AIA Hong Kong’s first building tour of the year will feature Bing Thom Architect’s University of Chicago Center in Hong Kong, soon to be the University’s new Asian hub and home to its renowned Booth School of Business.
The Pok Fu Lam site includes the historic remnants of a military detention center and features an abundance of greenery with panoramic views of Hong Kong Harbour. The design mandate was to respect both the heritage buildings and the natural landscape. Inspired by the magnificent views, steep topography, and memories of the past, the resulting design carefully weaves the academic program into the challenging site, touching down only at points of least intrusion and bridging across and connecting the scattered heritage blocks to create an environment that unifies old and new, natural and man-made. The sensuous building form, accentuated by generous glazing and rhythmic sun screens, pays respect to the scale of the foliage and serves as a light foil to the memory laden heritage buildings.
http://bingthomarchitects.com/project/university-of-chicago-center-in-hong-kong/
The tour will precede our Chapter’s First Quarterly Meeting on February 13 (Monday). Speakers from Bing Thom Architects, the University of Chicago, and the HK Antiquities Advisory Board will share the design of this remarkable building and discuss the intersection between global institutional architecture and local heritage sites. Event details and registration here.
The tour will be led by Francis Yan, Managing Director of Bing Thom Architects Hong Kong office, and Gavin Tun, Director of Design & Project Management of the University of Chicago.
Acknowledgement
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