Foster + Partners has designed a new gateway to Hong Kong for cruise passengers at the Ocean Terminal in Harbour City. Recently opened to the public, the five-storey terminal extension lies opposite Victoria Harbour, yielding marquee views of the extensive skyline via a free rooftop observation deck. The expansion better positions the terminal as a unique waterfront experience and aims to create a new landmark for the city.

The extension is composed of cascading levels, image via Foster + Partners

Passengers, residents and tourists are given 270-degree views of the city from the dense apartments of Kowloon Peninsula to vibrant Causeway Bay. The building provides a platform for new outdoor spaces, using cascading terraces as al-fresco dining and entertainment nodes. The idea is to create a 'living room' for visitors right in the heart of the city, and photos show snap-happy photographers making good use of the space.

The building juts out into Victoria Harbour, image via Foster + Partners

The cantilevered levels provide shade to the spaces below, a climatic response to the building's tropical context. The balustrades are angled to align with the overarching geometry of the structure and serve as louvers for the balcony underneath. 

View of the Hong Kong skyline from the observation deck, image via Harbour City

A stepped outdoor seating area is equipped with glass risers that allow natural light to penetrate the internal atrium. The existing terminal is linked to the extension seamlessly, and a "central diagonal circulation spine" connects the roof level to the marine deck through a series of escalators.

The 112 shops within Ocean Terminal, which opened in 1966, made it the first and largest shopping centre in Hong Kong. Often cited as a must-see destination, the enhanced cruise terminal facilities and entertainment experiences are destined to attract even more tourists to the site.