Realizing the late Mrs. Nina Wang’s wishes to benefit the community, Chinachem Group revitalized the under-utilized wood fossil park which was first opened in 2013. The garden was re-positioned and renamed as Nina Park and an experiential centre was added. The park is open to the public free of charge and has become an oasis for Tsuen Wan residents and a great edutainment attraction in Hong Kong. This project serves as a model for private institutions actively participating in community development and contributing to society. Nina Park is an urban park housing Asia’s largest collection of wood fossils, weaves a rich tapestry of nature, art and science, presenting over 100 museum-grade wood fossils as part of an innovative “edutainment” experience. This is a place where history spans millions of years, inviting explorers from every walk of life to embark on a timeless adventure. Moreover, Nina Park actively demonstrates how environmental responsibility and sustainability objectives can be fulfilled through landscape design.
Native plants are used to define different landscaped areas, for ornamental purposes and, most importantly, to preserve local vegetation. Their use further provides an ideal habitat for local fauna, to improve biodiversity at the site. Since its completion, the planting strategies to create green linkage attracting native wildlife species from the surround park system back to what was once sterile land. The design also maintains respect for the site’s water resources by incorporating rainwater recycling and management; this in turn meets the water demands for landscape irrigation, as well as on-site water features and water play area.
By taking the whole development into consideration, we ensured the social, environmental and economic sustainability of the project. Nina Park serves as an attractive urban green area as well as a community space that engages users in active and passive recreation, in response to the green concept of healthy living.
The overall planting palette is strategically selected to provide seasonal interest with considerations of colour, forms and contrasts of foliage. Evergreen, deciduous and flowering trees, together with shrubs and groundcovers, are carefully arranged to create a positive impression of the park as a green heart within an urban environment.
Site Challenges and Difficultly Site Access for Construction
Revitalizing an existing podium roof garden over PTI & turn adjoining circulation into an exhibition garden centre.
– Only one access point for all ins and outs.
– Lack of spaces requiring very careful staging and smart site logistics.
– Challenges in justifying temporary and permanent imposed loads to the existing structure.
– Difficult site logistic and limitation in use of heavy machineries and plants.
– Involving a lot of delicate lifting and precise installations for the wood fossils, artworks and feature trees.
– 100% health tree retention full preservation of existing trees (>50% existing trees being retained and transplanted).
Wood Fossil X Time – reminding people to treasure our planet and life
Curated on the theme of Wood Fossil X Time, Nina Park introduces the earth’s history and the extinction of species caused by climate change to remind people about the transience of human life and the fragility of our planet. Through the visit, we hope people can “learn from the past, seize the present and plan for the future”, and take action to protect our planet and treasure every moment in life.
Inspiring artistic curation
Apart from delivering the scientific knowledge related to wood fossils, the curation and presentation take an artistic approach hoping to inspire people and evoke thinking. The long sun and moon stone tell the story of wood fossil formation through the volcano backdrop or through the VR video viewed in the timescope. Six stones in special shapes were curated as life milestones for people to remember their important moments in life. In the Time Plaza, three timepieces run shows at interval to represent the cyclic activities of earth, sky and man in different time scale represents man, sky and earth cycle. At night, centred at the Time Plaza, the whole park turns into a theatre for a dramatic light show.
Sponge Park
Responding to the rising climate change and increased frequency of drought and flood, Nina Park was created as a sponge park with new rainwater tanks built under the park over an existing bus terminus to regulate the water supply between the rainy and dry days. This not only turns it into a self-sufficient zero-irrigation park but provides water for features, play equipment and external spot cooling through the IOT installation, Smart Bench.
Interactive Zero Water Park
There are huge water tanks under the park not only to serve as the “sponges” to soak away excessive precipitation but also to provide water for irrigation so that the park can become self-sufficient and achieve zero water. For visitors to “visualize” the concept, the roof of the water tank was designed as a flattened funnel plaza with gutters spiralling towards the drain in the centre. An interactive playscape was installed next to the plaza for kids to play with the stored rainwater while a smart bench nearby used the rainwater for spot cooling. In addition, landscape feature such as the Arts and the Water Play Area educate children about water recycling and micro-ecosystems through play.
