Curved Steel in Hong Kong China


On my recent vacation to Hong Kong, I was astonished with the many uses of the curved steel in the architecture of this amazing city.   Any direction I looked I saw the frequent use of curved steel including the small track rails on the top of The Peak Tower, many stairs, escalators, walkways, and monumental buildings.  Here are some of the most famous buildings in the Hong Kong skyline with the curved steel I came across in my visit.

The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (or HKCEC) is built along the Victoria Harbor; it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial buildings.  The second phase of the center constructed from 1994 to 1997 features the bird-like curved rooftop and is located on an artificial island.  The unique and distinctive curved elements of the HKCEC were on display in 1997, as it was the host site for the Hong Kong handover ceremony, as the sovereignty over Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to China.

Cyberport is a multi-building complex which describes itself as a “creative digital community” with a cluster of technology and digital content tenants.  The complex features four office buildings, a hotel, and a retail entertainment complex called The Arcade.  This entertainment complex features many curved steel elements and accents in its innovative design.  The intent was to integrate nature and technology with retail, entertainment, and education/exhibition activities.  Curved sheet metal, as well as rolled tubing can be seen in the structure, among many other elements inside and out.

And one of the most famous structures is the “wok-shaped” Peak Tower at Victoria Gap near the summit of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island.  This is a top destination for visitors in Hong Kong, overlooking Victoria Harbor and offering 360 degree stunning views over Hong Kong, Kowloon and outlying islands from its viewing platform.  The tower is impressive to the eye, as viewers wonder how it maintains the curved structure atop its legs.  One can imagine, curved steel beams within the base of the structure would offer enhanced design strength.

Being able to witness all those magnificent structures and the use of curved steel in real 3-dimensional views made my trip that much more interesting and exciting.

Archives

Copy link
Powered by Social Snap