Business Briefs: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Words: Bronzella Cleveland
JanuaryFebruary 2008
Industry News
Business Briefs: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Zaha Hadid (Credit: Steve Double)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has appointed world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid as the architect of its new Innovation Tower. This building will be her first permanent architectural work in Hong Kong.
Victor Lo Chung-wing, chairman of PolyU council said the Innovation Tower would serve as a driving force in the development of Hong Kong as a design hub in Asia. Construction will begin in 2009, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011. Upon completion, the tower will provide some 12,000 square meters of net operational floor area and able to accommodate about 1,800 staff and students.
Hadid is considered one of the most influential figures in the world of modern architecture. She is also the first female recipient of the Pritzker Architecture prize. She established her professional practice in London and her works can be found in major cities around the world, including the BMW Central Building in Leipzig, the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, and the Olympics Aquatics Centre to be built in London.