE COMMUNITY OF FARMERS AND HUNTERS NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH INTENSIVE SHARING OF RESOURCES

Mentality Living Style

Spatial Relationship archipelago, multiple irregular islands floating on the sea

Land/Sea Symbiosis sea unifies the land

Cultural Value

Community intense community cohesion

littoral community uses the frequent transient space of live on coast and work at sea, bluespace is then a treasure of livilihood and land as the return of homage

CENTRALITY OF WATER

HK HARBOUR=BACKYARD VOID?

04 CHANNELS FLOATING TRADE SHOPS OF TRADERS, MERCHANTS, FARMERS Mentality Living Style

Spatial Relationship river organize the interfaces

Land/Sea Symbiosis

land support static and storage , retail programme to the mobile sea

Cultural Value

Exchange intense cultural exchange on goods, people and information along the rivier

water as fluid of exchanges together, as spine to a typical trading city life for primary goods

CENTRALITY OF WATER

HK HARBOUR=BACKYARD VOID? LIVING HK RESORT RESIDENTS ON LAND VIEWING THE VOID AS WAY OF ESCAPE FROM CITY

Mentality Living Style an off-work escape and relief away from the bustle and hustle of city, forward-looking to the opposite side cityscapes, such that the blue space provides a relaxed void in the high density city (together with the sky)

Spatial Relationship

?

aTENSION develops between the resort-like highly private living and the porous highly urbanized working

Land/Sea Symbiosis sea enhances land

Cultural Value

Pride high land values on coastal region

harbour =visual void in escape of density

Unlike other water void, the value of HK Harbour is just a visual relax. Could we turn the backyard void to better activefronts?

SOCIAL REALM The major public amenities and collective places are situated in the peripherals of the harbour. The harbour , although is sptially vacant and inactive, placed important social anchor to every Hong Kong citizen.

.Symbolize success & propsperity of Hong Kong

.Reflect identity and physical well being of Hong Kong

.Sense of belonging and emotional welfare of the Public

...the results show that the Harbour plays a significant role in the eyes of the public, as congruent to the quantitative findings, vast majority of them agree that the Harbour is shared by all Hong Kong people, is valuable to them ...

Habour Buesiness Forum, Publuc Opinion Survey on Victoria Harbour, Feb 2006

photo from Internet : Wikipedia.org , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_harbour

PROPOSITIONS the vision is to make the entire Victoria Hartbour and its neighbourhood districts a holistic whole. With better water transport, more integration of city and harbourfront area and greater enhancement on place quality of the edge. It is opposite to the greenaries approach where edge is monotonous and interconnected. the research scopes start from the typical MTR-centered spine to the edge. It aims at proposing another attractive force at edge to diverge the city intensity at core and produce supplimentary centrality of the Harbour. thus, when more inter-coastal connection are made as cleaner and ecologically transport, the harbour circulation along edge would be a large maritime space with loop of transports and specific places of staying than a vacant backyard void.

Research Scope

kln.p

hk.i Infrastructure-centered Cityscapes

Proposed Victoria Harbour Loop

VICTORIA HARBOUR AS VISUAL FRONTAGE -differentiated character on each district -high visibility and accessibility -the Harbour as one large maritime space

OTHER PROPOSITIONS

TOURISM CLUSTERS

by Hong Kong Planning Department

CULTURAL RING

by Hong Kong Institute of Planners

ENGAGING HARBOURFRONT

by Urban Land Institute Plan for a “String of Opportunities” that invite people to the water, relate to adjacent neighborhoods, and engage the waterfront

GREEN ROOF CARPET CLUSTERING

MASS INTEGRATION

CULTURE ACROSS SHORES

SHADED GREEN CHAIN COASTAL POCKET

PROMENADE EXTENSION

by Swire Properties 2004 Vision for merging existing cultural facilities with the new land parcel of West Kowloon Cultural District

SOCIAL REALM

coastal settlement

leisure & entertainment

dockland

infasturctural hubs

landmark & icon

RESOLUTIONS

INTERCONNECTED GREEN

CURRENT

INTEGRATED GREEN

?

PROPOSED

quick fix on waterfront

The thesis critique to current approach of developing harbourfront, as a isolated promenade to interconnect different shore. However, with poor connectivity to the inland city and programmatic space, the resulting greeneries would be passive and monotonous to each district .

It propose an integrative green approach, to reinvestigate the possibility of re-intervering the exisiting city flow and greeneries, to form patches of sociable programme, as activating green which is differentiated from each district and region so as to bring forward the front of harbour rather than leisure backyard.

HARBOURFRONT AS INTEGRATIVE GREEN -water engagement -programmatic social space -walkable green network

BLUESPACE Bluespace is a concept of relative space of water and land.

CRETERIAs 1 analogous to marine space/technology 2 located along a land-sea continuum 3 can be described in terms of a clearly defined spatial or formal configuration 4 can be mapped on to a recognised urban space typology

Blue space is not a discrete description of WATER SPACE Blue space actually best describes the engine of the typical harbour city, which is a utilization of coastal proximities and fringes. It is demonstrated very successfully in Hong Kong Victoria Harbour context.

Through bluespace analysis, we can illustrate the continuous edge interventions towards city development in history. It could be characterized by the either architectural forms with its urban relations. Within it, the dynamic relationship between land and water is revealed.

Typological study of coastal front of the harbour city Hong Kong further illustrates a combination of bluespace typology existed along specific fringes of the Victoria Harbour.

