Metropolitan Meadow: An Urban Oasis in the Heart of Hong Kong

Architectural Services Department Hksar's Award-Winning Landscape Design

The Metropolitan Meadow is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Chinese belief that the circle represents heaven and the square represents the earth. This tranquil landscape oasis, located in the heart of the Tsuen Wan district, provides a peaceful respite from the city's congestion. The design encourages loosely defined activities, fostering a hybrid mix of program exchange within the densely populated community neighborhood. This approach represents a paradigm shift in the fundamental meaning of urban landscape design.

What sets this design apart is its strategic location at the heart of Hong Kong's vibrant city center. This landscape hub adds value to the neighborhood with its high connectivity, reaching out to nearby pedestrian footbridge networks, mass transit railway system, and transport terminals. It converges local communities from various city nodes and provides a green and sustainable urban oasis, improving the urban ecology with preserved trees and flowing vegetation.

The realization of this design involved the use of fair-face concrete, eliminating the need for further finishing works. Reusable steel formwork was used to precast staircase elements, minimizing the use of timber formworks. The wood used for flooring and feature wall came from certified wood sources. The Chinese Traditional Blue Bricks, Glass-fibre Reinforced Plastic, and metal works used were sourced within 800km of the site. The use of expanded metal mesh reduced the volume of material required for ceiling cover. Standardized design for circular planters minimized construction waste.

The Metropolitan Meadow has become an urban landmark attracting city users to play, sing, dance, rest, read, gather, and exchange via a friendly landscape design with high urban connectivity pathways, leading to key urban nodes within the densely populated city. To mitigate the urban heat island effect, a variety of trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and grassed areas were planted to create a green oasis within the urban environment. Native and flowering species were planted to encourage biodiversity. Feature netting for climbing plants created an architectural landmark as well as provided shading.

Despite the challenges of reducing energy consumption, the design team successfully implemented demand control of fresh air supply with CO2 sensors and LED lighting. Self-powered bollard light fittings were enabled with the installation of PV cells. The Garden not only adds a greenery resting node for the busy Hong Kong City lives but also activates the local community via the provision of a range of amenities. The Central Cone feature diffuses light into the interior and passively encourages cross ventilation.

The Metropolitan Meadow is a testament to the Architectural Services Department Hksar's commitment to creating sustainable, innovative, and community-centric designs. This urban oasis in the heart of Hong Kong is a shining example of how design can transform urban spaces, improve the quality of life, and promote sustainability.