Environmental planning and building up

Hong Kong should continue to soar not sprawl, says Paul Katz, architect of the 118-storey International Commerce Centre.

Square Foot (SF): Do you think high-rise buildings along the Hong Kong harbour front will block natural ventilation for surrounding areas?

Paul Katz (PK): Terrible misunderstanding exists in the minds of some. I do not believe there is enough research on the “wall effect”; people focus on clusters of buildings and think they are to blame for poor air quality.

SF: Can clusters of buildings in fact facilitate air passage?

PK: American and Singaporean shopping malls, convention halls and civic centres have arcades and facades that allow for breezes to flow through and cool lower floors. Sound planning can foster pleasant environments. Tall and/or large buildings can, through proper design, create natural ventilation, as evidenced by some of the proposals for the government offices at the former Tamar naval base.

SF: How does Hong Kong’s environmental planning compare to other Asian cities?

PK: Not to disparage your gleaming metropolis but Singapore is much more environmentally planned. The use of facades is mandatory in Singapore and wisely so: they make public spaces more pleasant by providing shade and ventilation around the building. In Tokyo, green spaces have been created on rooftops. Buildings can even be designed with holes in them to facilitate freer air flow.

SF: You once said “sprawl should be outlawed in a responsible society”. Why?

PK: The greatest benefit of a modern city is that people can regularly interface and interchange; face-to-face meetings and casual interactions — hallmarks of Hong Kong business — would otherwise be cumbersome. That is also why we have financial centres, universities, museums, art galleries, orchestra halls and live performances in major urban centres.

If people are dispersed then fewer office workers and professionals are concentrated in a relatively small and navigable space in the commercial district where they can easily meet. There is an immense economic value in having them in or close to Central. One of Hong Kong’s advantages is that transportation time is minimal. Proximity brings immense enrichment and synergies.

SF: Would it make sense to allocate more land in our financial districts for apartments?

PK: I have always advocated living and working downtown; urban areas should be easily accessible to pedestrians. Living and working in New York, I fully appreciate the appeal of such an environment. It might be prudent to convert older office buildings in Wanchai and Sheung Wan into lofts as has been done in New York and Chicago.

SF: Do you espouse a mixed-use Central Business District?

PK: At its heart, urban planning is about balance. I am all for mixed use and living close to one’s workplace and recreational areas but there are costs. A potential conflict exists between the interests of residents and other [business community] users. If families resided in Central they would want more schools nearby, which might lead to higher taxes and even more expensive commercial property and goods and services.

It is critical not to undermine Central as the centre of gravity for business. Residences there would limit the supply of office space. It is worth noting that Singapore caps its land release for residential development much more stringently than Hong Kong does. Simply put: do not jeopardise the growth of the financial district.

SF: What should the future hold for Hong Kong’s cityscape?

PK: As far as I can see, Hong Kong exhibits little government support for improving public spaces. Investing in urban works would not be that costly for a prosperous society like Hong Kong: given its density, a few changes could profoundly ameliorate the status quo.

To its credit, downtown Hong Kong is more interesting and vibrant compared to most world-class cities. Again, given Hong Kong’s density, it has done remarkably well with some of its public spaces. Yet, good design could still be implemented in places like Wanchai and elsewhere on Hong Kong Island.

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