studio kota's 18 peaks pavilion reflects hong kong's mountainous terrain

the west kowloon cultural district has become a place that promotes cultural interaction through art, education and public spaces. it is a vital urban space and cultural realm for the people of hong kong, allowing outdoor activities and informal social engagements to happen. this pavilion, designed by studio kota, proposes to enrich the livelihoods of visitors to the cultural district.

the lightweight structure is meant to be less obstructive yet still gives a strong presence in the context

the pavilion was submitted as part of the hong kong young architects and designers competition, organized by west kowloon cultural district. the roof of studio kota’s proposal comprises of 18 peaks varying at different heights to create a dynamic undulating experience. these peaks represent the eighteen districts in hong kong, the mountainous terrain of the city and the collective spirit of the inhabitants, all under one roof. the membrane of the roof is enclosed by an array of cables creating a shelter for the activities that happen below. the cables not only provide shading underneath, but allows it to be porous, thus the whole pavilion can ventilate in all directions.

different activities can happen in the flexible event space during the day

the arrangement of the cables also acts as a blank canvas allowing different light simulations and visual effects to be spectated, especially at night. artists can also participate in contributing lighting designs and projections onto the pavilion roof. the form of the pavilion complements the surrounding context of the trees through scale and shape in order to not cause tension between nature and the built structure. the floor space below the roof is purposely left as a free plan to allow any kind of arrangement of activities including seminars, performances, exercising, and informal picnicking.

during the evenings, the roof illuminates and becomes a spectacle space

in the absence of a specific event, the pavilion is left as a play space with detachable swings and seats to allow everyone to congregate and socialize. the free open space also allows uninterrupted views of the harbor. the pavilion looks to be a cultural venue as well as a social hub contributing to the rich mix of arts complex already planned for the area. it hopes to not only be a building of form and aesthetics but also a place to invigorate the cultural and artistic spirit of hong kong. see the competition’s three shortlisted designs here.

interactive dance performance between the dancers and the strings

the overlapping of the strings create different degrees of transparency on the roof

flexible event space with convertible furniture to host different programs

isometric view of the pavilion

the site is located at the western boundary of the tree nursery park and the victoria harbour waterfront area

project info:

type: proposal, 2017
function: flexible event space
location: west kowloon cultural district, hong kong
site area: 243 sqm
client: WKCDA hong kong
team: erick kristanto, kenneth sit, andrew tjokro putra

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynn chaya | designboom

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