Hong Kong airport. Feature: Thames hub

should the programme be given the green light. No longer an island, the Isle is Q&A virtually all marshland so a similar landfill with Huw Thomas, partner at Foster + Partners, exercise would need to be undertaken to secure the development’s foundations. in charge of the Thames Hub project While the engineering provided many challenges, one of the biggest issues on Lord Foster How close are you to the Hong Kong Airport Core Programme is championing making this project a was securing the final go-ahead. the proposals but reality? “The project was planned to be who are the team Q5 concluded before the handover of behind it and We believe that with Hong Kong to the Chinese so there was Q1 political will, the project is eminently deliverable. whose idea was it? a defined deadline and complicated There are persuasive arguments – it has the project planning. Once committed, the potential to unlock economic benefits for The idea of locating an airport in the Estuary this generation, as well as securing Britain’s government never looked back or tried has been around for decades, but our proposal competitive position internationally. to re-examine its decision,” said Dr van is unique for its spine and for its integration Hoften. with a new orbital rail network. Our team is made up of Foster + Partners, What are the He added: “The engineering and infrastructure consultants Halcrow and proposed costs construction, while complicated, was economists, Volterra Partners. of the Thames Hub carried out by a very large group of Project? competent international contractors; If realised, Q6 at one stage there were some 170 the Thames Hub The costs are £20 billion for the rail network, £20 contractors from 18 countries working on billion for the new Estuary airport, £6 billion for would represent the project.” the new flood protection barrier and £4 billion for Q2 perhaps the local infrastructure and environmental mitigation. The template: Hong Kong most ambitious UK project of the Lesson learned modern age. How would a project With fears of a fresh International Airport The airport has received Perhaps the biggest lesson for Thames of this calibre be undertaken – recession Hub developers is not to be rushed where would a project on the horizon, The projects proposed as part of the into delivering the project should it manager start? is now the right Thames Hub are ambitious and bold. numerous awards as the get the go-ahead. Some critics argue Q7 Should they go ahead then the project that pressure to complete the HKIA time to invest The initial priorities are to guarantee political team involved will face a gargantuan project in just seven years led to severe will for the project, which means identifying key in such a project? best airport in China, best task. organisational, mechanical and technical national as well as local benefits. In tandem, they would need to achieve a secure indication Now is the right time. There is no shortage The team can take comfort, however, problems that almost crippled the airport of cost and to establish a robust financing of money globally for good projects and the from a programme similar in complexity. airport in the world and for months after it opened. economic benefits it has the potential to strategy. The next stage would be to explore the The Hong Kong Airport Core At the time of opening, Hong Kong necessary planning processes for a project of deliver make the Thames Hub one of the Dr James ‘Ox’ this scale. most compelling initiatives in the world. Programme, also the brainchild of Lord Politician Lau Kang-Way was quoted as Foster, had goals similar to that of the van Hoften. a host of other accolades. saying that the airport had become the What are the time Thames Hub. laughing stock of the world. Instead of scales for the Where is the capital The programme, and in particular the level project management. until project completion. All key project a first class facility, it had become a Q3 phases and what do going to come from airport, was designed to alleviate some “The project was in planning phases decisions were taken at these meetings 'ninth class' one. the phases entail? to fund the Thames of Hong Kong’s congestion and keep it for almost 30 years. It had changed including commitments for spending as Responding to criticism that the Q8 Hub? at the forefront of the Asian economic over the years but was finalised as a well as some technical issues. Any large- pressure to complete led to operational We envisage project planning within this boom. consolidated complex project in 1989,” scale project, including a Thames Hub, and organisational difficulties, Dr van parliamentary term to allow submittals for Numerous stakeholders are required, As part of the programme, the new said Dr van Hoften. would benefit from early planning and Hoften said: “Of the 10 Airport Core from early risk capital to institutional approval at the start of the next parliament Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) “Early on the government knew that committed oversight plus professional Programme projects, only the airport – the new barrier, rail orbital and airport are investment for the ownership and operation relatively straightforward of the different components. The clear was built on a large artificial island, a project of this size, which accounted project management.” itself was delayed. All of the other in this respect. commitment shown so far indicates that formed by levelling the mountainous for over half of the Hong Kong budget, projects opened ahead of schedule and there is an appetite for such investment. Lam Chau and Chek Lap Kok islands. would need a very comprehensive Think big $1.5 billion under budget. With so many HKIA was the centrepiece of a $20 co-ordination. Bechtel’s role involved In Hong Kong, location was an issue. The “It is correct that the airport was stakeholders Is the new Hong billion, ten-part programme which was programme oversight, co-ordination of densely populated mainland meant that opened before the cargo handling Q4 Kong International completed in 1998. the various elements, control of project engineers and developers had to think facility, a private investment project, involved how would you ensure that the project is Airport being seen as The programme also saw the contingencies, insurance and a variety of big and eventually decided to build the was completed. Any issues on opening delivered on time, on budget and a blueprint for the construction of a transportation corridor other important project requirements.” hub airport out at sea. day were settled quickly afterwards.” Q9 Thames Hub? stretching 22 miles from Hong Kong The Hong Kong government put Engineers used excavated land as Despite the enormous technical with minimal disruption? Island to the site of HKIA, a high-speed together a government board called the landfill to create an area big enough difficulties, HKIA is now the world’s The Thames Hub vision is aligned with the As recent projects such as Crossrail and infrastructure needs of the UK, but it offers rail system, a six-lane superhighway, two Airport Development Steering Committee to build the airport. Before this could tenth busiest passenger airport, the London Olympics show, the UK has many lessons – Chek Lap Kok was visionary in underwater tunnels and two bridges. (ADSCOM) to oversee the project. The happen however, the seafloor needed handling over 50 million passengers well-developed mechanisms for embracing the sense it addressed the capacity constraints multiple stakeholders in planning and Bechtel was hired as the overall project heads of all the government entities were to be cleared, sand added to the seabed every year. of Kai Tak and established the leading Asian delivery – we will draw on these skills. management company to coordinate all members of the committee and Bechtel and the crumbled mountain remains laid Dr van Hoften concluded: “The airport hub. Foster + Partners worked on the project for six years and it is consistently voted by the various elements of the programme. helped with its implementation. on top to close the mile and a half gap has received numerous awards as the passengers as the best airport in the world. Dr James ‘Ox’ van Hoften was Bechtel’s Dr van Hoften added: “Another between the two islands. best airport in China, best airport in the programme manager. He said that the key takeaway was the government’s Location is also a concern for the world and a host of other accolades. key lessons to take away from Hong commitment to success. ADSCOM Thames Hub. The Isle of Grain has been By all measures it should be considered Kong were patience, planning and high met every two weeks and continued earmarked as the hub’s central location a resounding success.”

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