Peter Rowe’s (1991) concept of using large-scale infrastructure as a ‘poetic’ design operation that can give visual coherence to the macro urban environment is also relevant. Rowe argues that major elements of urban infrastructure such as express ways or parking lots have 2 characteristics that allow them the potential to unite and energise the wider visual field: SCALE

and MOVEMENT.

If we conceptualise the water of a port or harbour as a substantial and visually compelling infrastuctural element at the centre of a city, we have essentially a typological [re] invention in Rowe’s terms, or a rediscovery of a

sustainable form of tran-

portation that peaked in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Brand, Diane , Bluespace: a typological matrix for port cities in Urban Design International 2007,12, pp69–85

The space is INFRASTUCTURAL. (particulary as water-based mass transit begins to reassert itself at metropolitan, regional and national levels as a more ecologically

repsonsible form of travel).

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

01

Maritime Highway = INFRASTRUCTURE

CRITERIAS

Flow of Goods, Depth of Water, Flatness of Land

ACTIVITIES

FORM & PRINCIPLES linear flow - logistic efficiency

Travelling, Riding, Sightseeing, Transporting

For Transportation Based on Ciruculation Efficiency

The Maritime Highway is analogous to infrastructure in the city, where logistic efficiency of maritime transport is significant. The larger the ship size, the higher the capacity of the flow of goods or passengers. It is a type without strong attachment to land. The water current pushes the overall flow. Naturally they are formed by geographical relief and is varied in condition in wind amptitude and water depth.

Strong navigation control is needed for the large maritime space where there is no significant landmark or structure.

-Baltic Sea, -Mediterranean Sea, -Hauraki Gulf

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

02

Fleets at Anchor = QUARTER

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES sea pocket - protectivness

pocket sheltered land shape, static water close intercoastal distance

For Anchoraging Vessels Based on Shelter Protectiveness

ACTIVITIES Mooring, Fishing, Berthing

-Sydney Cove C18 -San Franciso C19 -Aberdeen Harbour HK

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

03

Harbour Arenas = ARENA

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES sea surface - visual focus

visible sea surface long and deep frontage land convergence

For Leisure Demand Based on Openess of Marine Space

ACTIVITIES

Cross-harbour swimming, Dragon boat race, American cup yatch, Canoeing

-Rio de Janeiro Harbour C19 -Hauraki Gulf Amercas Cup [00,03] -Velencia Amercas Cup [07]

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

04

Beaches = PARK

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES land-sea interfaces - natural preserve

silt interface sendimentation constructive wave

For Leisure Demand Based on Natural Formation

ACTIVITIES Swimming, Water Playing, Sunbathing

-Bondi Beach Sydney -Copacabana Rio de Janeiro -The Palms Dubai

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

05

Piers and Jetties = STREET

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES finger | edge to water

sharp water edge static wave supportive road network on land

For Connectivity Based on rich assessiblity

ACTIVITIES Commuting, Travelling, Riding, Boat Dining

-Queens Wharf Auckland C19 -Walsh Bay Sydney C19 -Hanuabada Port Moresby

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

06

Containers =BLOCK

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES extensive flatland | logistic connectivity and accessibility

extensive flatland deep and stable water

Transport Necessity Based on Cargon Size

ACTIVITIES

Loding and Unloading, Storing, Transporting

-Borneo Amsterdam -Ruoholahti Helsinki -Amphisbious Houses Middleburg

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

07

Dock/Canals =SQUARE

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES channels | flow of goods

close distance crossings shallow water

View and Favourable Living (e.g. Resort Living) Based on Open View or Vast Naviagation

ACTIVITIES

Promenade walking, Sightseeing, Bird Watching

-Grand Canal Docks Dublin -Koop Van Zuid Rotterdam -Puerto Madero Buenos Aires

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

08

Beached Vessels =BLOCK BUILDING

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES floating land| spatial capacity to dock

water depth support repairment facilities extensive flatland away from town

For Ship Repairment Based on Vessels Dockability

ACTIVITIES

Repairing , Abondoning, Spare-being, Ship Construction

-Niantic San Francisco C19 -Ark Wellington C19 -Alang Gujarat

TYPOLOGICAL BLUESPACE

09

Waterfront Squares =SQUARE

CRITERIAS

FORM & PRINCIPLES courtyard open to sea | spatial porousity to openness

fronting to neighbourhood divergence to sea free walkable field

For Public Civicities Based on Affinity to Neighbourhood

ACTIVITIES

Enjoying public interaction, Walking and Having Food Feasts and Events

-Piazza San Marco Venice -Praca do Commercio Lisbon C18 -Largo do Paco Rio de Janerio C18

COASTAL SCENARIOS

This section of research aims at investigating the driving force and resulting shaped form of different coastal regions in Hong Kong. Examples are selected in the creteria of abling to describe its city character in the coastal region. They are broadly ranged of global or local, primitives or advance, to seek its involving bluespace to inform later design forces.

Helicopter photos [Bartlett(1998)] Barlett, Magnus & Kasyan, Over Hong Kong, HK:Odyssey Publications, Ltd, 1998

COASTAL SCENARIOS 01 GLOBAL BUSINESS HUB = IFC CENTRAL

iconic structures

piers to outleting islands

traffic hub

SHOP

elevated networks consumption n traffic

INTL PEOPLE CONNECTIONS projecting linear pocket

The global business hub is typically set on coastal city. Tall structures are erected as visual exposure and advertises the corporate images of specific investment company and shows pride to the important location. Elevated network of footbridges efficiently bring people from the city metro to the sea. Piers to and from outleting islands are mostly communting point to corporate head for holidays except for business conference by the airport. The overall ground is vechicular dorminant, with different means of passenger transport. The highly air-conditioned towers and inward-looking shopping malls provides sufficient indoor space for people to enjoy seaview rather than engaged to the exposed ground of harbourfront area. Car park, bus stop and ferry piers are circulation nodes to the rest of the shores.

