Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
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.
Project Credits:
Structural Engineer: Victoria Janssens, Christoph Tritschler, BuroHappold Engineering; Simon Pickard
Roof Cladding Consultant: Evan Levelle, Front Inc.
Photography: Xu Liang Leon, Kris Provoost
Team: Evelyn Ting, Paul Tse, Julian Wong