Sorrento, Hong Kong
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The Union Square is a
mixed-use Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...
commercial and residential real estate project in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, located on the
West Kowloon West Kowloon (), named after West Kowloon Reclamation Project as a part of Airport Core Programme, is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. The Land reclam ...
reclamation in
Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui ( zh, c=尖沙咀), often abbreviated as TST, is an list of areas of Hong Kong, area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed ...
,
Kowloon Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...
. The area covers , while the site has a gross floor area of , approximately the size of the
Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...
development in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. The complex contained some of the tallest buildings in Hong Kong, which includes the tallest commercial building in Hong Kong, the 118-storey
International Commerce Centre The International Commerce Centre is a 108-story, supertall skyscraper in West Kowloon, Hong Kong, resting atop the Elements mall and near two MTR Stations (Kowloon and Austin Station). It is the world's 13th tallest building by height, 1 ...
and the loftiest residential tower in Hong Kong,
The Cullinan The Cullinan is a luxury private housing estate located in the Union Square, West Kowloon, Hong Kong. The building has glass curtain walls and views of Victoria Harbour. The glass facade matches the design language of the neighbouring In ...
, which rises high.


Location and accommodation

Union Square is located at 1 Austin Road West,
West Kowloon West Kowloon (), named after West Kowloon Reclamation Project as a part of Airport Core Programme, is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. The Land reclam ...
,
Kowloon Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...
, Hong Kong. It occupies part of the 340 hectares of land reclaimed from Victoria Harbour in the 1990s to construct a highway and rail link to the new
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predec ...
, and integrates the Kowloon station of the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway, which serves the
Tung Chung line The Tung Chung line () is one of the ten lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong, linking the town of Tung Chung with central Hong Kong. It was built in the 1990s as part of the Airport Railway project, part of the construction of the new ...
and the Airport Express Line. The complex is also located near the Guangshengang XRL
West Kowloon West Kowloon (), named after West Kowloon Reclamation Project as a part of Airport Core Programme, is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. The Land reclam ...
and the Austin station of the
Tuen Ma line The Tuen Ma line () is a commuter rail / rapid transit line that forms part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. It is in length, making it the longest line of the MTR network. It has a total of 27 stations, more than a ...
. The built area includes 5,866 residential units (totalling ), 2,230 hotel rooms, and 2,490 serviced apartments with of combined hotel and serviced apartment space and of office space. The development also includes the Elements, a shopping mall. The name Union Square is not well known and is seldom used, as people tend to refer the area to its constituent parts, such as the Elements mall, the ICC, the W Hotel and the various luxurious private apartment complexes.


Planning and concept

The contract to build and operate the airport railway was awarded to
MTR Corporation MTR Corporation Limited is a majority government-owned public transport operator and property developer in Hong Kong which operates the Mass Transit Railway, the most popular public transport network in Hong Kong. It is listed on the Hong K ...
in 1992. The master plan for Union Square, comprising the massive
air rights In real estate, air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the Earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by oth ...
development surrounding Kowloon Station, was laid out by TFP Farrells. The architects envisioned a three-dimensional mixed-use urban quarter, with numerous towers sitting atop a massive podium. According to Sir Terry Farrell, MTR Corporation initially wanted a dispersed train station with discreet entrances, but he argued for a grand station hall concept with layered space oriented around Kowloon station providing a central focal point. Transport infrastructure occupies the underground level and first floor – loading facilities and platforms for MTR trains on the
Tung Chung Tung Chung ( " eastern stream") is an area on the northwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. One of the most recent new towns, it was formerly a rural fishing village beside Tung Chung Bay, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung C ...
and Airport Express lines occupying the sub-terranean level; while the ground level has bus stations, parking garage entrances and mechanical rooms. The Elements Mall on the upper decks takes up , with retail space occupied by
luxury brands In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good for which demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a more significant proportion of overall spending. Luxury goods are in con ...
,
chain stores A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate many retail markets, dining markets, and service categories in many pa ...
, a cinema, a supermarket, restaurants, and an
ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ...
. On the roof of the Union Square shopping mall, three storeys above the ground, is a pseudo ground level public place with walkways, gardens and a central plaza surrounded by outdoor cafés and bars. Entrances to the various building complexes of Union Square are located on this level. Although Union Square was conceived as an interconnected space centred on transport infrastructure, it was criticised in a 2013
University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...
study as being cut off from its surroundings, especially for pedestrians. Paul Zimmerman said Union Square is "an island of the rich disconnected from its surroundings", and a lesson for future urban planners. This concern is shared by Farrell, who said there were pre-determined site constraints, and little could be done to mitigate them.


