The site is well located at the civic centre of Hang Hau. It is conveniently served by public transport, e.g. MTRC, minibuses and buses. The existing Pui Shing Garden is located immediately adjacent to the south west of the boundary, forming a forecourt to the Complex, where future users of the proposed Complex are expected to arrive at the Complex, via a new piazza to be incorporated in the garden.

The proposed joint user complex is a 10 storeys high development. The major functions catered in the complex include a Community Hall, an Indoor Recreation Centre (IRC), consisting a 1,200 nos. of spectators’ seats Sports Arena, the Sai Kung District Council, a Public Enquiry Services Centre (PESC) and various Sai Kung District’s government offices, including Food Environment & Health Department (FEHD), Home Affairs Department (HAD) and Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD).

Planning, Design & Green Features

The project calls for a civic centre within Hang Hau area, which consisted of a sports complex and a government office building. The proposed complex responds to the brief, by providing a modern establishment, with interlocking boxes, which serves different activities within. The sports centre serving the public, while the government offices are considered as a private entity. While no direct access is provided between the public and private entities, visual linkage is created, where one at the office can view through a glazed wall, into the atrium of the Sports Complex. Thus expresses the “crossover” idea between public and private.

The atrium is the main circulation spine of the Sports Complex and it is glazed on both ends, responding to the Pui Shing Garden and the Po Ning Road beyond. It also gives a clear directional indication to the public, so that the space “speaks” for itself with a minimum assistance of directional signages along the way to the Sports facilities within the Complex.

Various glazing systems utilized the play of fritted and transparent glazing on the office tower, to allow plenty of natural lighting to penetrate, but yet maintaining a certain amount of privacy. The large area of glazing is to create a strong feeling of modernity and to give a distinguished outlook of the building from its neighbourhood. The lower floors consisted of a Community Hall, a Sports Centre and its auxiliary facilities, are expressed playfully with a projected timber box and several open terraces, facing the park.

Contrasting colours of black and white are employed to express the philosophical meanings of good and misfortune that one encountered in life. Moreover, the black and the white colours on the building emphases the interplay of shadows casted on the façade under the bright daylight. The use of “Chinese Red” at the Community Hall recalls the colour being mainly used in Chinese opera, whereas yellow is used for designated vertical circulation routes.

A main entrance is opened up onto an existing piazza, facing the existing Pui Shing Garden. This is considered as an essential gathering place and it gives a sense of arrival to the public, when entering into the Complex. The Public Enquiry Services Centre (PESC) is separated from the main building, to stand alone as a pavilion, at the edge of the boundary, where the Complex meets with the garden. The PESC is therefore conceived as a “connection point” between the public and the government, maintaining a dialogue between the two.

Integrated green terraces and green roof are provided to create a tranquil environment for the occupants, who work in the building. Communal staircases link up every two floors within the government offices, not only to reduce the lift traffic, but creating an interesting double height space between floors. Roofed with skylight, some of these internal staircases, become the most popular communication space for the staff.