Hong Kong Spin, as it is named, features a 200 meter-tall leaning
observation tower and a horizontal spinning wheel that houses bars and
restaurants, all with a revolving view of the harbour and skyline.
The ambitious design was originally put forward as a project for Tai
Mo Shan as an entry for a design competition organized by the Hong Kong
Institute of Architects to celebrate Hong Kong's handover in 1997.
For ten years, it remained on the drawing board but then in 2007,
Reading resubmitted it as a proposal for the old Kai Tak airport site.
It is the Eiffel Tower and the London Eye rolled into one and sure-fire icon for the city, according to Reading.
"The thing about Hong Kong Spin is that it is bespoke tailored for the Hong Kong story," said Reading.
"Its form represents the both Chinese character 'Jung' (meaning
middle) and the Greek letter 'Phi' (sign for the golden ration in
symmetry), which is a circle with the line going through it.
"It is a reflection that Hong Kong is a city produced by both Western and Eastern cities; it is a fusion.
"So it's not just a novelty or a gimmick that the wheel is horizontal, it has very strong symbolic association with Hong Kong."
The Spin's inclined tower - the line in the Greek phi letter -
features pods which spiral up and down in a continuous cycle, taking
visitors to the observation platform at the top and back down again.
It also proposed the use of cutting-edge technology taking advantage
of sustainable energy sources such as wind farms and the tidal energy of
the harbour to power and light the wheel.
Reading, who now runs his own company Asynsis Architecture and
Design, said the project was very well received in 2007, by the Tourism
Commission and Frederick Ma, then the Secretary for Commerce and
Economic Development, who requested a feasibility report.
However, then the global economic recession hit and interest in the project waned.
"Basically, it just didn't happen then because of the crash," said
Reading. "It is very much on the table and we are now hoping to garner
developer interest to re-propose it to Hong Kong, not at the original
site which was not feasible because the helipad needed to be on the tip
of the old runway, but at other sites such as West Kowloon."
Reading said the Hong Kong Spin team features all the original
partners in their respective roles with Arup providing all the
engineering services, Aedas as executive architects and himself as the
originating concept designer.
"The project is very much alive and we are seeking commercial
partners to join the government in a public private partnership
consortium arrangement to first fund a feasibility report into the
technical, commercial and social aspects of the project and - pending
the results - to then proceed with a full design development,
documentation and tendering process," said Reading.
"I would love to see it happening. It is very apt potential landmark for branding Hong Kong."
(HK Edition 09/29/2011 page4)
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