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Mobility and the City

Part 2 Project 2005
Larry Tsoi
Lydia Whitehouse
 Chinese University of Hong Kong | China
Kaitak, an obsolete yet monumental tabula rasa of remnant infrastructural ground; Victoria Harbor’s last urban void is being re-examined by planners, architects and the public. The airstrip site offers an experimental ground for the scalable notion of urban pluralism. By means of analytical tools and design strategies, the thesis operates from the regional through neighborhood to the tactile materiality scale research and design to stitch the un-urbanized void across the impermeable edge.

Pluralistic, diversified, boundless and monumental, it is everything that Kaitak should be. Not considering the thesis only to deal with specific contextual conditions. It allures examination at the pervasive urban phenomenon facing contemporary Asian cities: density, landscape and infrastructure.

Larry Tsoi
Lydia Whitehouse

Adopting the defunct airstrip of Kaitak as site for intervention, the project “mobilily and the city” addresses two pervasive conditions facing contemporary cities in Asia: density and infrastructure. In an attempt to reconnect the surrounding neighborhood fabrics of the Kowloon City to the monumental void of the airport, the project methodically deploys a multitude of analytical tools and design strategies to re-examine the notions of urban porosity, landscape, program, and transport infrastructure. The resulting scheme is a complex and responsive urban environment—something which has been a trademark of the old Hong Kong but is notable loosing ground in recent years.
Situated in the newly generated urban park, the proposed station design further challenges the convention of train station as a box and instead, proposes a highly intricate construct weaving the various planes of the underground station platform, public concourse, urban landscape, and street, into a seamless interface of urban infrastructure as a public space.

Tutor(s)

Mr Satwinder Samra
2005
Kaitak – a defunct airstrip remains as the largest urban void in Hong Kong since 1997
Urban green spaces – potentially as the biggest urbanized green in the middle of the harbor
Infrastructures – accessibility profile with new rail line alignment through the Kaitak
Edge unfolded – depth of view and accessibility
Program diversification with landscape as carpet idea
projection of grid – to create plurality on urban grains and program
stitching across boundary, fabric and green extensionprojection of grid – to create plurality on urban grains and program
green as urban infrastructure to create newfound proximity
station – urban infrastructure as public space
situated in the newly generated urban park –the proposed station design further challenges the convention of train station as a box
skylight study
materiality – 1:5 cladding material mock up
new station proposes a highly intricate construct weaving the various planes of the underground station platform, public concourse, urban landscape, and street, into a seamless interface of urban infrastructure as a public space
a new landmark to be experienced
monumentality – boundless landscape to the end of defunct runway
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