01 GLOBAL BUSINESS HUB = IFC CENTRAL flow

programme

link to airport fingers to islands web as terminus

highway-dorminated

pier, ventilation building, car park, office-tower, mid-level housing

dorminating bluespace

piers

maritime highway

COASTAL SCENARIOS 02 LOCAL LIVING HUB = NORTH POINT

medium quality living

quality public space

WORKING PEOPLE TRANSPORT spined and hub living to other coastal region fabric extension by reclamation

the local living hub is centered to the vechicular spine and neighbourhood scale street. Tall residential towers and block buildings are multiplying the viewing outward opportunities. Away from a lot to the harbourfront, piers forms the left and right wing of the square where bus stop or terminus are usually serving an open ground. There situated the nodes for citizen to wait and gather for social activities either locally or going to other shore. The 2 piers are important to the mostly residential district as a point of departure to go to Kowloon to work, especially in the 70s , when industrial buildings and secondary production are common. The piers extend its programme where fresh food and convenience store are inserted. The harbourfront here is a daily harbourfront , with peak hours in the morning and in the afternoon.

02 LOCAL LIVING HUB = NORTH POINT flow

programme

spine to neighbouring district enclaves to opposite shore grid spreads

pier, street market, retail, apartment housing, office tower

street dorminated

dorminating bluespace

piers

waterfront squares

COASTAL SCENARIOS 03 INDUSTRIAL WORKING TOWN = MA TAU WAI

flow of goods production

INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIAL LOGISTICS industrial fabric polifereation, inner harbour to stablize abording goods to and from ship

the industrial town relies on heavily maritime transport in coastal cargo working area for depot of raw materials or re-proecessing materials. The fabric is defined by a straight and wide way for vechicular transportation. Upon each buildings share little frontages of the whole spine and no sea view preference is made. The nearby-gas station also set near to water for water supply as coolent and other chemical processes. The no. of storey of the overall fabric is 7-8 without the installation of expensive lift. The factory cubicles are ventilated naturally by balcony and mechanical fans. Provision Car parking spaces at basement are rare due to maximization of economic value to build as quick as possible.

flow

programme

dead-end spine straight edge dock to container port

storage house, factories, dormintary, [cattle depot], apartment housing

roads-dorminated

dorminating bluespace

beached vessels

COASTAL SCENARIOS 04 CONTAINER PORT = KWAI CHUNG

flow of goods logistics bay

BATCHING PROCESSING OF GOODS extensive flatland

the overall cargo-terminals are laid out in no man land, where there is extensive flatland for reclamation and expansion. The intensive infrastructural network of highways serve the purpose of loading and unloading by 24/7 containers transport drivers. Nearby telcommunication tower, navigation control watchhouse and largest warehouses in the world are built for supporting the large cargo terminals. As cradles are mobile but heavy mechanical structures, they are mostly set invisible to the centre of the city and is located strategically at peripherals. The overall large pocket square of water actually aiming at wharf workshop and repairing and other starting off, drop by facilities. The containers are standardized in size and the overall layout are structure in grid xy system to maximize its efficiency.

flow

programme

bypass to different districts straight pocket to opposite shore irregular mesh

cradles, good-processing, storage houses, communication tower, vacant land for expansion, watch towers,

bypass-dorminated dorminating bluespace

containers

beached vessels

COASTAL SCENARIOS 05 RESORT-LIKE LUXURIOUS LIVING = MARINA COVE

quality living

quality living leisure public realm private enjoyment

PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF WATER ameoba island

the ownership of yatch and marina is private to only the top few portion of wealth in Hong Kong. the heavily gated, managed and secured homeland to the wealth provides rich enviornment to nature. it is intimate to large greenaries and maritime space. Coastline is defined to serve a maximium of houses to engage with water from its privateyard.

A central restaurant and clubbing facilities are made as visual orientation and visitor focus. The overall blockwalk and floating perception is enhanced by water waves.

flow

programme

sea-side garden frontages dock grid ameoba-like spine

private garden, villas, clubhouse, restaurants

driveway-dorminated

dorminating bluespace

fleers at anchors

dock/canals

COASTAL SCENARIOS 06 CITY BACKEND SERVICES = ABERDEEN END

isolation water

AWAY FROM OTHER ACTIVITIES FROM CITY deadend corner reclamation

the water treatment facilities are set to be the deadend of city, where there is no public use. the isolation strategy provides dedicated driveway and security to the area. further reclamation is possible for expansion and water is available for reprocessing and decontamination

flow

programme

dedicated driveway

road-dorminated dorminating bluespace

oil tanks, incinerators, pump stations, water treatment units

COASTAL SCENARIOS 07 CIVIC OPEN SPACE = 90S CENTRAL

$$

monuments monuments quality public space flow of people

OPEN VIEW AND CIVIC REALM opensquare axis per to coastline and monuments

the strong axis of landscape and open ground, opens up waterfront square and piazza to the harbourfront. with different rings of building and strong frontality of HSBC, the plaza is made centrally static and sea-directionally forwarded. it attracts public and promote civic realm , as both a place and a visual image. the reclamation project further set the axis into multiple waterfronts and enscribing inner water , in contrast to the further sea view

