Hong Kong Design Institute

In 2007, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) brought together its strong design-related departments of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) to establish the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), the first ever professional institute dedicated to design education in Hong Kong.

The HKDI aims to be a leading design institution providing quality education and cultivating knowledge, professionalism and new talents for global creative industries. With a new campus located in Tiu Keng Leng, the HKDI aims to bring together all its design-related programmes under one roof, enabling the school to pool together resources, expertise and synergies to create an even bigger impact on Hong Kong’s design education.

One of the biggest challenges in designing such a campus was to create a dynamic, comprehensive learning environment that nurtures creativity, independence, self-confidence and free thinking, while also providing specialised learning facilities that are feasible to construct. Most importantly, the institute should become an integral part of the surrounding community.

In seeking a design for the landmark project, the VTC, together with The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, launched an international architectural design competition. The winning design, entitled “The White Sheet Project”, was created by the French architecture firm, Coldefy & Associés Architectes Urbanistes, in collaboration with P&T Architects and Engineers Ltd.

“The White Sheet Project” is a metaphor for creativity; it expresses a universal symbol that is the common media tool of every designer. Intended to stimulate and inspire the minds of future designers, the architecture is conceived to offer maximum openness and permeability on the ground to connect to the urban grid and enhance interaction. The structure is composed of four main elements: the podium for recreational activities; the open plaza for open space galleries; the towers for teaching facilities; and the platform for collaborative works. All floors have been arranged in order to create a clear hierarchy of circulation and a better interrelationship between each entity.

The platform/‘sky city’ is the main expression of the building. Covered by a white mesh skin, its minimal volume seems to float atop the towers. This is also where the state-of-the-art learning and resource centre is located; it is a place where students and teachers mingle and interact for research and collaborative works.

The podium, gently sloping down to King Ling Road, is a green landscape extrusion from the ground. It creates a strong visual impact and an inviting feel to visitors.

The open plaza or central boulevard is an open space gallery where the public can access and view various campus activities. It is conceived as a breathing space where special events such as fashion shows, movies and cocktail receptions can be organised. An area for sharing and stimulating interactions, its facilities include an art gallery, exhibition areas, a window showcase of student works, an auditorium and a cafeteria.

The towers/‘legs of education’ are designed to be both the structural cores and the ‘pillar’ of the institute; they represent the different design departments and house all the teaching facilities, including classrooms, workshops and studios. The towers also express the diversity of design fields represented by the HKDI and a sense of synergy as the ‘legs’ are connected to the podium, the open plaza and the platform. Enveloped in a glazed façade, the towers accentuate the feeling that the platform is floating in the air. The visual exposure of the white steel lattice on the perimeters of the towers defines a unique feature to the complex.

The platform, towers and open plaza are connected by the ‘great escalator’. This connector is the fastest link that transports students and visitors from the ground floor to other facilities.

Since integration with the local community was a main objective of the project, the architects designed plenty of green spaces and recreational areas with strong environmental safeguards for different communities to meet, relax and interact. Such an environment would encourage community involvement in the school’s design education without impairing its operations.

Aside from generous green spaces, other sustainable features in the campus include daylighting, rainwater and grey water recycling systems, a total heat recovery wheel and computerised zoning control systems for air conditioning. –Kitty Leung/Candice Lim