Building complexes


The Waterfront

The Waterfront () serves as the phase I of Union Square complex, and was developed by the
consortium A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...
led by Wing Tai Asia, including
Temasek Holdings Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited ( ) is a Singaporean State ownership, state-owned multinational investment firm. Incorporated on 25 June 1974, Temasek has a net portfolio of US$288 billion (S$389 billion) as of 2024. Headquartered at Orchard ...
, Singapore Land, Keppel Land, Lai Sun Development, World-wide Investment and USI Holdings. The residential complex consists of 1,288 apartments in 6 towers and was completed in 2000, together with Dickson Cyber Express, a cyber shopping mall of Dickson Concepts which was closed after the
internet bubble The dot-com bubble (or dot-com boom) was a stock market bubble that ballooned during the late-1990s and peaked on Friday, March 10, 2000. This period of market growth coincided with the widespread adoption of the World Wide Web and the Intern ...
burst. There is a private clubhouse with various facilities, such as
swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...
, badminton court,
tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...
, dance room, reading room, karaoke room and a party room for holding different kinds of activities. The residential complex has its own underground car park for residents. There are a lot of greenings within the estate, and the whole estate area is non-smoking. Residents need to show their resident cards before entering the estate. Visitors cannot enter without permission. The Waterfront is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 31. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Jordan Road Government Primary School.


Sorrento

The Sorrento () is a residential complex occupying the northern edge of Union Square. Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd.br>"More than half-a-century of architectural design experience in Hong Kong"
section "The Sorrento", p. 34, September 2009
The complex serves as the phase 2 of the development plan and was built by The Wharf Estate Development Ltd. and
MTR Corporation MTR Corporation Limited is a majority government-owned public transport operator and property developer in Hong Kong which operates the Mass Transit Railway, the most popular public transport network in Hong Kong. It is listed on the Hong K ...
. It contains five residential towers completed in 2003 and was designed by Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd. The towers are named Sorrento 1 through Sorrento 6. As in many buildings in Hong Kong, tower 4 is omitted because, in
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
, " 4" is a
homophone A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning or in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (past tense of "rise"), or spelled differently, a ...
for "death". All five towers follow the same design but reducing in height consecutively with the tallest being Sorrento 1, and the shortest, Sorrento 6. Sorrento 1 is 256 metres (841 feet) tall with 75 floors. It is the 2nd tallest residential building in Hong Kong and the 5th in the world. There are a total of 2,126 units in Sorrento. Between Sorrento 2 and Sorrento 3 is a gap, where a foot bridge connects the residential complex to Kowloon station and Elements. Sorrento is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 31. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Jordan Road Government Primary School.


The Harbourside

The Harbourside () is a tall
residential A residential area is a land used in which houses, housing predominates, as opposed to industrial district, industrial and Commercial Area, commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include ...
skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
in Union Square, and serves as the phase 4 of the Kowloon station development. Construction of the 74-storey complex began in 2001 and was completed in 2004 under the design by P & T Architects & Engineers. The Harbourside appears to be a one-wall building from a distance. However, there are actually three towers joined in the base, middle and top. The gaps between the towers help relieve the stress caused by wind since the complex has a large surface area, allowing it to act as a sail. All floors are used for residential purpose. The Harbourside is the 91st tallest building in the world when measured up to the highest architectural point. The Harbourside is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 31. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Jordan Road Government Primary School.


The Arch

The Arch () is an 81-floor 231-metre (758 feet) tall skyscraper completed in 2006 in Union Square. It is the third-tallest residential building in Hong Kong, consisting of four towers: Sun Tower, Star Tower, Moon Tower, and Sky Tower. The Star Tower is connected to the Moon Tower, while the Sky Tower is connected to the Sun Tower. The Sun and Moon Towers joined on the 62nd floor and above to form an arch, hence the name "The Arch".
Sun Hung Kai Properties Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP) is a listed corporation and one of the largest property developers in Hong Kong. The company's businesses include property sales, property rental, telecommunications (SmarTone, SUNeVision), hotel operatio ...
, the developer of the project, was criticised for its sales tactics of The Arch in 2005, for the practice of "internal sales" in unfinished units, the absence of sale price-lists, and also for hyping sales for flats in The Arch by announcing inflated prices (per square metre) achieved. A buyer apparently paid HK$168 million (HK$31,300 per square foot) for a penthouse. Sweeteners were allegedly given (discounts given to the same purchaser on other units bought), but were excluded from the calculation. This allowed the company to raise prices of the next batch of 500 units by 5–10 percent. However, Sun Hung Kai Properties denied the allegations. A 25m swimming pool is located on the 59th floor. The Arch is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 31. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Jordan Road Government Primary School.