flow

programme

spine to neighbouring district

piers, civic hall, library, exhibition gallery, squares, legistlative council, office towers

enclaves to opposite shore grid spreads

road-dominated

dorminating bluespace

piers & jetties

waterfront squares

COASTAL SCENARIOS 08 LEISURE BEACHES = STANLEY

quality living

enjoyment

quality living villa

WATER LEISURE AND OPEN VIEW naturally-formed sandbeach

flow

programme

floating docks, boating storage, water activities centre, shopping mall, hotel, restaurants, resort villa

straight spine and hilly roads edgy coast to sea voyages

lane-dominated dorminating bluespace

beaches

harbour areana

COASTAL SCENARIOS 09 INTL EXHIBITION CENTRE = WANCHAI

$$

quality working $ recognizable icons

info

flow of people

FORM-MAKING FOR INTL MEETING PLACE protruding artificial pennisula

the gigantic huge structure are visible from all angles as it sits on the protruding ground of the artificially reclaimed pennisula. pier and harbourfront square is made to enhance the viewing experience. the overground connections is building an gradual experience of openness, from the high density city to the relatively low structure and exposed sea. as it serves as a landmark , the nearby buildings become more charged by pedestrian as it could be easier to recognize , by spatially relative to the landmark.

flow

programme

mtr to neighbouring district

exhibition centre, piers, piazza, office towers, apartment towers

side-piers + piazza sea-side driveway

driveway-dorminated

dorminating bluespace

piers and jetties

waterfront squares

COASTAL SCENARIOS 10 FISHING VILLAGE = ABERDEEN [LITTLE HK]

handy construction fish habitat public shelter easy anchorage

FREQUENT INTER-WATER-LAND ACCESS narrow embracing edgy shelter

flow

programme

waterway + organic dock grid surrounding by-pass

waterway, shelter, storage houses, apartment towers

waterway-dorminated

dorminating bluespace

canals/dock

fleers at anchors

HISTORY OF HARBOUR

Sea Port Village Majorities live in Venacular Ships, Harbour as shelter area to house the ships at night or rest time.

coastal settlement

1842

DORMINANT EDGE navigation channel and shelter for all kinds of vessels

FISHERMAN’S VILLAGE

Establishment of Sea-port Trading 1840 Opium War made HK becomes British Colony as HK has a safe deep harbour for further operation 1842 HK marked a significant military and commercial coup.

Maritime trading activity secured in safe harbour 1867 first court case of Harbour reclamation at Central where government reclamation project faltered.

1922 Continous growth of Cargo trade, with majority of opium trade ENTREPOT FOR OPIUM AND OTHER GOODS dockland DORMINANT EDGE storage and transport port

Opium War

Typhoon Shelter

HISTORY OF HARBOUR 1946 Reclamation to Support Post War Economy Take Off Economic development = Manufacturing Industries industries: North Point, Kwun Tong, Cheung Sha Wan and Tsuen Wan Infrastructure: Kai Tak Runway extension, Cargo Terminal Housing and Recreation:Victoria Park, Cheung Sha Wan New Town Development: Shatin-Ma On Sha, Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan-Kwai Ching, Tai Po, Junk Bay

In 1951, the outbreak of the Korean War triggered a US embargo on goods originating from China.The embargo had a serious impact on Hong Kong's entrep么t trade, which plummeted from HK$1.61 billion in 1951 to HK$520 million in 1952.This triggers HK to develop its own industry.

MANUFACTURING CENTRE FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL GOODS

Docks and Wharf Renewals Tai Koo Shing Docks and Hum Hom Docks North Point Power Station Wharf on Western side of Kowloon 1969 Sealand lauched its first container shipping service to Hong Kong which replace typical fully-fledged deepwater container handling port in Victoria Harbour.

infasturctural hubs DORMINANT EDGE work | live infrastructural hubs

Cargo Terminals at Whampoo Dockyard

Cargo Working Area work | live intermodals cross harbour hubs

HISTORY OF HARBOUR 1986

1986-1996 Reclamation to Restructure Economy to Service Industry Residential Development Tseun Wan , Tsing Yi Bay, Tseung Kwan O Ph 2, Hung Hom Bay Economic Development Industrial Development: Tai Po Industrial Estates Infrastructure: Kwai Chung Container Terminal 6,7,8, Tap Shek Kok Castle Peak Power Station, Lamma Power Station Infrastrcture for New Service Economy

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE

focus from New Towns to strategic development in Harbour (Territorial Development Strategy 1980-1984) relocate air port and Harbour reclamation to accomodate population growth in Study on Harbour Reclamation and Urban Growth (1981-83) reclamation of New AIrport and its infrastructural linkages to main urban area in Port and Airport Development Strategy (1988-89) renew old area by provide solution spaces on reclamation in Metroplan (1990-91)

