25 years into its service, the Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1 Level 8 Departure Kerb is being revamped with functional and aesthetic upgrades in anticipation of future air travel needs. The entire deck, which includes 4 glass vestibules, paving zones, bollards, valet parking drop-off, and smoking area, totals 4,000 sqm and is revamped in phases over a period of 18 months.

The design first addresses human centric requirements, in which the ease of wayfinding, scale, visibility, transparency, pedestrian flow, trolley manoeuvring radius, and maintenance concerns determined the bounding geometric parameters. For an additional structure, context is crucial where we try to draw parallels with the existing terminal as much as possible. In response to the barrel vault roof of Terminal 1, the roof of the vestibule inverts the arc and the shape is rationalized into a torus to ensure a consistent double curvature and ease of fabrication and installation. The silver top and white underside also echoes the upper roof, and the thin, crisp and continuously lit edge aligns with the ever-contemporary aesthetics of the Airport.

The arc shape, when placed in plan, receives the travellers in a more fluent traffic flow, and it allows the ease of manoeuvring of the luggage trolleys. The use of curved glass eases the corners and plays into the overall continuous geometry of the paving. Similar aesthetic strategies drive the design of the various functional totems, feature barriers, and the smoking area fixtures.