The Cullinan

The Cullinan The Cullinan is a luxury private housing estate located in the Union Square, West Kowloon, Hong Kong. The building has glass curtain walls and views of Victoria Harbour. The glass facade matches the design language of the neighbouring In ...
(), phase 6 of Union Square, is a residential complex developed by
Sun Hung Kai Properties Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP) is a listed corporation and one of the largest property developers in Hong Kong. The company's businesses include property sales, property rental, telecommunications (SmarTone, SUNeVision), hotel operatio ...
. It is the tallest residential complex in Hong Kong, with 68 storeys and a height of 270 metres (886 feet). It consists of two towers, the North Tower and the South Tower, both of which were completed in 2008 and 2009 consecutively. The residential complex was named after the 3,106-carat (621.2 g)
Cullinan Diamond The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found,Scarratt and Shor, p. 120. weighing , discovered at the Premier No.2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa, on 26 January 1905. It was named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner ...
, the largest diamond in the world, found in 1905. The Cullinan complex was planned to be 45 storeys until the cancellation of Union Square phase 5. The number of floors was then increased to the current 68.


International Commerce Centre

The International Commerce Centre (ICC), which serves as phase 7 of Union Square, is a 118-floor, 484-meter (1,588 ft) commercial skyscraper completed in 2010, owned and jointly developed by
MTR Corporation MTR Corporation Limited is a majority government-owned public transport operator and property developer in Hong Kong which operates the Mass Transit Railway, the most popular public transport network in Hong Kong. It is listed on the Hong K ...
and
Sun Hung Kai Properties Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP) is a listed corporation and one of the largest property developers in Hong Kong. The company's businesses include property sales, property rental, telecommunications (SmarTone, SUNeVision), hotel operatio ...
. The tower is currently the world's fourth tallest as well as the tallest building in Hong Kong, and features a five-star hotel, office spaces, a fitness center, and an observation deck. The five-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel currently occupies floors 102 to 118.


Shopping complex

Elements, the shopping mall in Union Square, occupies of retail space. The mall has a total of 123 shops and also features an
ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ...
, and the 1600-seat Grand Cinema multiplex, which is currently the largest cinema complex in Hong Kong.MCL, Shaw ready Hong Kong's largest cinema complex


Access

Union Square can be accessed easily by public transportation, including
MTR The Mass Transit Railway system, known locally by the initialism MTR, is a rapid transit system in Hong Kong and the territory's principal mode of Rail transport in Hong Kong, railway transportation. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), ...
,
Kowloon Motor Bus The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is a bus company operating Bus services in Hong Kong, franchised services in Hong Kong. It is the largest bus company in Hong Kong by fleet size and number of bus routes, with over 4,000 buses ...
and the minibus services. The Kowloon station serves both the Airport Express Line and the
Tung Chung line The Tung Chung line () is one of the ten lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong, linking the town of Tung Chung with central Hong Kong. It was built in the 1990s as part of the Airport Railway project, part of the construction of the new ...
. The Austin station of the
Tuen Ma line The Tuen Ma line () is a commuter rail / rapid transit line that forms part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. It is in length, making it the longest line of the MTR network. It has a total of 27 stations, more than a ...
is also located near the area. The area is also close to the terminus of the Guangshengang XRL's
West Kowloon West Kowloon (), named after West Kowloon Reclamation Project as a part of Airport Core Programme, is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. The Land reclam ...
Station.


Image gallery


See also

*
List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong Hong Kong has over 9,000 Tower block, high-rise buildings, of which over 4,000 are skyscrapers standing taller than with 564 buildings above as of 2025, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The tallest building in H ...


References


External links


Union Square official website
(archive) * {{Private housing estates in Hong Kong