1994 Habour Area Treatment Scheme launched landmark & icon DORMINANT EDGE corporate offices

HKCEC at Wan Chai Union Square

Shun Tak, Regional Frieght Cargo Terminals at Kwai Chung

HISTORY OF HARBOUR 1997

HKSAR Handover

1997-2009 Objection to Reclamation and Densification of Waterfront Areas 1995 Society for Protection of Harbour Ltd Established 1996 17000 Citizens agreed to the Proposed Protection of Harbour Ordinance 1997 Enactment of the Protection of Harbour Ordinance Reclamation of Green Island, Kai Tak rejected 1998 Protest against Kai Tak and Tamar Reclaimation Lawsuit against Wan Chai North and Central Reclaimation 1999 amendment of the Protection of Harbour Ordinance 2003 Citizen Envisiong @ Harbour established 2004 Harbour-front Enhancement Committee established Lawsuit against Wan Chai North Reclaimation Govt faltered 2005 Lawsuit against Central Reclaimation Govt Win First Annual Harbour Day launched 2008 96 Stories Harbour City new plans approved 70 storeies New World Centre approved Height Restrictions protests for a better Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Cruise Terminal “Diamond Princess” no place for Victoria Harbour Govt Declaration on “No more Reclamation” within Victoria Harbour

tourism & entertainment DORMINANT EDGE park and landscape

Protection of Harbour Ordinance (Cap. 531) "3. Presumption against reclamation of the harbour (1) The harbour is to be protected and preserved as a special public asset and a natural heritage of Hong Kong people, and for that purpose there shall be a presumption against reclamation of the harbour.

(2) All public officers and public bodies shall have regard to the principle stated in subsection (1) for guidance in the exercise of any powers vested in them". “… the purpose and extent of each proposed reclamation ought to be individually assessed by reference to the three tests of (1) compelling overriding and present need, (2) no viable alternative and (3) minimum impairment”.

(Court of Final Appeal, 2004)

?

MAPPING HARBOUR- PROGRAMMES

MAPPING HARBOUR- FLOWS

MAPPING HARBOUR- OPEN SPACE

MAPPING HARBOUR- PUBLIC AMENITIES

DEFINITION [Riverscape] A riverscape or river landscape comprises the features of the landscape which can be found along a river. Along the upper course of a river, these include: Waterfall, Gorge Along the lower course of a river, these include: Meander, Oxbow lake, Flood plain, Leveem, River delta

kln.pp

Topo

Cliff

bay,quay

scape Land

FFabric abri abric b ic

DEAD.END A D INTERFACING N

ht htide

littoral.littoral l ltide

Proposed dV Victoria Harbour Loo Loop Lo oop

reclamation re e m

Fabric/Landscape ric/Landscape

hk..i

land to o seaa filter e

land la nd

interface e a e

Fabric ri

[Littoral Society] a community extending inward from the coast with porous frontiers acting as filters through which the salt of the sea is gradually replaced by the silt of the land

hub port

land-sea edge

[Littoral] locations proximate to the seashore

.waterfront.waterfront

channel

marine rin coastal coasta

Research Scope

spine sp spin pine

highway i ig ay

Key Interfaces of land.sea Obstacles, Hindrance, Gradation

WATERBODY POCKET

Sydney

HARBOUR

Vancouver

Amesterdam

NETWORK

Venice

FINGERS

WATERWAYS

HARBOUR

CANALS

Bilbao

Genoa

ISLAND

PROMENADES

RIVER

PORT

RIVER

Shanghai RIVER

Hong Kong BAYS/ISLAND HARBOUR WATERWAYS LEFT-OVER VOID THERE’RE ONLY FEW HARBOUR IN THE WORLD

EDGE OF CITY As edge of city, how could harbourfront be theorized in relation to city? [edge could become interface] Edges are the linear elements not used or considered as paths by the overserver. They are the boundaries between two phases, linear breaks in continunity: shores, railroads, cuts, edges of developments, walls.They are lateral references rather than co-ordinate axes. Such edges may be barriers, more or less penetrable, which close one region off from another, or they may be seams. Lines along which two regions are related are joined together. [Lynch(1960)]

[waterfront as edge] the edginess of the city are places of liberation in terms of form, space, geomtertries and materiality, it constructs urban character.

[infrastructural exchanges] infrastructural exchange activates intensity of city, in terms of density. it doesn’t serve as a typical-front-back of architecture, instead it is an architecture without deadends , a condensor of activities permeable to different polarities of the city [Description of Rem Koolhaus Belief, Gust(1999)]

[boundary] boundary will activate the differences, and flow of exchanges, of people, goods and services and also communication due to maringal differences [Nan(2006)]

Lynch, Kelvin. Image of City. US: MIT Press 1960 Gust, Ghent. Urban Study Team. The Urban Condition: Space, Community and Self in the Contemporary Metropolis, The Netherland: 010 Publishers 1999 Nan, Ellin. Integral Urbanism US: Routledge 2006

Scope: Housing, Energy, Parks, Waterfront and Beaches, Infrastructure, City Life

Energy Island

Seaview Galore

Tower Revolution

Sky Corridor

Walkable Networks v Better Accessiblities

Void Social Waterfront v More Active Programmes

x Socially Inactive x Purly Functional ... Mixed Programme | Work ... Linked to Islands, Port

Perforated Harbour View v Better Inland Open View

Void to Receive Sunlight No Energy Energy Better Sustainable Energy

[Floating Objects] Exposed Water Resources

Blocked Harbour View

Spacious Open View

[New Residential Type Replacement] ? Blocked View x Massive Scale x Heavy Ground Shading ... Perforated Roof

Residential Waterfront

[Public Programme Extension] x Small Social Footprint ? Monolithic Residential Coast x High Land Value on Up ... Linked Social Building

Disconnected Plot

Disjunction

x Urban Privacy [Sky Coastlink] ? Disconnected Pencil Tower ... Common Second Ground

