Present: To Exist, To be Given, To be Introduced

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, School of Architecture, Hong Kong

Project idea

The idea of this project is as the name for the sports center suggests, a present for the community. As I interpret the idea of a present as something mysterious and thoughtful, the design tries to incorporate a spacious outdoor park and connect it with the community through a path in between the building.

The design is the result of questioning the shape and form it should exist on the site (To Exist), the implementation of the element of surprise through its circulation and experience (To be given), and the way it should be introduced into the community with its facade and structure (To be Introduced).

Project description

The project is a sports center located in Sau Kei Wan, a small residential district in Hong Kong. The site itself is originally a disused quarry, where the excavation of minerals left behind a sheer cliff and a flat piece of land hidden away from plain sight. The concept of this project is to minimize the footprint of the sports center so that the secluded site could be transformed into a park with tranquility which a residential district desperately needs. A path is carved out between the building connecting the main street to the forgotten space behind, where the experience walking through the path would be surprising and welcoming. The element of surprise continues with the facade of the sports center where it provides no hints of what is inside the building, encouraging visitors to enter the sports hall.

Technical information

The form of the building resembles a simple light-box (translucent rectilinear box) sitting on top of an undisturbed landscape (opaque curvilinear plinth). The plinth's facade is composed of various sized granite tiles mounted on metal brackets along the walls, resembling the roughness and sturdiness of a landscape that would suggest. The box above is constructed with a double-skin facade made out of etched glass and marble panels. A ventilated facade is introduced to reduce the heat inside the sports center.