Architect and photographer Kris Provoost recently captured new photos of Aedas and Andrew Bromberg’s West Kowloon HSR Station in Hong Kong. Provoost lives and works in Shanghai, and his new series of photographs show how visitors are brought into the heart of Hong Kong as the majestic structure overlooks Victoria Harbor. Integrating abundant green space and different viewing platforms, the project creates an urban park in the midst of Hong Kong's city center.
Located in West Kowloon District, the station caters for the first high speed rail connecting Hong Kong with the mainland of China. Sitting adjacent to West Kowloon Cultural District, the HSR is surrounded by interesting neighbors. The nearly complete Xiqu Theatre by Revery Architecture, the under construction M+ museum by Herzog & de Meuron, as well as the Lyric Theatre by UNStudio. Hong Kong’s tallest building, the International Commerce Center by KPF, overshadows the station.
From certain angles the station looks large, but from others, the station blends completely into its surrounding. A series of diverging lines creates a network of ramps and stairs leading up the building. Inside, the diverging lines allow for enough daylight to penetrate into the deepest of spaces. Largely dug into the ground, an impressive departure and arrival hall is created by a set of nontraditional columns. Elements of the station fills the gap that was present for too long connecting the busy Canton Road shopping Boulevard with the Elements mall. This station uplifts what Hong Kong is famous for; a hyper efficient interconnected above and below ground space and public transport networks.