[Method] attitudes towards harbour ? urban issue v/x urban impact ...apprasials

Visions on HK (Hong Kong Power,The Why Factory, 2008)

HK Strategy

HK Bridge

HK Waterfall

HK Dams

Green Intensifier

x Disturbance to Sea Channel x Ecology ... Better Location/Orientation

Central Focus | Vista v More Tourist Value v Better Sense of Belongings v Better Marine Engagement

Void

x Disturbance to Sea Channel x Ecology ... Better Location/Orientation

Programmatic Central BG Wetland More Open Green, Better Ecology Better Central City Life

x Heavy Artificial Nature x Disturbance to Sea Channel ... Perforated Green/Blue

Programmatic Green More views to waterfront More Active Green

x Heavy Artificial Nature ... Programmatic Landscape Mass

Inactive Marine Void

Active Marine Space Better Intercoastal Linkages Better Marine Engagement

Marine Activities

[Programmatic Links] ? Disjunction between Islands ? Inactive Marine Void

Vacant Blue Void

[Speculative Image , Water Feature] ? Lack of Focus in the Harbour

Vacant Blue Void

Infillable Void

Green Backdrops

[Continuous Territories] ? Lack of Inner City Green

Open View

[Raising Landscapes] ? Inactive Green Backdrops

GUIDELINES FOR A SUSTAINABLE HONG KONG HARBOUR

A1.1_Provide_Public_Access_through_All_Corridors

A1.2_Promote_Pedrestrian_Choice_of_Access

A1.3_Accomodate_Slow_Calm_VAcess_to_Waterfront

A1.4_Visual_Anchors_to_Guide_Pedrestrians_to_Waterfron

A1.5_Ensure_High_Frequency_of_Access_Corridors_along

A1.6_Ensure_Connectivities_to_Public_Transportation

A1.7_Improved_Access_from_the_sea

A2.1_Take_Advantage_of_Openess_for_Waterfront_Actviti

A2.2_Encourage_Uses_that_Maintain_activity_throuhgot_D

A2.3_Ensure_a_sense_of_security

A2.4_Ensure_Access_for_All_user_group

A3.1_Ensure_a_connected_promenade

A3.2_Provide_Diversity_of_Promenade_Character

A3.3_Encourage_Access_to_the_waterfront

A3.4_Activate_Promenade_edges

A3.5_Avoid_interruptions_to_the_Promenade

A3.6_protect_human_scale_of_waterfront_experience

A3.7_Vary_setback_of_buildings_according_to_uses

Retrived from http://www.harbourbusinessforum.com/en-us/page/show/ report_sustainable

GUIDELINES FOR A SUSTAINABLE HONG KONG HARBOUR B1.1_encourage_activiteis_derive_special_value_from_suc

B1.2_provide_public_oriented_inrafrastructure_that_suppo

B1.4_create_visual_stimulation_on_waterfront

B2.2_harbur_wide_contribution_toHKimage

B2.4_protect_view_to_the_ridgelines

B1.5_ensure_that_water_related_uses_maintain_direct_ac

B2.5_create_unique_water_address

B2.5_create_unique_water_address_a

B2.6_reflect_district_identity_with_compatible_uses_and_

Retrived from http://www.harbourbusinessforum.com/en-us/page/show/ report_sustainable

B3.1_creating_multi-vist_destinations

B3.2_locate_special_land_uses_to_minimize_required_infr

B3.3_balance_identity_of_districts

GUIDELINES FOR A SUSTAINABLE HONG KONG HARBOUR

E1.1_demand_high_qaulity_design

E1.2_distinguish_districts_with_focal_landmark

E1.3_capture_and_enhance_geographic_heritage

E1.4_complement_neighbouring_districts

E1.5_infuse_histroci_presevation_and_reuse

E1.6_rehabilitate_natural_and_native_shoreline

E1.8_protect_harbour_from_runoff

E2.1_minmize_infrastructure_and_utilixzies_on_waterfront

E2.2_reduce_vehicular_traffic_at_waterfront

E2.3_encourage_narrow_roadway_designs

E2.4_decreate_the_protportion_of_hardscape_on_waterfro

E2.5_downplay_the_built_enviornment_at_wateredge

E2.6_avoid_elevatedroads, tunnels that ventilate

E2.7_hide_visual_blight

E3.1_extend_sense_of_harbour_into_district

E3.2_concentrate_buildings_of_similar_heights_in)clusters

E3.3_ensure_frequent_and_spacious_street_level_views

E3.4_protect_existing_views_of_open_water_for_line_distri

E3.5_openess_and_sense_of_escape

E3.6_reinforce_harbour_facade_character_as_frames

Retrived from http://www.harbourbusinessforum.com/en-us/page/show/ report_sustainable

DESIGN RESOLUTION Shore Transformation | Barcelona

Morphological Reconfiguration Olympic Village as extension of Avingua Carles 20ha with 1200 dwellings.

1/3 affordable housing A marina and 2 flagship buildings.

Maxi-block system with reference to urban morphology in Eixample

5 Street Blocks near Poblenou Passeig del Taulat street as old and new transition along 5 street blocks on the waterfront replaced abondoned factories 1/3 affordable housing different types of open street blocks with communal landscaped space in the interior of the block.

Housing taken Initial form of Eixample

port began to expand in west; construction of railway along coast in 19th century further attracted industry, cutting city from water Diagonal-Mar 30ha industrial site replaced by Inward-looking shopping centre using Open city patterns,, Apartment blocks around a large park.