Use of Renewable Energy
Adjoining the park, extensive areas of the roof were used for the installation of solar panels which generate electricity to feed the park and the city grid. To further educate the public on the use of renewable energy, solar flooring was installed on a portion of the park while solar panels were installed on the pitched roof of a mini-bird house above the smart bench. A power-generating bicycle was also installed for visitors to recharge their smartphones.
Inclusive Design for the Cared
The elderly and children are key users of parks and recreational facilities. Nina Park tries to strike a good balance between an interesting park with level variations and three-dimensional designs and one that is inclusive and friendly to the elderly and disabled. Level changes are carefully connected with gentle ramps, some of which were turned into feature walks like the Sky Ramp through trees with fossils displayed on the sides. Even for facilities like the amphitheatre with inevitable steps, a ramp that zigzags through tiers of seats enables people in wheelchairs to use the facilities.
IOT Smart Bench
To give better, more comfortable and convenient experiences to the visitors, many garden furniture and installations were turned smart. The seating was integrated with directional signs and security devices into a smart bench and networked to form a system of IoTs (Internet of things). The bench not only informs people of the daily programs and happenings, and real-time weather from HK Observatory, it detects the micro-climate around the bench. On hotter days, some benches chill visitors with spot cooling using the recycled rainwater in the water tank underground. Apart from thermal comfort control, the direction signposts were crowned with a little birdhouse with an all-in-one micro-climate sensors as the chimney and CCTV camera as little resting birds. For pitched roof facing south, a solar panel was installed to allow visitors to recharge their mobile phone.
Positive User Experience:
Through community and public education programs that included information on fossils for both tourists and locals, Nina Park hoped to make a positive impact. A unique and engaging approach to fostering community connections, Nina Park’s shows are lively, personable, and enjoyable. Nina Park offers a purposeful edutainment experience that engages the local community, fostering an environment that is people-centric and suitable for all ages.
Nina Park is another example of a “Playground for All,” a community project that aims to improve inclusivity and improve the quality of life for the locals. It infuses vibrancy into the center of Tsuen Wan, acting as a catalyst for success by promoting economic growth and community development.
The fossil collections in Nina Park aid in academic pursuits and scientific study by deepening our knowledge of the planet’s past. As a living example of sustainable development, Nina Park highlights the value of protecting the environment and our natural resources. Through its integration with Tsuen Wan Park and Tsuen Wan Promenade, Nina Park improves the community’s overall environmental well-being.
The Goal
NINA PARK strives to inspire people and improve the overall quality of city life by encouraging them to appreciate our planet and life. It introduces the earth’s history and the extinction of species caused by climate change to remind people about the transience of human life and the fragility of our planet. Through the visit, we hope people can “learn from the past, seize the present and plan for the future”, and take action to protect our planet and treasure every moment in life. The project aims to highlight the vulnerability of the Earth and all living beings, emphasizing the importance of sustainability. By utilizing recycled materials and operating with zero carbon emissions, it offers significant environmental benefits. Additionally, it strives to provide a comprehensive experience by integrating hardware and software through extensive research and innovative solutions. Nina Park aims to attract a larger number of repeat visitors to the mall and hotel. Through strategic enhancements to these existing assets (fossils/ under-utilized spaces), the establishment will be able to establish a strong brand identity in a more forward-thinking and innovative manner. This approach not only revitalizes the space but also creates opportunities for new businesses to emerge, aligning with the overall theme of the project.
Architecture offices involved in the design:
Architect
Organisation Name : ARQSTUDIO Ltd
Contact Person Name & Position : Chan Lai Kiu / Director
Tel. No. : 9319 2149
Email : qlkchan@arqstudio.com.hk
Sustainable Design Consultant
Organisation Name : AECOM Asia Co. Ltd
Contact Person Name & Position : Ryan Cheung / Associate Director
Tel. No. : 3922 9908
Email : Ryan.cheung@aecom.com
Civil & Structural Engineer
Organisation Name : AECOM Asia Co. Ltd
Contact Person Name & Position : WL Leung / Executive Director
Tel. No. : 3922 8995
Email : wl.leung@aecom.com
Building Services Engineer
Organisation Name : AECOM Asia Co. Ltd
Contact Person Name & Position : Daniel Tsoi / Technical Director
Tel. No. : 3922 9131
Email : Daniel.Tsoi@aecom.com
Location: 8 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong
Design year: 2018
Year Completed: 2023
