הגשה לתחרות AC-CA 02 2011
Sky Parking / Park in the Urban Sky
Form follows motion: The design and form of the park in the sky parking tower, a dramatic landmark, is dictated by the strict functionality of the optimization of car motion and thus celebrates the poetics of pedestrians and vehicles moving through shared space. The design avoids the threatening emptiness associated with most car parks, while providing the necessary functionality without compromise. The proposed design gives the driver full independence in parking and collecting his car.
The ground floor is kept free of parking to create a lively public square, containing the existing tree and serving the neglected side of the city hall. The basic Balloon shape provides the necessary building volume by using the space above the town hall and surrounding roads.
Thanks to the external double helix ramps, entering, up-going traffic, and leaving, down-going traffic, are completely separated and therefore allow an efficient, uninterrupted, flow of traffic.
The climb up to assigned parking is enhanced by a continually developing and rotating Hong Kong panorama. This View is of course re-experienced differently when retrieving the car. Viewed from the ground and across the city, the cars revolving around the tower will create a dynamic facade. At night this effect will be enhanced by the car lights, adding a new dimension to the Hong Kong light concert.
The top floors will be used for cheaper long term parking assuring a minimum mean driving distance to an assigned parking.
Most of the surrounding facade is kept open, allowing wind and views to flow freely through the Airy Structure. On all Parking levels some area is reserved for use by pedestrians in a variety of ways. These areas join together to form two continuous habitable space helixes, assuring (in stark contrast to most parking structures) continues humanization of the public space and forming a vertical city of Mixed use.
The Dome containing the 7 top levels, commanding the finest Hong Kong views, forms an urban Sky Park for various public use and events