By providing uninterrupted access to the new Wong Chuk Hang MTR station and Aberdeen Country Park Wong Chuk Commons is an initiative that links a gentrifying industrial precinct with new amenities. The proposal was awarded a Merit Certificate in the Green Link urban design competition sponsored by the Architectural Services Department, HKSAR and the Southern District Council.
Wong Chuk Commons strings together a sequence of five public squares and footpaths that connect the city with nature. Site 1 features a broad gathering space adjacent to the MTR station suitable for larger installations in support of an emerging arts community. The paving treatment incorporates cement, brick and tile in vein-like stripes, a reference to Wong Chuk Hang’s historic brick and tile works. The revamped public square is also illuminated by a dynamic light wall spanning the western edge of the site. Channel glass layered with acrylic panels and programmable LED lights animate the square.
The light wall carries through consequent sites, unifying currently fragmented public lanes and staircases. Finally, the sequence terminates with the Lookout, an elevated viewing platform that is both visible from the streets and allies below and marks a new gateway to Hong Kong’s countryside.
