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The KplusK vision for the West Kowloon Arts Pavilion.

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We have designed the building to generate not one but three distinct exhibition environments.

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The building is raised out of the ground to provide elevation across to the most dramatic skyline in the world, and to provide isolation from the activities along the coastline.

 

In doing so, we have created 800sq.m of intensely diverse exhibition and performance environments. The first bi-polarity within the South and North pavilions of the building, the second beneath the building, a hyper-urban, expansive and inclusionist zone to act as a counterpoint of the light filled, hyper controlled environments above.

 

Structurally, the building is cognisant of the poor soil conditions incumbent upon the site. By limiting the footprint of the building’s foundations we have designed a building in three sections, a concrete table or core, supporting two glass vitrines hanging in space. The structure for these dramatic cantilevers have been carefully calculated and constructed using machine welded castellated girders, in both the elevated floor and the roof structures. The Perimeter Girders are structurally connected via 12 No.  168mm dia steel tension ties in the outer corners of the frame. This acts to limit deflections and vibration (“R” values) of the floor to within acceptable levels(R Values of between 1.0 and 6.8 at the extreme corners) whilst creating a Fantastically light cantilevered structure.

 

The materials employed to construct are simply expressed and Essential in nature.

Brutal fair-faced concrete forms the “table”. The total Foundation footprint consists of two pile caps of 4.5 x 4.0 metres (36sq.m requiring mini-piles), supporting 480sqm GFA above it.

Castellated Steel girders as primary structure, expressed lightweight steel trusses support a saw-tooth roof, Profiled and insulated Aluminium deck for the roof by BHP, to maintain an extremely low profile, Cast “U” glass for the majority of the façade, installed in an inverted form (“U” facing out) with projecting  vertical aluminium blades at each joint to shield intense sun angles in the mornings and afternoon.

 

Hard, ground polished Concrete floors reflect an Acoustic Barrisol, translucent stretched ceiling for the south pavilion roof, and the soffit of the building, to create illuminant and projection planes for multi-media.

 

Angled, body tint low-e mirror glass for the southern window, angled at the correct degree to enable a full reflection of the opposite coastline for pedestrians on the waterfront promenade, and in doing so, bringing the two halves of Hong Kong together.

The building supports 90 Photovoltaic panels and two solar hot water panels on a saw tooth roof structure, Also enabling north light to infuse the two main exhibition zones, whilst being controlled with simple black out blinds.

 

As direct contrast to the simple geometric form of the exhibition pavilions, the Northern landscape rises to meet the 12metre opening façade of the building in a series of organically formed platforms, to engender spontaneous performance, viewing, relaxation and countless public interactions in an essential parkland. In this way, the third exhibition zone is formed.

 

The outcome is a durable, robust and honest composition that at once delights and confounds expectations.  A bright edifice on the Southern shoreline of Kowloon which our City can be justly proud of, and one which embodies the diverse, dialectical nature of Hong Kong.