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The "Open International Ideas Competition for Noise Barrier/ Enclosure Design" had attracted superb design ideas and concepts which Highways Department would use in works projects, the Director of Highways, Mr Wai Chi-sing, said at the competition's prize presentation ceremony today (April 27).
Mr Wai noted that Hong Kong was a unique place which was very densely developed with a first class transport infrastructure.
"This pattern of development has led to heavy traffic flowing next to residential areas. The need for abating traffic noise has become a major concern in highway maintenance and construction," he said.
Mr Wai said the main objective of the competition, the first of its kind ever conducted worldwide, was to obtain world-class concepts for the aesthetic design of noise barriers and enclosures. He said he believed that an aesthetically pleasing noise barrier would greatly enhance the cityscape of Hong Kong.
"The jury panel considered that the winning entries consist of innovative ideas and design concepts that are not only applicable to the design locations but also for many other settings in general.
"We will soon complete the necessary administrative process allowing us to infuse the winning ideas into our next generation of noise barriers in Hong Kong," Mr Wai said.
The competition attracted participants from Hong Kong, the Mainland and nine other countries - Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. More than 100 entries in total were received for the Professional Group and the Open Group.
Mr Wai noted that the the creativity of the participants had encouraged the staff of the Highways Department to think outside the traditional design framework and had inspired them on many aspects, such as compatibility with local context, form, scale, proportion, texture, pattern, material, colour, rhythm and repetition of noise barriers and enclosures.
The head juror and well-known architect Mr Richard Hawkins said that in judging the entries, the panel took into account design quality, innovation, originality and sustainability. While it would be a great challenge for the Highways Department to implement some of the design concepts as prototype projects, Mr Hawkins said it was an opportunity for Hong Kong to lead the world by showing how efficient transport systems could exist side-by-side with buildings and public spaces with innovative and well-designed acoustic barriers.
The competition was jointly organised by the Highways Department, the Environmental Protection Department, The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, The Hong Kong Institution of Highways and Transportation and The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects. The Gascoigne Road Flyover together with Tai Po Tai Wo Road, and Tuen Mun Road together with Tai Po Tai Wo Road, were identified as the settings for the two Categories A and B.
The jury, comprising famous architects, engineers and a landscape architect from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, as well as a Legislative Councillor, selected three winning entries and two merit entries from each category of the Professional Group, one winning entry and two merit entries from Open Group Category A and two merit entries from Open Group Category B.
Competition entries are on display at the Ocean Terminal Exhibition Hall, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui today and tomorrow (April 27 to 28). They will also be shown in a roving exhibition to be held in commercial complexes in the territory.
Details of the roving exhibition are as follows:
Date Venue
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April 27-28 Ocean Terminal Main Concourse, Harbour
City, Tsim Sha Tsui
May 4-7 1/F, Main Atrium, Tuen Mun Town Plaza
May 12-15 G/F, Central Atrium, Olympian City, Tai
Kok Tsui
May 16-19 G/F, Cityplaza South (Near Wing On
Department Store), Tai Koo Shing
May 28-31 1/F, Atrium, Uptown Plaza, Tai Po
Details of the competition results and the roving exhibition have been uploaded onto the competition website: www.noisebarrier-competition.hk
Ends/Monday, April 27, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:41
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