Rocco Yim, the architect behind some of Hong Kong’s most recognisable landmarks, reveals what he has in store for two major new public attractions
Wherever you are in Hong Kong, no matter which way you look, the streets and skyline are filled with buildings designed by Rocco Yim. From creating the government headquarters in Tamar to Tai Kwun to the Four Seasons Hotel and iSquare mall, the veteran architect has been one of the city’s most influential forces in design during his 42-year career. Yim’s steady hand and talent for designing buildings that mesh seamlessly with their neighbourhoods have earned him commissions for two of Hong Kong’s largest upcoming projects, one on each side of Kowloon.
At 68, Yim himself is slight and unassuming with a gentle demeanour. His office in North Point is plain, adorned only with stacks of books and small paintings. There are few traces of the countless awards he and his company, Rocco Design Architects, have won, including the merit award at last November’s Hong Kong Institute of Architects Annual Awards for his plans for the iADC Design Museum in Shenzhen.
“The worst architect is one that is self-centred. The best is one who can imagine what advantage his or her work can bring to the community. This is my first and foremost design principle,” he says from his desk, via Zoom.
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Yim’s latest projects, the East Kowloon Cultural Centre and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, are scheduled for completion this year and in July 2022, respectively.
The HK$3.3 billion East Kowloon Cultural Centre will transform Hong Kong into “an international city of arts and culture”, said Carrie Lam, then chief secretary, at the foundation laying ceremony in 2016. At the junction of Kwun Tong Road and Ngau Tau Kok Road, the modern glass complex will feature a 1,200-seat multipurpose auditorium for music, theatre and dance, a 550-seat theatre, exhibition spaces and three studios for dance, drama and music that can accommodate up to 250 people.
Yim’s practice has been hailed for its pedestrian-friendly details in a city where private car ownership is low and congested living conditions warrant intuitive and efficient routes for those on foot. “In creating architecture it’s important that we enhance the pedestrian experience wherever possible, meaning that we try to ensure seamless flows of movement and therefore, possibly, social interaction,” he says.
East Kowloon Cultural Centre will be a hub for the area, linking Kowloon Bay MTR Station with Amoy Gardens and other residential developments. “When people travel by the MTR for work every day, they’ll pass by the cultural centre and be attracted or influenced by art to some degree. No matter whether they appreciate art or not, the cultural centre is designed in a way to welcome and connect everyone in the city with art, which is something not a lot of cultural buildings in Hong Kong or even museums overseas have achieved,” Yim says.
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