The Express Rail Link West Kowloon Terminus, when completed (sometime in 2015), will be the world’s largest underground high-speed rail station, occupying a whopping 4,628,481sq/ft! Its surreal modern design is the work of international architectural studio Aedes, who with it demonstrate the interconnectedness of architecture and technology.
From the central Hong Kong terminal’s 15 tracks, high-speed trains capable of reaching up to 200kph will convey to and from Beijing, in a record 48-minute’s time. (At present, the same trip takes 100 minutes by rail.)
From the structure’s landscaped paths, which are in fact the roof of the rail station, pedestrians will be afforded a breathtaking new view of the Hong Kong skyline from a vantage point of 148ft above the ground. Its horizontal design of smooth waves and clean lines cuts a sharp contrast against the otherwise tall and pointed buildings nearby, installing what is certainly a welcome contemporary new look for Hong Kong. [Freshome]