The Cyberport Expansion: elevating an urban anchor and primes an environment for Hong Kong’s next wave of I&T companies through innovative landscape design.
Opened in 2003, the Cyberport has since established itself as a pioneering tech-focused development located on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island, launching more than 2,000 start-ups and tech companies, including eight unicorns.
As the Cyberport expands and evolves into a Greater Bay Area Innovation & Technology hub, a new ten-storey building will be integrated into a portion of the waterfront park, creating a vibrant urban destination. AECOM’s proposed landscape design will sculpt the land to seamlessly connect the building with its surroundings, further enriching the reputation that the existing park has already built.
Landscape design that works to unlock potential of the existing development
The Cyberport expansion aims to create synergy with the existing development and maximize the site’s potential. By designing multiple layers of landscaped pathways and terraces, the biophilic and people-centric design of the Cyberport expansion will provide more public-accessible open space than before with numerous new facilities:
- Iconic three-dimensional elevated landscape platform: bridge the built environment and nature using landscape to blur the boundary of the building and the park
- Arrival plaza: entryway to the stunning promenade, enhanced by the arrangement of trees and shrubs
- Multigenerational amenities: cater to leisure-seekers of all ages and interests
- Pet-friendly facilities: reinforce the park as one of the few pet-friendly open spaces in the city
- Kinetic paving: generate energy to power low energy applications or to be stored in batteries
- Public jogging trail: provide a space for tenants and public to exercise and enjoy the waterfront views
- Landing deck: waterfront open space that can accommodate seasonal installations and events
Merging the building with the memorable open space
To create transformational open spaces that allow flexible and diverse activities to happen, the new building is embedded into the site via a landscape berm whose slopes make it ideal for various play facilities and flexible enough for more passive recreation.
The wavy berm enables the waterfront park spaces to be extended underneath the building footprint — creating a gradual pedestrian ascent from the park, an elevated landscape deck, and semi-outdoor amenity zones. The undulating form allows for multi-level planting areas, a walkway from the arrival plaza to the promenade, and unique retail spaces along the waterfront.
Cultivating urban ecology through sustainable design and responsible practices
Over 30 percent of the building site is dedicated to softscape, ensuring that greenery is accessible to tenants and visitors from ground level to the rooftop. Our landscape design features outdoor terraces at various levels, creating tranquil spaces for relaxation, socializing and working. These areas are enhanced with green spaces and seating that seamlessly blend with the environment. On the rooftop, a green roof system not only insulates the floors below but also expands outdoor open space for tenants, visually integrating the building with its lush neighbourhood.
In addition to thoughtful landscape planning, smart technologies are employed both on-site and off-site to manage construction activities through a centralized system. By capturing real-time data via IoT for analysis, these technologies optimize energy usage, reduce pollution, and minimize disturbances to the public.
As new businesses emerge, this waterfront will serve as a constant reminder of the ultimate goal of technological advancement: better urban ecology, more pleasant lives, and stronger ties for the community that propels it forward.