Shaw Auditorium

Location: Hong Kong (SAR), China.

Completion: 2021.

Description: The multipurpose auditorium provides a flexible space that can host a wide range of cultural events - from concerts and dinner events to congresses and exhibitions - and can accommodate up to 1,300 visitors. This very modern building with its elliptical and cantilevered floors was energetically opimized to reduce energy consumption.

Challenges: The organic form of the building results in a natural flow of visitors in the case of an event in the auditorium, which is protected from both sun and rain by the cantilevered ceilings. Regarding Hong Kong's subtropical climate, passive shading in particular was part of a Platinum Award-winning Energy & Environment concept used in the design and construction of the building.

Solutions: To accommodate these warm-wet outdoor conditions, a building material solution had to be found for the jointless planned cantilevered ceilings that would meet these climatic and visual requirements. The solution was AQUAPANEL Cement Board Outdoor - Knauf's 100% water-resistant, cement-bound building board. It was processed with the joint filler and joint tape that are part of the system delivering the required appearance.

For the interior of the building, the Knauf product AQUAPANEL® Cement Board Indoor L.E.F. was used. Here, however, it was more the product properties of robustness as well as bendability and resistance to mold and mildew. All these properties made it possible that approx. 3,500 square meters of this product were installed in different application areas.

Results: Across the entire project, over 6,500 square meters of AQUAPANEL® Cement Board were installed to put the design concept into reality.