Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed its design for the 2 Murray Road project for $3 billion Henderson Land, in the heart of Hong Kong’s central business district. Creating new civic plazas enveloped by nature, the urban oasis is located in proximity other iconic Hong Kong skyscrapers.
Replacing a multi-story car park, the development is connected to adjacent public gardens and parks, through an elevated base sheltering courtyards cultivated with trees and plants. These outdoor areas seamlessly flow into the communal spaces of the interior. Inspired by the structural forms and layering of a Bauhinia bud about to blossom, known as the Hong Kong orchid tree, the design generates a very wide span of naturally lit, column-free, Grade A office space with a 5-meter floor-to-floor height giving maximum flexibility.
The façade, designed to withstand summer typhoons, includes 4-ply of double-laminated, double-curved insulated glass units, in order to insulate effectively the building and reduce its cooling load as well as build resilience. Moreover, “hybrid ventilation is controlled by the building’s automated management system and enables all office levels to be naturally ventilated”. In fact, smart systems learn to accurately predict daily occupancy trends to optimize energy demand, ensuring increased efficiencies with lower energy consumption.
“The detached homes have been conceptualised to visually appear as one single volume defined by its traditional triangular architecture,” said the studio. “Only from up close will the observer notice a crisp breakpoint between the properties.”
In a leafy Boston suburb, a place to park cars and repair vintage scooters grows into a bucolic sanctuary.
Boomers Daily 