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SOUTH ISLAND LINE BEGINS OPERATIONS, KEY SECTION designed by Atkins
Hong Kong MTR’s new South Island Line, for which Atkins was the detailed designer for a key section, started operating on 28 December, 2016, serving the 350,000 residents in Southern District. The new line runs in a combination of underground sections and on elevated structures, with five stations in total. Atkins was appointed by the MTR Corporation to provide the detailed design for two elevated new stations at Ocean Park and Wong Chuk Hang, 1.9km of new elevated viaduct, a new 247m bridge spanning the Aberdeen Channel Bridge, noise barriers, widening of a major open nullah for drainage, slope works, complex utility diversions and other associated works. A key aspect was to ensure that the visual impacts of the above ground structures were sensitively treated. The noise barrier design is fully integrated with the overhead line and trackside auxiliary system which allows a noticeable reduction in the overall width and height of the railway viaduct. This minimises the disturbance to the existing properties along the alignment. Reduced steelwork, structural envelope and maintenance requirement for the viaduct led to significant cost and time savings during the construction. Atkins’ director for transport in Asia Pacific, John Blackwood, said: “We’ve been working with MTRC for over 40 years but it’s always a thrill to see a new line come into operation, providing significant benefits to the community along the alignment. As the South Island Line is an elevated railway on the densely populated Hong Kong Island, it was a particularly challenging project as it is becoming progressively more difficult to build above ground railway lines in Hong Kong.” In 2014, another Atkins-designed railway project – MTR’s Island Line extension to Western District - was officially opened. The 3-km railway extension of Island Line from Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town provides convenient transportation for commuters living and working in the Western District, with an average of 200,000 passengers using its 3 stations daily since the commencement of service.
JEB AND VITRA ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA AND CHINA
Specialty furniture suppliers Jeb have recently announced a strategic and exclusive partnership with Swiss and family owned design company Vitra - a merger intended to better spread the work of the two groups across South East Asia and greater China, executed via way of several new showrooms in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. The partnership, which combines JEB’s partitions and Vitra’s furniture, will provide clients in the commercial, residential, institutional and public sectors with accessible world-class solutions to suit their corporate requirements. More information at www.jeb.com
BROADWAY MALYAN COMPLETES BUSINESS PARK FIRST PHASE AT CIBIS TOWER 9 A new office building designed by Broadway Malyan has recently been completed in Jakarta, offering high quality business space in the city. Tower 9, part of CIBIS Business Park, comprises 55,000m² of office and ground level retail space and includes the largest Grade A space available in the city, with floor plates of 4,000m². The completion marks the first phase of the business park that is being delivered by PT Bhumyamca Sekawan. The aim of the project being to provide international standard office space to attract new companies and provide better options for existing businesses looking to improve and upgrade their current premises. Ian Simpson, Director of Broadway Malyan said: “The challenge was to balance what would be viewed as an ‘international style’ office building with the local Indonesian culture. When buildings are designed without that local context in mind, it is very difficult to deliver something appropriate for the surroundings.” The tower has received LEED Platinum Pre-certification due to a number of sustainability-focused initiatives in the design. This includes a green roof, which reduces storm water run-off and ambient temperatures, and rainwater management systems to collect, store and purify water for other uses.