Innovation Tower in Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Memory of project.

In 2007 we were appointed following a competition to design a new ‘Innovation Tower’ for Hong Kong Polytechnic University – a beacon structure symbolizing and driving the development of Hong Kong as a design hub in Asia; a fitting setting for the institution’s many different design education and design research programs.

We welcome the chance to re-examine the characteristics of, and demands placed upon, a ‘creative multidisciplinary environment’ – envisaging a solution that dissolved the classic typography of tower and podium to create a seamlessly fluid new structure. A tower that establishes a vision for future achievements and references the University’s rich tradition.

Conceptually, the university’s many different programs and the inter-relationships between them provided a guiding principle – ‘collateral flexibility’ – which was used to govern the tower’s internal logic; to create a building which is inherently organized and understood to visitors from the point of entry.

Surrounding playing fields have been raised to create a new surrounding landscape and place the main pedestrian entrance at podium level, with the space liberated below used to create access routes to the main campus. At podium level an open public foyer, the end point of a long path running from Suen Chi Sun Memorial Square channels deep in the main structure, bringing visitors to a generous space containing shops, cafeteria, museum and exhibition area.

Urbanism
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK PolyU) is an urban endeavour by virtue of addition and growth over the last 40 years. The rich patchwork ofvarious faculties, communities and facilities are strung together by a community of visually coherent yet different buildings. From a process of outward expansion, the HK PolyU is now looking inwards to develop itself by making creative use of its remaining void on the North side of the campus. The Innovation Tower aims to use these voids to create an accessible urban space which will transform how the Hong Kong Poly University is perceived and the way it will be used. The building unashamedly aims to stimulate and project a vision of possibilities for its future, as well as reflect the history of the HK PolyU by encapsulating in its architecture the process of change.

Architecture
The proposed vision of the new Innovation Tower presents a unique opportunity to re-examine and address a creative, multidisciplinary environment. Our concept in its first instance, collects the variety of programmes of the school. Having undergone a strict process of examination of the multiple relationships amongst their unique identities they have been arranged in accordance to their ‘collateral flexibilities’. Priority lies in the drawing in of the campus staff, students and public into a welcoming new space that acts as both the building’s entrance and organiser for the existing complex. The first architectural gesture is to raise the landscape of the existing football field and tennis grounds, so as to place the main pedestrian entrance of the new school building on a level open to it’s immediate context at podium level. The free ground below becomes accessible from the established main campus route (Yuk Choi Road) to proposed workshops, parking and access to future development on ‘Phase 8. The new Innovation Tower on podium level is established as an open public foyer that channels deep into the building through a column-free, open showcase forum. The long integrated path from Suen Chi Sun Memorial Square guides the visitor to the main entrance and from here, a generous and welcoming space openly leads its visitors access to supporting public facilities (shop, cafeteria, museum) through a generous open exhibition ‘showcase’ spanning over two levels between podium and ground level.

The podium level is a route that ramps and stretches through towards the open ground with relocated recreational outdoor facilities. From the entry foyer, a long escalator penetrates deep upwards through four levels of openly glazed workspaces. The myriad of workspaces accommodated within the new school offer themselves as a variety of visual showcases. The route through the building becomes a clear upward cascade of showcases and events allowing the student or visitor to visually covet and engage work and exhibits throughout its circulation passage. These routes aims to promote new opportunities of interaction between the diverse types of users through its spaces through every level. Voids bring in natural daylight, fresh air and the sense of continuity of space. In this way, the programmes of the tower, which comprise of learning clusters and central facilities, are allowed to create coordinated repertoires and dialogue between respective volumes.

Text.- Zaha Hadid Architects.