HONG KONG, CHINA
The revitalized Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront provides a holistic vision for Hong Kong’s harbourfront, with extensive waterfront access, urban and pedestrian connectivity, and an exciting public balcony. The new public realm features Salisbury Garden and the 500-meter-long Avenue of Stars, which collectively provide 3.6 acres of public open space in Hong Kong, a densely populated city that notably lacks public parks. Prior to this revitalization, the site was disconnected and offered few amenities. Working closely with the community, stakeholders, and planning agencies, the design team created a more open, interconnected, and dynamic sequence of spaces that significantly enhance the public experience and support public programming and events.
The design itself provides a waterfront promenade that rolls up and down along the water’s edge, with a dramatic railing, granite paving, wood seating, sculptural shade trellises, lush greenery, atmospheric lighting and a performance space backed by generous lawns, gardens, and innovative planted walls. There are also a number of statues, handprints and other elements that showcase Hong Kong cinema and theatrical arts.
The new Avenue of Stars and Salisbury Garden integrate sustainable materials and Avenue of Stars is the first outdoor space in China to be awarded SITES Gold certification. The redesigned waterfront promenade includes seawall cladding that reduces wavebreak action, designed to protect the shore in the face of rising tides and extreme storms.
Since opening, the project has been visited by over 5 million people of all income groups, ages, and cultures, including both locals and visitors from around the world. It celebrates the spectacle of public life in the context of the harbour, the skyline, and the diverse people of Hong Kong.The project’s impact has been recognized with awards that include the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design Award and MIPIM Asia Gold Award for Best Urban Regeneration.