Whampoa Street Rejuvenation. Image courtesy of WAX Architectural Visualizations.
The Hong Kong development was selected in the Residential category of the Architectural Design Awards.
A revitalization of a scale rare in Hong Kong, the Baker Circle’s balanced and harmonious tower composition creates a distinctive profile on the city skyline, while offering a rich urban experience at the pedestrian scale.
Located at the heart of Kowloon near various metro stations, the project is sympathetic to the heritage and character of Whampoa Street and the Hung Hom district. The design draws inspiration from the area’s shipbuilding history and warehouse typologies, using colors and materiality reminiscent of the neighborhood’s past. In contrast to the surrounding mega building blocks, the site is broken into a series of finely-grained urban destinations, including small pavilions and varied public spaces in addition to the towers. Vibrant pedestrian flow seamlessly permeates the site via streets, passages, plazas, and elevated terraces connecting each component of the project.
KPFui utilized proprietary software to analyze various massing options, ensuring that the design maximizes unobstructed views to the city and harbor and reduces shadows cast on public spaces. The massing was further refined to provide natural ventilation at both the podium and tower levels and improve the district’s microclimate.
The Baker Circle joins KPF-designed Park Hyatt Suzhou, which won the award for Architectural Design of the Year last year. See the rest of this year’s winners here.