Why architect of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge’s passenger clearance building looked to nature for inspiration
Aedas boss Keith Griffiths wanted to create a unique structure that represented Hong Kong and left visitors feeling at ease
October 29, 2018
South China Morning Post
Excerpt
When visitors marvel at the wavelike architecture of Hong Kong’s passenger clearance building for the world’s longest sea crossing, they might feel a sense of intimacy and connectivity with nature.
That was because the building was created to represent the city and reduce stress for users of the newly opened Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the designer said.
In an interview with the Post, Keith Griffiths, chairman and global design principal of international architecture firm Aedas, said the two-storey building, sited on a 150-hectare artificial island, would serve as an iconic “front door” to amaze passengers.
“Our primary considerations … were to create a building that was uniquely of and for Hong Kong,” said the Briton, a resident of the city for 35 years.
“How do you create a building not seen anywhere else in the world except Hong Kong?
“The challenge of this building was to create a beautiful piece of well-made architecture that would be a gateway for Hong Kong to be proud of.”
In a joint venture, British firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Aedas designed the building with a total floor area of more than 90,000 square meters, the largest of the boundary crossing facilities at the bridge’s Hong Kong Port.
To also highlight the facility’s function as a crossing point for traffic from the three cities, Griffiths said the team drew inspiration from the sea for the roof’s wavy design.
“The only theme of this building is about Hong Kong, which is very deep-rooted in nature, as it is surrounded by sea and forests amid country parks,” he said.
The undulating roof also symbolised the movement of people.
“The roof waves make it feel like you are coming in with the waves, like you’re surfing … It also signifies the flow of people in waves like water,” he said.
The roof is supported by treelike structural columns to give passengers the impression they are standing beneath a forest canopy.
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