The HUB ("Hovering Urbanely Beyond")

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

Project idea

Like a mirror, the Shing Mun River is a very calm waterway. The project aims to create a lively form which adds dynamic onto the river, while maintaining its atmosphere with a sculptural form massing which visually looks light and flows gently, softly, and harmoniously across the river.

The project does not only target to serve the office users, but also the Shatin community. It consists of a main office block, and a pedestrian bridge that carries a bookshop cafe and a market inside, which are intersecting with each other. The orientation of the office block provides visual linkage to the Shatin commercial hub by continuing its network on plan, while the pedestrian bridge is oriented to join up the open space on the other side of the river, across the Tai Chung Kiu Road, providing directional linkage which aims to improve the current pedestrian network.

Project description

The bridge-building hovers urbanely beyond the Shing Mun River in Shatin, Hong Kong.

As an office building, the site is selected at the central commercial area of Shatin district - adjoining the Shatin City Hall and New Town Plaza, allowing the new office hub to join Shatin commercial hub and the transport network. It replaces the original Lek Yuen Bridge.

The pedestrian bridge passes though the office block, allowing the office building to be divided into two wings. The office block aims to serve a large organisation or service sector, where the offices and working spaces are on one wing; and the other wing serves for the Corperate Social Responsibility (CSR), by providing teaching and learning spaces about the organisation to the Shatin community.

Technical information

A perfect arch is used as the main structure for both the office building and the pedestrian bridge. It ensures that no vertical supports that touches the water are needed, allowing the building to flow visually above the river. The curvy and twisted form further reinforce the gentle and soft sculptural effect, and enhances the building’s visual lightness.