Meeting places, recreation and leisure, Forum of Cultures 2004 - 1/2 months event

DESIGN RESOLUTION

Infrastructure

Shore Transformation | Barcelona

-sunkening traffic and carparking space to underground - change railway line to inland from coast - 5km urban beaches, protected by waterbreakers that adopt modular system of Cerdas’ grid.

- new access of private mobility and public transport. by completing streets and avenues in this sector, such as the Diagonals and Avinguda Icaria.

a

b

c

DESIGN PHASE

SITE SELECTION Selected from old fabric-dorminant western part of Hong Kong Island, the subject site would have effective distance to intervere its public social programmes together with harbourfront open spaces.

HARBOURFRONT. CITY. WATER | three are separated without integration

SITE CONDITIONS

ISLANDS

CONTAINER PORT

MARITIME HIGHWAY

[

HA RB OU R

]

POTENTIAL OPENNESS monotonous residential tower vs long frontage of “logistic waterfront”

INPENETRABLE BLUE the high speed vechicular by-pass flow obstructed accessibility to/from waterfront from its penpendicular street

ENSCRIBED VIEW 3 Scales of Maritime Space can be perceived in the subject site

VECHICULAR BOOTLENECK the outflow of by-pass vechicles from/to Western Harbour Tunnel forms a bottleneck on the surface 2-lane road network near the coast

SITE CONDITIONS

FRAGMENTED PARCELS

NODES

the different parcel of land are fragmented. harbourfront could then be an area to re-integrate them through enhanced walkabilities

?

WALKABLE RINGS

walkable distance from nodes are overlapped where the slightly western part of the coast could serve better accessibility to continue the rings

the future mtr are on 2 side of the subject site. On the eastern side axis to sea, nodes could be finely integrated better with the furture MTR and near-by social centre

SITE CONDITIONS COMMUNITY POLLS The public community poll shows that biking is the most desirable activities along waterfront. There is a long vancancy for public activities, except for the current bus stop. Poor to fair satisfaction are shown to different current harbourfront spaces.

[Source from Central and Western District Council] 「城西海濱重塑」計劃 , http://mcskcc.caritas.org.hk/ public/modules/service/service.asp [Date: 4 Oct 2009]

RATIONALES

CROSS VIEW

FRONTINGS OF OPEN SPACE

The masses of social programmes are set back to the city side. The accessible inclinded roof provides viewing platform viewing the adhoc maritime viewing space.

The bluespace type of harbour areana is achieved by utilization of exposed view.

The street frontages are continous to the harbourfront area to create city-side plaza.

The long frontage facing sea side are defined with adjacent left and right rings to create waterfront square Thus, there are strong directions of city-facing | water-facing open space along harbourfront area

RATIONALES

CONNECTION DIRECTLY TO SEA

STACKING FLOWS

Direct connection is made by decking in variable width. This decking provides soft and touchy scale walkable path and frames directly the maritime space. To redefine the edge in light and flexible construction, piling to sea bed or floating mechanism are made. As the connective deck on outer sea, the walking sequence from city to water follows by the enhancement of viewing experience back to city again in the maritime area. Thus, the U-turn provides visual loop of open sea or open land space.

The capsulated volume aggregate different speeds of flow and forms of flow (bypass or direct access). By stacking high speed flow on the bottom and slower on the top, a slow-pace of meandering space is archieved. Loop by traffic of bus-stop and car-park are made at basement to faciliate daily use, access and view of the harbourfront space. The mass below the accessible decking level are all flowing space, with less-defined programmes.

SITE RESPONSE the land extension to sea is defined centered to the grid-intersection node on the west and the large object of Belcher’s Garden on the right. the extensiveness is according to height to open ground depth ratio, such that the deck protrude more seaward on the east than on the west. the tree in existing gated park would be kept as much as complementary greenaries to the density the nearby.

DENSITY

COMPLEMENTARY OPEN SPACE INSCRIBING WATER

XL

ol

s

schools

PROGRAMME BEND

living

al mm un co

al mm un co

ho

living

M

ind

living

sc

ho

ol

ail

sc

living

s

t re

living living

ail

ind

t re

living

ind living

services

s

ind living

services

the programme bend of the area are mainly living and occassionally industrial on the west . principally harbourfront area are complimentary and supportive in terms of use, to conflict of interest, there is no living , private education and industries are proposed in the subject site. In the large green open space, only 2 penetratable programmes are introduced, they are communal westward and retail eastward. The scale of capsulated mass are defined by its programme. For instance, communal programmes need scattered small mass than one big enviornmental controlled indoor (which is typically retail)..

living

schools

PROGRAMME MASS AS GREEN ACTIVATOR the high capacity pedestrian flow of long street defines the more openings of the enveloped form, grid intersecting-flow are further open space and activefront suggestive for various on ground shop-house-like programme to occur

PEDESTRIAN FLOW

ACTIVE FRONT CONTINUATION

SITE RESPONSE

DROP-OFF

ASS BYP WAY

SUB

LIGHT CONES CAR PARK

BUS STOPS

VECHICULAR TRAFFIC

the vechicular bottleneck by high speed by-pass traffic eastward is resolved by additional bypass tunnels underneath. the underground tunnel curve is defined by infrastructural spatial requirement, with sufficient distance away from city and the sea edge, around at the mid ridge of the overall harbourfront area. on top of it, additional carparking, bus stop and lay-by area are provided at basement , the three location is adjusted to the adjacency of the underground tunnel to make one integrative stacking construction possible. the harbourfront area is made with minimal highspeed and by-pass access. therefore, majority of vehicle traffic is sunken to ground, remaining pedestrian traffic flow on top

