Nan Fung Group transforms old airport site into Hong Kong’s newest landmark

AIRSIDE transforms old Kai Tak airport into Hong Kong's newest landmark

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 23 June 2020 - Nan Fung Group has announced its plan for AIRSIDE, a 1.9 million sq. ft mixed-use commercial development in the Kai Tak area. The flagship project, which set a record HK$24.6 billion land bid in 2017, comprises of a 47-storey mixed-used development building including an over 30-storey Grade A office and a multi-storey retail complex with an interconnected underground shopping street. The total investment in the project will reach HKD$32 billion.

AIRSIDE embraces a new urban lifestyle concept of wholeness, inviting everyone and the community to gather at a place where you can be yourself and connect to others and nature. The development manifests Hong Kong's contemporary urban metabolism through showcasing experiential retail and leisure spaces, while its sky-high neighbourhood will be where businesses can set their sights on the surroundings and expand their horizons, make new networks and create changes. The authentic streetscape will also be playing host to an array of cultural and entertainment events, allowing for a change of pace, for people to pause and for new perspectives to be developed in the urban everyday lives. The development is set to open in Q4 2022.

Nan Fung Group is an international conglomerate that has been rooted in Hong Kong for over 60 years. Today, the Group is leading the transformation of the site of what was once Hong Kong's iconic former international Kai Tak Airport into a new Central Business District (CBD 2.0).

A Place for Wholeness

Vanessa Cheung, Group Managing Director of Nan Fung Group said, "Nan Fung has always been committed to curating unique and authentic lifestyle experiences for Hong Kong. We try to weave together the social and cultural fabric of an area to create a unique vibe for each destination and fresh new approaches to urban living. AIRSIDE will foster a new cohesion between the way we live and work. People will come to expand their horizons, both personally and as part of a community. It's a place where businesses can prosper on opportunities, and professional connections can be made. One will have a feeling of wholeness."

AIRSIDE embraces a new urban lifestyle concept of wholeness

A New Landmark for the City

AIRSIDE is situated at the very heart of the Hong Kong's CBD 2.0. It will be the tallest building in Kai Tak and thus offer unparalleled views of Victoria Harbour, the Kai Tak Area and CBD 2.0. The 200m high development will have Grade A offices that covers a gross floor area of 1.2 million sq. ft. with one of the largest floor plates in the city of approx. 32,000-53,000 sq. ft.

AIRSIDE is a significant anchor commercial development among the approximately 6 million sq. ft. of net fixed asset Grade A office clusters in the Kai Tak district. It offers multinational tenants a world's leading network with its prime location, as well as providing a diversity of work, meeting spaces and supporting facilities. The vertical neighbourhood will connect thought-leaders and like-minded individuals to embrace work, life and well-being. AIRSIDE will be a convener of collaborations for unlimited business opportunities.

Positioned on an Infrastructure Hub

At the premium location of Kowloon East's infrastructure network and sitting on a public transport interchange for CBD 2.0, AIRSIDE is the hub to connect people from near and afar. It is conveniently linked to the basement of the Kai Tak MTR station, just 2 minutes' walk from Kai Tak Station Square. Visitors will also pass along the Underground Shopping Street on the way to AIRSIDE. All major communities and nearby facilities are easily accessible on foot through a web of elevated walkways and bridges. When the Shatin-Central Line and Tuen-Ma Line is completed, Central will be just 15 minutes away, and Hong Kong International Airport and the Shenzhen border just 40 minutes away.

Redefining Urban Living

The sense of wholeness encompasses a balance of a wide range of activities, interests, art, entertainment and dining in a sustainable green environment that offers transformative feelings of wellbeing.

The 700,000 sq. ft. shopping mall at AIRSIDE offers an authentic curation of experiential retail, world-class cuisine, and quality-living and leisure experiences.

AIRSIDE offers cascading greenery, open-air rooftop, terraces and surrounding grounds that will constitute 33% of the site area. The rooftop garden and the vertical green wall within the 18,000 sq. ft. of serene green landscape provide moments of escape to fill the heart and soothe the soul.

AIRSIDE is also a cultural hub, providing a broad spectrum of cultural programmes to encourage interpersonal engagement and thought exchange within the community.

 The 700,000 sq. ft. shopping mall at AIRSIDE offers an authentic curation of leisure experiences

Architectural Wonders

The AIRSIDE building has been crafted by Snøhetta, an internationally acclaimed architecture and design firm renowned for their unique interpretations of architecture and the surrounding environment. Their design was inspired by the intense fusion of natural elements, historic structure, and contemporary urban spaces in Hong Kong. AIRSIDE reflects this by inviting the outside in, while connecting seamlessly to some of the main surrounding features in the area including the Kai Tak Park and the Kai Tak River.

A Sustainable Future

AIRSIDE is also advocating a sustainable green lifestyle supported by unique facilities such as Hong Kong's first ever automatic bicycle parking bay to encourage green mobility; sky farming; automated smart waste sorting and storage; a water-saving and rainwater retention strategy; and efficient centralised district-cooling and indoor air quality awareness that will make it one of the most environmentally-friendly landmarks in town.

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals have been adopted as the design blueprint for AIRSIDE. Every sustainable design detail has been carefully crafted in line with this framework to make AIRSIDE the first building in Hong Kong to receive five highest green-building certifications. These include platinum pre-certification of US LEED®, provisional platinum certification of Hong Kong BEAM Plus New Building, platinum pre-certification of WELL Building Standard™, final platinum certification of BEAM Plus Neighbourhood and final certification of the China Green Building Label 3-Star.  

AIRSIDE offers cascading greenery, open-air rooftop that will constitute 33% of the site area

Transforming the Urban Community

Nan Fung has a keen sense on the rich history of Hong Kong and many fond memories of Kai Tak. In this regard it is supporting the development of AIRSIDE not only as a premium CBD 2.0, but also as a prime cultural hub in Kowloon East.

About Nan Fung Group

Nan Fung Development Limited is a subsidiary of Nan Fung Group, one ofthe largest privately-held conglomerates in Hong Kong with global interests inreal estate development and investment and holds a well-diversified,substantial financial investment portfolio. The Group was founded in 1954 and has a track record spanning over 50years with over 165 projects including residential, commercial and industrialbuildings.  The Group also strategicallyfocuses on first-tier cities in Mainland China and recognises attractiveopportunities for development and investment overseas, including New York andLondon.

In recent years, the Group expanded its investment focus on ICE(Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship), exemplified by its signatureproject, the Mills, a revitalization of its legacy yarn factories into a hubpromoting tech-style and destination for culture and learning.  The Group also made significant progress ininvestments related to life sciences in the US via Pivotal; and in MainlandChina via an affiliate, New Frontier, which focuses on healthcare, elderlycare, education and new technology.