Sir Norman Foster often shows us the new dimensions in architecture achieved through outstanding technologies. It gives us a fresh enthusiasm to think beyond our conventional boundaries of thinking about ‘architecture what it can be’.
On July 6, 1998, Hong Kong opened its new international airport 16 miles out at sea. But first, engineers had to build not only the largest passenger terminal on earth, but a whole new island to hold the airport, and miles of tunnels, bridges and roadways to connect it to the mainland.
The passenger terminal of this airport claims to be the world's largest enclosed space with 70 moving walkways stretching more than two miles, a pilotless electric train, 150 shops and a 1,100-room hotel.
The airport’s twin runways, each more than 2.3 miles long, can support up to 49 flights per hour. The airport handles 45 million passengers a year nowadays, but that figure can be nearly doubled to 87 million!
The flat island housing Hong Kong International Airport was actually two mountainous islands when construction began. But the mountains were pulverized and their rocks recycled to fill 1.5 miles of sea now connecting Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau. A whole new six-lane expressway, utility and rail corridor hugs Lantau Island’s rugged coast. Like many of the new projects, it required extensive blasting and land-filling to build.
So the visual story of planning and building this master piece work of architecture and engineering would worth to see for sure. AIUB (American International University, Bangladesh) Department of Architecture arranges the opportunity for you to experience the thrill in movie screen through the Documentary on ‘Extreme Engineering : Building Hong Kong’s Airport, Architect: Norman Foster’ directed by Jennifer Lorenz.
When: at 16:00 BST, Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Where: AIUB Auditorium (Campus – 1) [Lane opposite to Iqbal Center], H# 58/B, R# 21, Kamal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka – 1213, Bangladesh.
Contact No. : +88 01911353043
[ArchSociety Correspondence with AIUB: Ar. Arefeen Ibrahim, Asst. Professor & Program Coordinator, Dept. of Architecture, AIUB; Few information is taken from Discovery Channel, photography by NEO]