Foster & Partners returns to Hong Kong to extend the cruise port terminal
Foster & Partners’ Ocean Terminal extension at Harbour City, Hong Kong, forms a new gateway for international cruise liner passengers, with outdoor spaces for dining and leisure that take advantage of the panoramic views across Victoria Harbour and the city’s iconic skyline.
The 270-degree views take in Kowloon Peninsula to the north-east around to Causeway Bay in the south-east. The new public plaza of cascading terraces responds to the city’s al-fresco dining culture, turning the undeveloped end of the cruise terminal into an entertainment hub.
The form of the building responds to its climatic context, with wide cantilevered terraces shading the lower levels. Balustrades, angled to relate to the geometry of the building, extend downwards as louvred shading devices for the terrace below. The building also offers retail, dining and lounge facilities, with a stepped outdoor seating area from which to sit and enjoy the view. The steps feature glass risers that allow natural light deep into the internal atrium. The connection to the existing terminal is intended to be seamless, with a new central diagonal circulation spine that connects the roof level to the marine deck, both physically and visually, via a series of escalators cascading down through the public spaces.
The Ocean Terminal follows previous Hong Kong landmarks by Foster’s office, including the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank (1985) and Chek Lap Kok Airport (1998). The Murray, a 27-storey tower of government offices, designed in 1969 by Ron Philips of Hong Kong’s Architectural Services Department, is currently being transformed by Foster & Partners into a 336-room, five-star hotel.
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