Kowloon Station Development, Airport Express Project*
The project’s success depended on the client’s project management team taking time to understand and integrate the different work approaches and cultures of all parties to ensure efficient delivery.
Date: 1995 – 1999
Client: Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC)
Project Location: Hong Kong
Services Provided: Design Management, Value and Risk Management, Contract Administration, Project Management
Kowloon Station is one of the three main rail transport interchanges constructed as part of Hong Kong’s Airport Express Railway. At $4.6bHK it was the second largest project on the new rail line and formed the gateway to the new development areas of Kowloon Harbour. Constructed on fully reclaimed land within Kowloon Harbour, it comprises a major underground railway station servicing both the local and express lines. The project was a major transport interchange, integrating bus and taxi exchanges, public vehicle access, and elevated highway structures, and large volume passenger circulation and transit facilities. The station incorporates a fully operational “in-town” airport check-in terminal with baggage check-in facilities that are fully connected with the Chek Lap Kok International airport. The project also incorporated major commercial developments and enabling works for subsequent development phases.
As a senior member of the construction team, Paul Haggath was responsible for the design management of structural and architectural works packages, project supervision of construction activities and contract administration of international specialist subcontractors.
Lessons to be shared
The project engaged contractors from many different countries. Paul worked with contractors and suppliers from the USA, Japan, China, Germany, UK, Spain and Australia. It was essential that all of the design elements properly and fully integrated with each other, and that all design standards used were appropriate and compatible not only with the home locality but with Hong Kong’s specific environment and climatic conditions.
The project’s success depended on the client’s project management team taking time to understand and integrate the different work approaches and cultures of all parties to ensure efficient delivery.
Paul draws on this experience when building and developing project teams with different backgrounds and approaches.
*This case study reflects a project undertaken by Paul Haggath pre-TEAM