Wong Tung & Partners Limited: Winner of World Design Awards 2022. The new Transport Department Vehicle Examination Complex, TDVEC, is the latest construction of Hong Kong to carry out vehicle examination by Transport Department. With an approximate floor plate dimension measuring about 156m x 125m and building height of approximately 46m, the TDVEC project is a multi-storey functional building which comprises 30 inspection lanes with other vehicle inspection and testing facilities. The sheer RC structure is set to house all the equipment and personnel from existing 3 current vehicle examination centres, namely the Kowloon Bay VEC, New Kowloon Bay VEC and To Kwa Wan VEC, and combining all examination operations of these 3 centres into one centralized building. The total constructed floor area of the TDVEC is ~69,000 sq.m and the design handling capacity of is 1000 vehicles per day.

The TDVEC is a building with unique and specific function that is of an unprecedented scale in the world for building of the same type. The challenge is huge to create a building that is capable of housing all those complex functions in relatively small and irregular site with a lot of site constraints. Efficiency is of utmost importance to handle the daily influx of vehicles. To accommodate the sheer operational space within the irregularly shaped and congested site, the team has devised an innovative driveway arrangement – double helical scissor ramp to resolve the vertical vehicle traffic as well as eliminating the potential vehicular conflict due to head-on traffic in most vehicle-oriented building.

Despite the utilitarian nature, the design of the TDVEC presents itself as a sculptural and sparkling existence amidst the rustic surroundings composed of heavy-duty industrial establishments – shipyards, godowns, oil depots etc. The building façade design is inspired by the metaphor of fully synchronized machines which endow this ultra-utilitarian building with unique identity. Being wrapped by two-tone bright color architectural fin following the building profile with the supergraphics of the Transport Department Logo imprinted on the fins, the TDVEC has become a major visual anchor point for daily passing-by drivers a clear orientation – a geographical reminder  for drivers who are required to visit this building once every year. Being sandwiched between two major highways diverting right at the spot of the building is sited, the streamlined, wedge shape building is like a hot knife through butter, creating a brief but long-lasting image when one travels from satellite district of Lantau where the Hong Kong Airport located, to the bustling CBD of Hong Kong City.

Project Details
Firm
Wong Tung & Partners Limited

Architect/Designer          
John Yuen

Project Name
Transport Department Vehicle Examination Complex

World Design Awards Category
Institutional Building Built

Project Location
Hong Kong

Project Team   
John Yuen, Tony Ho, Albert Chung, Belinda Liu, Rex Choi, Queenie Yau, Sam Hui

Country
Hong Kong SAR, China

Photography ©Credit
©Wong Tung & Partners Limited

Founded in Hong Kong in 1963, the Wong Tung Group of Companies (WT) has established a proven track record in providing architectural master planning and design services for large scale mixed use, commercial, offices, residential, hotels and institutional and projects in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland and the Pacific Rim Region.

WT is dedicated to quality, leadership and excellence in the service to industry, while maintaining a high standard of ethical conduct. WT believe that a strong social vision is the driving force behind a happy and productive work force, which is critical for the development of healthy and sustainable practice.