PROJECT STORY
The challenge
To capture a share of the regional cruise market, the Hong Kong government wanted to build a new cruise terminal that would better meet the rapidly growing demand in Hong Kong and the region.
Kai Tak Cruise Terminal
Combining flexibility and sustainability to build a next-generation cruise terminal
The solution
Arcadis fostered a collaborative working environment to deliver effective cost services, mitigate delays and avoid slippage.
The impact
The new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal building will not only turn Hong Kong into a regional hub for cruise ships but also boost the city’s annual revenue.
$2.2 billion
projected additional annual revenue for Hong Kong
104,000m²
construction floor area
The challenge
Thanks to its strategic location in Asia Pacific, Hong Kong has been a favorite destination for international tourists and cruise passengers. The rapid growth of regional cruise market has provided the city of Hong Kong with additional annual revenue. Banking on the cruise industry’s expected growth, the Hong Kong government wanted to build a new four-story cruise terminal at the southern tip of the former Kai Tak airport runway. The planned terminal was envisioned to be able to provide excellent services and facilities while also being flexible to remain operational even during the typhoon season.
The solution
The cruise terminal, designed by Foster & Partners, has a construction floor area of about 144,000m2 and a concourse area that spans 70m. This concourse area was designed to be turned into a venue for public performances, events and exhibitions to ensure that the terminal can be used even when there is no cruise liner docked during the typhoon season. Aside from its operation flexibility, the terminal was also equipped with energy-saving features such district cooling system, renewable power generation and using rainwater for irrigation.
The Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region appointed Arcadis as the consultant quantity surveyor for the project. ArchSD has prepared the tender documents and invitation of tenders even before our team joined the project. Given that the procurement method was under a design and build arrangement, we teamed up with Foster & Partners to submit a schematic design during the tender stage. We then proceeded to provide a range of cost and commercial management services that included tender assessment and award through to the preparation and settlement of the final account.
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The collaborative work between all members of the project team, combined with our proactive approach to cost control, helped deliver the project within budget. By continuing this working arrangement throughout the construction phases, we enabled the efficient exchange of ideas and information which mitigated delays due to differing claims. Regular monitoring of the progress ensured that there was no slippage during bad weather.
I am enormously pleased with this project because aside from meeting the demand of a burgeoning industry. Hong Kong with a unique cultural blend of east and west, combining modern architecture with traditional antiques, local cultural characteristics with British colonial relics can be observed everywhere. By growing the international cruise tourism market, Hong Kong Kai Tak Cruise Terminal is a must-go destination.
The impact
Adorning the southern tip of an old airport runway, the spectacular four-story 4 story terminal building already accommodates a 360m vessel in its first berth, which was opened in June 2013. The terminal is not limited to cruise passengers. Daily visitors can also enjoy shops, restaurants and the largest landscape deck and rooftop garden in Hong Kong. With the client’s commitment to sustainability, the Hong Kong Green Building Council awarded the project its highest “BEAM Plus Platinum” rating.
Cruise passengers will also get to enjoy the benefits of having important facilities for customs, immigration, quarantine, police and ancillary commercial area conveniently housed in one area. The government estimated that the new cruise terminal will turn Hong Kong into the pre-eminent regional hub for cruise ships and boost the city’s revenue by $2.2 billion a year.
