West Kowloon Pavilion by New Office Works

The architectural practice based in Hong Kong and New York New Office Works is excited to have been awarded 1st prize out of 320 entries in the Hong Kong Young Architects & Designers Competition. Looking forward to building the pavilion in the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Architect: New Office Works
Location: West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong
Year: 2017
Status: 1st Prize, Estimated Completion Autumn 2018
Team: Paul Tse Yi Pong, Evelyn Ting Huei Chung (New Office Works)
Structural Engineer: Victoria Janssens, Christoph Tritschler (BuroHappold Engineering)
Roof Cladding Consultant: Evan Levelle (Front Inc.)

From the architect: Just as the process of growing trees requires good soil, so the process of growing culture requires a strong foundation of collective memories of the city. Growing Up captures everyday elements fundamental to Hong Kong, embedding and cultivating them within the fabric of a soon-to-be major arts and cultural center. A large sloped roof is supported by a series of timber columns that, like the seedlings in the adjacent nursery park, grow from an intimate human scale to the harbor scale. A stepped landscape below, reminiscent of the city’s hilly topography, provides both seating and stage for different activities. Despite its simple volume, each angle of the pavilion reveals a different sense of porosity, materiality, and scale. The north and south elevations are characterized by transparency, the surrounding trees a seamless backdrop between the pavilion’s slender columns. However, as one moves around and the columns overlap in perspective, the pavilion edge becomes more solid and frames the waterfront view. The pavilion appears the most dense from the east, the structure of the steps forming an intricate screen to accentuate the transition from park to waterfront. In contrast, an open gathering space and distinct profile emerges from the harbor. The pavilion's multifaceted character truly reflects the rich diversity of Hong Kong.

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