After completing its historical mission in 1998, Kai Tak Airport was replaced by sustainable communities – Kai Ching Estate and Tak Long Estate built on the site of the former airport. The two estates were named after the Chinese characters '啟' and '德' respectively. In order to preserve the precious memories of the former airport, the public spaces in these housing estates have incorporated many elements related to the old airport. The estates are adorned with old airport codes and symbols throughout, providing visitors a fun and engaging way to trace the history of this iconic location.
One of the unique features of the housing estates is the Checkerboard Hill logo, which pays homage to the former navigation system of Kai Tak Airport. The airport’s challenging environment and unique landing approach made the 13/31 runway world-famous. When flying near Checkerboard Hill, pilots would need to make a sharp turn, a testimony of their skills. The airport’s reputation as one of the world’s 10 most dangerous airports only added to its allure and mystique.
Themed Children’s Playground:
The housing estate’s playground is filled with old airport designs, including the “13/31” runway name, representing the Kai Tak take-off and landing angles of 136 and 316 degrees respectively.
Distinctive Markers in Public Spaces:
Each floor of the Kai Ching Estate features elevator lobbies with airplane-wing-shaped patterns, while the stairwells are designed with runway markings. Each lobby wall displays historical markers reflecting the history of Kai Tak Airport, accompanied by an old photograph of the airport provided by Hong Kong aviation history collector James Ng.
Abundance of Themed Artwork:
The Kai Ching Estate features airplane-shaped sculptures as its logo and airplane-shaped installations in the covered pedestrian walkways, simulating airplanes taxiing on the runway. In addition, the lobby of Hong Ching House in the Kai Ching Estate features an art piece depicting an airplane landing in the direction of the former Kai Tak Airport.
To catch a glimpse of the old Kai Tak Airport, visit Tak Long Estate’s historical corridor, which features old photographs of Kai Tak Airport and the Kowloon City area.
Upon entering Ching Long Shopping Centre, visitors can see an art piece on the ceiling of one of the passageways, depicting the scene of an airplane landing on the street. The mall also features meticulously designed replicas of the old Kai Tak Airport international time zone wall, which is not to be missed!
click on the following images to view the featured attractions
Awards
Kai Ching Estate
1.
Hong Kong Green Building Council – Platinum rating under
BEAM Plus New Buildings assessment scheme
2.
China Green Building Label (Design Label) Assessment
Scheme - 3 Star Rating
3.
Green Building Award 2014 - Grand Award (New Building
Category)
4.
FuturArc Green Leadership Award 2014 - Certificate of
Recognition
Tak Long Estate
1.
Structural Excellence Award 2015, Residential (Commendation Merit) (Awarded by Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, and Joint Structural Division, Institution of Structural Engineers, UK)
2.
2014 HKIPM Project Management Achievement Award 2014 : Winner Research
