Harbour City Ocean Terminal by Ark Associates Limited: 2018 Best of Year Winner for Transportation
Shopping is serious business in Hong Kong. So are views of Victoria Harbour, as oceangoing cruise ships come in to dock. All this has coalesced on the Kowloon side of the water, at a luxury shopping mall combined with a cruise ship terminus. It recently expanded with architecture by Foster + Partners—which won acclaim 20 years ago for Hong Kong International Airport—and interiors by Ark Associates Limited director William Liu. Ticketing, immigration, and customs take place on the lowest level, while the three levels above offer retail and food-and-beverage venues.
Seafaring vessels gave Liu his cues for the project, encompassing 54,000 square feet. “To echo a nautical theme, forms and details are smooth and streamlined,” he explains. That translates into undulating ceilings that softly diffuse LED lighting. Also contributing to the airy atmosphere are the white surfaces of the central atrium. Contrast comes from fluted walls of pearl gray and white glass, laminated together, and durable flooring in dark gray reconstituted stone. And there must be shimmer, of course. Mirror, stainless steel, and aluminum fit that bill, making a cruise through the building a truly first-class experience.
Project Team: Sean Lai; Paul Yip; Jennifer Chun.
> See more Best of Year Project Winners from the December 2018 issue of Interior Design