SUNKEN BYPASS TRAFFIC

the new harbourfront area is peceived as one multiple-level of green space. in existing fabric, the geenaries are defined mainly on skygarden level. by using the stacking of accessible roof of the capsulated mass, it is hoped a connective green relationship is achieved across fabric to either continue visual experience or provide complimentary relaxing spaces

GREENARIES LEVEL

VIEWING DECK AS INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF GREEN

OVERALL STRATEGY ay ighw ig Ɵng h

air deck level

eelevated dp programs rro ogr g am gr amss

cultural performance c centre ce t

underground g level 1

ŇoaƟng Ň oaƟng hig highway -----------highw ---- -------------------------------------------- -- undergoound highway

gground level

sport spor sp ortt facility or faaci c lility ty ccentre e tree en

communal co om o mmun mm una un nal hall hall ped est rian dec k

carpark carpark buss staƟon staƟ st ttaƟ Ɵo o on

underground g level 2

un de rgr ou nd hig hw ay

RESULTANT STRATEGY GREENERIES AND MARITIME

the open space are strategically polar to either sea or city , where an meandering path is provided to go across different spaces. long frontage of green buffer are generally applied to area with high vehicular flow but low pedestrian traffic, lawn are strategically as central structure. the overall bluespace is made to differentiated to depth, direction and use as waterfront promenade, blue trails (with the same level of water) and harbour arena (with centrality to water). harbourfront square is made to match its silence atmosphere in contrast to cityside greenaries.

HARBOUR ARENA

WATERFRONT PROMENADE PIAZZA

WATERFRONT SQUARE

BLUE TRAILS

CITY EDGE LAWN

ENTRANCE PIAZZA

WATERSIDE LAWN

CITYSIDE GREENERIES

GREEN BUFFER

LAWN

RESULTANT STRATEGY FLOW REORGANIZATION

the flow is strategically reorganized from highspeed to slow speed. additional bikeway is made on the water edge together with the bicycle park greeneries pathway are made as visual anchor immediately after the arrival hall of bus stop and car parks for both daily commuters and visitors bypass traffic is sunken to the midway vechicular bypassway

local car road occassional boating is possible on the western tramway edge of the harbour arena walkway

bicycle pattern is intended to make to and the circulation green arrivalmaking the region as a long from harbourfront blue access staying where arrival and departure could be in infinite set of circuit , such that it is a region of daily come-across

vechicular bypassway local car road tramway walkway bicycle green arrival blue access

RESULTANT STRATEGY

ACTIVE FRONT

FRONTAGES, BOUNDARY AND ENVELOPS

ENCLOSED ENVELOPE

what is of highest value of the fabric to the city is active frontages as it composes street and would accomodate diversity of social activities to occur. it also formulates the basic core element of the ACTIVEdistrict.

FRONT basic neighbourhood

STRONG BOUNDARY

ENCLOSED ENVELOPE

the capsulated mass proposal tries to provide frontages outward as possible and seaward STRONG BOUNDARY boundary to frame the open maritime spaces, internal couryard and greenaries is made as welcoming entrance half-shaded entrance area. the boundary is directionally important to subdivide the site into seaward and cityward direction on different greenaries themes

PLAN 10

20

40m

PLAN 10

20

40m

SECTION AA the section shows a non-topographical stacking approach of integrating bus-stop and highway underneath the earth.. The core structure is set to form a long landscape street and harbourfront square. the elevated programme is made to set to the cityside where viewing deck are open to the seaside.

A

A

10

victoria harbour

waterfront walkway and waterplay area

sand beach

tram track communal hall complex with integrated bus station pedestrianized area underground highway

public plaza green buffer zone

nearby-residential towers

20

40m

SECTION BB the section shows a topographical stacking approach at the immdiate entrance of the infrastructure. the bluespace is pushed beyond the land edge much further to produce sufficient height and open space depth ratio brought by surrounding buildings. the mass is larger with swimming pool elevated on top and car park halfly sunken to the ground

B

B

10

amphitheatre and harbour arena

waterfront walkway

swimming pool open viewing deck shopping mall underground highway

huge staircase connect city and waterfront with skygarden connections

belcher garden shopping mall and residential complex

20

40m

A

A

SECTION AA(PARTIAL)

0

5

10

20m

LONG SECTION

SECTION across underground highway

SECTION across underground highway

entrance entra ent ntrance ance ce de deck

GF PLAN (+5.0mpD) 1:500

corner store

void d to t underground gro ou u traaĸ aĸc ĸc

entrance ent ntraance cee piazza pia za

shop front

eexh hibiƟon wall

waterside square

water front plaza

ront eet f e str acƟv

internal courtyard verandah

1F PLAN (+10.0mpD) 1:500

exhibiĆ&#x;on walll

event space semi-covered viewing n plaĆžorm bicycle parking

l ica atr the e p slo

e ycl ram

tai-ch i

p

/ dan ce are a

bic

bicycle roof viewing deck

ramp

HARBOUR ARENA

ELEVATED DECK

WATERFRONT SQUARE

MODEL DEVELOPMENT

MODEL DEVELOPMENT

MODEL DEVELOPMENT

MODEL PHOTOS

harbourfront piazza

entrance

sunken bus stop

underground highway

outdoor dining room

landscape street