West Kowloon Reclamation Architecture : Information

Hong Kong, China 2001 Tuncer Cakmakli Architects CONCEPT PLAN COMPETITION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED ARTS, CULTURAL AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AT THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION ARCHITECTURE IS EMBEDDED INTO THE LANDSCAPE IN THE FORM OF SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN CONSTRUCTIONS. IN THIS RESPECT, ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE IS INFLUENCED BY HUMAN CONTACT IN TERMS OF DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND ECONOMY. THAT IS, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS UNDERLAY PRONOUNCED CHANGES AND THESE CHANGES INFLUENCE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARCHITECT AND LANDSCAPE. NATURE AND HISTORY. THE SPECIFIC FORMATIONS OF LANDSCAPE DEVELOPS OUT OF NATURAL CONDITIONS AND TRANSFORMATION OF IT AS DICTATED BY MAN'S NEEDS, VALUES, IDEALS AND ERRORS. IN THIS TRANSFORMATION OF LAND INTO A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE IT MUST NONETHELESS BE PRESERVED; ECOLOGICAL QUALITIES, THE NATURAL AS WELL AS AESTHETIC QUALITIES WHICH ENRICH IT. KOWLOON IS AN AREA THAT IS DETACHED FROM THE REST OF THE CITY AS A COMMUNITY SEAMINGLY BY THE SEA, WHICH WE SEE AS AN AGENT TO BRING THIS DETACHED COMMUNITY TOGETHER. KOWLOON WILL BE RECONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE CITY AND THE WORLD IN THE 'EN' AT THE WATERFRONT IN KOWLOON WHERE PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE CITY AND THE WORLD WILL COME AND PARTICIPATE IN DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IN ENCLOSED SPACES OR IN OPEN AIR. THIS, WILL BE A MORE DISTINGUISHING FACTOR THAN ANY BUILDING CAN BY ITSELF HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING KOWLOON AND HONG KONG. THIS, HAS THE OPPORTUNITY OF BECOMING THE FIRST ORGANIC LANDMARK IN THE WORLD. KOWLOON WILL COME INTO URBAN EXISTANCE THROUGH SPACES THAT WILL BE FORMED AND THE SHAPE OF ITS LANDSCAPE ALONG THE LINE WHERE SEA AND LAND MEET. HONG KONG WILL NOT ONLY BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THESE PHYSICAL ASPECTS, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE QUALITY OF LIFE IT PROVIDES FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THE GUESTS OF HONG KONG ALIKE. BEING AN ISLAND AND HAVING ITS STRATEGIC LOCATION ON THE WORLD, MOVEMENT AND CIRCULATION IS THE REASON OF EXISTANCE FOR THE CITY OF HONG KONG. OUR VISION DOES NOT ONLY COVER THE KOWLOON DISTRICT, BUT THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG, THUS MERGING KOWLOON WITH THE REST OF THE CITY West Kowloon Reclamation images / information from Tuncer Cakmakli Architects 070309