113 Argyle Street

Design Concept

Situated right next to Mongkok Railway Station and minutes away from the area's busy shopping streets, this office/commercial building was designed to provide the kind of modern working environment that was otherwise difficult to find in this part of Kowloon. The project’s major challenge was to find a design solution that maximised development potential while also addressing the unique character of the site’s congested location.

The process began with planning applications to approve office and commercial use on a site that had previously been a school. However, the project was designed before the completion of Chek Lap Kok Airport and the accompanying change in height restrictions for all Kowloon sites, making the maximum development potential difficult to achieve – a situation further complicated by geotechnical constraints and the need to accommodate lorry loading bays and car parking within the building’s allowable volume. In the end, a solution was found by adjusting the building's floor heights and adopting a walk-up top office floor.

The gross floor area of 30,100 sq. m. was organised into a 25-storey office tower, sitting on a solid three-storey car park podium with a single floor of retail space accessible from street level. The tower block was designed in a dumbbell shape with a lift core at its centre, thereby enabling an efficient division into smaller office units, while also maximising the building’s frontage at both ends to make the most of the natural light and views. A curved curtain wall system at both frontages softens the boxy effect of the tower, while the indented centre articulates the building’s form, bringing its mass closer to a human scale.

Almost the entire surface of the main tower is sheathed in green reflective glass to harmonise with the surrounding hills, while the podium is clad in dark green granite to evoke a solid base. The generous tree-lined forecourt was paved with matching green slate, leading to a lobby with a generous ceiling height that creates a welcoming entrance to the building.