18 King Wah Road joins Hong Kong Island’s vibrant waterfront

Hong Kong, People's Republic of China

With breathtaking views of Victoria Harbor and Kowloon Bay, 18 King Wah Road is a twenty-three-story office tower in North Point, the eastern district of Hong Kong Island. The tower is part of the waterfront promenade in this bustling mixed-use neighborhood. We began work on this project with an existing foundation already in place, a challenge that required thoughtful responses to the needs and aesthetic within Hong Kong’s quintessential urban density.

Triple-height Y-shaped columns form the base of the tower.
Metal fins wrap around the glass and steel curtain wall, creating an uplifting pattern that sweeps up the full height of the tower.

Instilling a spacious sense of ease in a high-density environment

The base of the tower is composed of triple-height Y-shaped columns that evoke buoyancy and offer an expansive street-level experience that draws the eye toward the building. The columns appear to lift the tower effortlessly, ascending above the adjacent expressway to provide each floor with panoramic views of the bay and harbor.

Innovative responses to environmental concerns

The tower’s architecture increases the flow of fresh air within an extremely dense urban environment. At each floor, high-performance metal sunshades minimize the effect of intense sunlight, keeping the interior cool while drawing natural light in.

Sunshade geometries are customized to respond directly to specific solar orientations.
At the northwest corner, the shades extend out and down to soften the harsh afternoon sun and filter natural light deeper into the interior. This shade is designed specifically for the view of Hong Kong Central District to the northwest.
At the southwest corner, a second shade extends out to block the higher angled midday sun and bring daylight deeper into the space using an architectural light shelf.
The tower’s sunshades are white, contrasting with neighboring buildings and contributing to a sense of lightness. Curved corners promote continuous airflow throughout the densely built neighborhood.
“Design is often a process of elimination, of rising to particular challenges at the functional, financial, and societal levels.”
— David P. Chen AIA

More About the Project

Project Team

Principal Collaborators

  • Architect of Record: Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers Ltd.
  • Structural Engineer: Stephen Cheng Consulting Engineers
  • MEP: P&T Group

Project Information

  • Location: Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
  • Client: Henderson Land Development Company Limited
  • Size: 329,755 sq. ft. / 30,635 sq. m.
  • Height: 347 ft. / 119 m.
  • Completion: 2017
  • Certifications: LEED Platinum, WELL Gold, BEAM Plus Platinum, China Green Building 3-Star
  • Firm Role: Design Architect

Awards

  • 2014, Asia Pacific Property Awards - Office Development Hong Kong Highly Commended
  • 2014, Green Building Award, Merit Award
  • 2014, China Property Awards, Best Green Development (China)
  • 2014, Autodesk HK BIM Awards
  • 2015, Asia Pacific Property Award, Best Office, Architecture Hong Kong 5-Star
  • 2016, MIPIM Asia Best Futura Project, Silver Award
  • 2016, APIGBA, EIGBA Award in Design Category, Hong Kong Chapter
  • 2016, APIGBA, EIGBA Award of the Design Category, Regional Platinum
  • 2016, bSHK International BIM Award, BuildingSMART's award in "Best BIM Application in Project Management and Lifecycle Management" Category
  • 2018, Quality Building Award, Hong Kong Non Residential Category, Grand Award
  • 2018, Hong Kong Institute of Architects Merit Award, Commercial Building
  • 2018, Hong Kong Institute of Architects Special Architectural Award, Architectural Sustainability
  • Principal Project Photography: Seth Powers