West Kowloon train station
The closing of the old KCR train station situated on Tsim Sha Tsui’s waterfront, left great bitterness when it was demolished in 1978. Despite a vehement petition, the colonial landmark that had originally been built on reclaimed land in 1910, had to be taken down to make way to a new “cultural zone” with a pedestal, the controversially designed Kowloon Cultural Centre. Its then replacement located in Hung Hom brought an undeniable revival in terms of modernity but did not make history in terms of design…
On the contrary the design of the newly opened high-speed train station located in West Kowloon will definitely make local urban history.
Designed by the American architect Andrew Bromberg from the cabinet Aedas (Indigo Hotel in Wanchai and the immigration hall of the Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macau bridge), the station, inaugurated last September, looks more like an airport than a classic train station. Its 400,000m² dedicated to passengers in transit between Hong Kong and Mainland China are not only impressive but also necessary considering that 100,000 visitors used the station on the 3rd day of Chinese New Year.
Cleverly positioned between street level and the lower ground – 25 metres above and 25 metres underground, the station mostly consists of a gigantesque atrium with slightly tilted pylons giving the illusion of a metallic forest.
This design has enabled the architect to bury the railways in order to ease congestion in the already heavily urbanised district while allowing natural light to come through 4,000 glass panels.
The fluidity is real (logistic and energetic) and is reinforced by the crescent moon design. The building seems to be floating above the ground while its opened roof promenade invites visitors to a unique viewpoint of the station and the nearby port.
Do not wait to take a train to visit West Kowloon and do not hesitate to book a private tour with us to learn more about Hong Kong’s remarkable landmarks. Contact us at contact@hkalacarte.com