Sunday, July 30, 2006

Chek Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong, China

Chek Lap Kok Airport is located on the small island. The airport was finished in 1998.

Design team: Foster and Partners (architecture) and Mott Connell Ltd (engineering) and BAA plc (aerial plan).

What I consider as something very interesting, well before the island was converted into an airport, there was a mountain which has been flattened and extended into the See to four times the original size. Moreover the surface of the airport is 6m above sea level.

In addition the capacity of the terminal is covered by the one of the largest space ever built (areas at 156,000 m² = nearly 4 times area of the Market Square in Krakow (the biggest btw.) OR area of 125 Olympics size swimming pools). Incredible, do not you think?

The design team has to cope with the following issues – for example how to develop a rainwater outlet and the lights for such big surface of a roof. Well, the luminous roof was based on the concept used at Stansted Airport in London (designed by the same architect).

So, if this terminal is so huge – how to not get lost? Well, the roof was made of a series of metal vaults and this allows travellers to orient themselves in the immense halls of the terminal – clever.

(Those pictures which you can see - I have taken from the book - "The word of contempolary architecture").

The next imposing thing in Hong Kong is one of the longest suspension bridge that carried railway and highway. This bridge links the city and an island with the airport.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

My first step & INTRODUCTION

Finally I have decited to face up to my ideas and create my own place in the virtual space. I hope that I will manage it.
I will describe some of the greatest engineer projects. Maybe some of them you have already seen as well as I, or you will (and hopefully, I will too ;-).
My dear visitor, please be patient because this blog (which I have created btw. instead of my own webpage just because of the easiness to do), is under construction. But I promise to myself to be involved in writing it.
Please feel free to comment and if you wish add something, just do it! I appreciate for any comment!
Enjoy and thanks a lot for stopping by!