Location: Central District (Hong Kong Island).

 

Hong Kong is considered to be a city without ground. The pedestrian movement is lifted up from the transport system. It is not only about segregating the sidewalk from all the dirt and traffic, but it is also about creating a network that connects shopping centres, finance buildings, residential buildings, tunnels, stations and so on. Hong Kong citizens make use of the footbridges, both as a fast track to reach places,  and as a space for meeting, gather in air-conditioned zone, share homemade meals on Sundays, play music and more. The infrastructure has become the identity of the city.

Starting to look into the city from  an urban scale,  the scenario of the project completes all the broken connexions in Hong Kong in order to create a wide pedestrian network. In a smaller scale, the intervention is located in The Central Elevated Walkway, an extensive footbridge network spanning  Admiralty, Central and parts of Sheung Wan, near Victoria Harbour. This project builds the missing link between Central and Admirality (from the Exchange Square to Hutchison House) making possible to walk, without interruption and without ever touching the ground, the 1,8 km distance separating Sheung Wan to Admirality. It absorbs existing and new programs as long as connecting the pedestrian flows.

While it is filled with elevated infrastructures, Hong Kong lacks sport facilities. Some sport centres are facing demolition to make way for public housing units. In this context, the  project proposes the creation of a 420 meters long infrastructure equipped with different programs that encourage the population to experience different forms of exercise: from climbing walls to zip line and bicycle lane, a fitness centre located on the 40th floor of the Jardine House Tower, a running track, a big slide, an Olympic swimming pool, and an elevated Podium for dancing, do gymnastics and practicing martial arts.

Hong Kong's new missing link becomes a giant sports facility populated by athletes training, dancers performing, kids playing and citizens enjoying all this spectacles.

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