An urban island floating on the MTR station: A case study of the West Kowloon development in Hong Kong

This article examines the West Kowloon development in Hong Kong by considering the Kowloon Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station and its attached properties in the form of a megastructure. It begins by reviewing the socio-political and economic background of the project in its historical context, which has ultimately given the urban development project its unique characteristics. For a more clear understanding, various types of megastructure prototypes are analysed in comparison to the Kowloon MTR station and the properties in the West Kowloon development. The article describes the entire process of the megastructure, from the formation of the architectural design concept to its final realization. A final part concludes with a consideration of the project as a megastructure and as a significant node along the metro network in Hong Kong. Through the case study of the West Kowloon development, this article aims to assess the spatial characteristics and configurations of the megastructure project, and to establish the criteria by which to critique it in an architectural context. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.