Sir Terry Farrell (born 12 May 1938) is a British architect and urban designer. In 1980, after working 15 years in partnership with Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Farrell founded his own firm, Farrells. He garnered a strong reputation for contextual urban design schemes, as well as exuberant works of postmodernism such as the MI6 Building. In 1991, his practice expanded internationally, opening an office in Hong Kong.
In Asia, his firm designed KK100 in Shenzhen, the tallest building ever designed by a British architect, as well as Guangzhou South railway station, once the largest railway station in Asia.
1. Sheraton Dameisha Resort Shenzhen, China
The five star Sheraton Dameisha Resort designed by Terry Farrell, sitting directly on the coast, is the largest hotel in the area. Framed by a magnificent mountain range backdrop, the curvaceous form of the hotel building maximizes the number of rooms with views of Mirs Bay. In addition to direct access to Dameisha Beach, the resort offers a lagoon-style swimming pool and loosely-ordered landscaping in keeping with the natural environment.
Beneath the single-aspect tower housing 386 guestrooms, the podium is home to a conference center, restaurants, banquet and wedding facilities, a spa, and a health club. The grand, column-free lobby enjoys expansive ocean views, bringing the airy seaside atmosphere into the heart of the building.
2. Incheon Ground Transportation Centre Incheon, South Korea
Seoul’s existing airport could no longer cope with a vast increase in demand, so a new one was created on an artificial platform formed between two islands. Able to cater to 50 million passengers a year, Incheon International Airport has one of the largest passenger terminals in the world and has been consistently voted one of the world’s best airports.
Part of that success comes from the ease of accessing the airport by public transport via the Ground Transportation Centre, designed by Terry Farrell in collaboration with DMJM and Samoo Architects. Beginning with the image of the stork, Korea’s symbolic bird, Farrells developed a sinuous, sculptural gateway to the airport. The jewel-like aerofoil, constructed from stainless steel panels and glass, hovers over the great hall but is, in fact, part of the ventilation system. The spacious, futuristic volumes provide visual clarity, making it easy for passengers to find their way around.
3. Peak Tower Hong Kong SAR
Commanding one of the world’s most spectacular urban vistas, the Peak Tower designed by Terry Farrell was the winning entry in an international competition to replace a smaller tower that occupied the same site. Two decades after opening, the Peak Tower remains Hong Kong’s most-visited tourist destination. It appears on the $20 banknote of the Hong Kong dollar and has become a preeminent symbol of the city.
Forming an iconic backdrop to Hong Kong’s skyline, the tower’s crescent form is inspired by the site, a valley between two hills. It has given rise to many symbolic interpretations including bowl, boat, wok, or open hands. The solid base, open podium, and floating roof with upswept eaves also refer to traditional Chinese architecture.
The design incorporates the existing Peak Tram station, the terminus of a venerable funicular railway that opened in 1888 to ferry the elite to their homes on The Peak. Today it serves as a tourist attraction. The Peak Tower offers visitors a range of dining, shopping, and entertainment options – in addition to stunning 360-degree views across Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour, Kowloon, and the outlying islands.
4. Kennedy Town Station Hong Kong SAR
Kennedy Town Station designed by Terry Farrell is the new western terminus of the MTR Island Line. Comprising two underground levels with entrance pavilions, a bus terminus, and playgrounds above, the station aims to sensitively blend into the existing urban fabric. Natural materials and colors pay respect to adjacent historic stone walls, colonized by 120-year-old banyan trees, which were carefully preserved.
The shallowness of the station provided an opportunity to introduce natural light into the concourse areas. During the day, sunlight pours into the transparent entrance buildings as well as the glazed lift shafts. Community art adorns the concourse and reflects the unique characteristics of the Western District. To improve access to the station, knit communities together, and reduce reliance on polluting road-based transport, two new lifts were built to connect Rock Hill Street with the upper section of Sands Street. A new 30-meter long escalator traverses the steep slope at the top of the lifts.
5. Kowloon Station Development Hong Kong SAR
Farrells designed the largest stop on the line, Kowloon Station, which serves both the Tung Chung Line and the Airport Express. It resembles an airport terminal more than a conventional metro station, incorporating in-town check-in counters, baggage handling, and screening systems, as well as programmatically complex facilities for interchange to franchised buses, minibusses, taxis, and private coaches.
Above the station, Terry Farrell developed a masterplan for a high-density, three-dimensional transit-oriented urban quarter. The seven development packages comprise one of the world’s largest station air rights developments, grossing over one million square meters of space for hotel, office, retail and residential accommodation arranged around a central square with easy access to the station below. The final development package is home to the 118-storey International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong’s tallest building.
The Kowloon Station Development made provision for pedestrian links, at the first storey, with the unrealized Kowloon Point vision. It overlooks the West Kowloon Cultural District, home to the M+ Museum for Visual Culture and the Kowloon Ventilation Building.
6. The Deep Hull, UK
The World’s only “submarium”, The Deep is a unique structure that leads the way in aquatic architecture and design. A central objective was to create a building with a bold, pioneering image to catalyze major regeneration throughout the city and its region.
The Deep designed by Terry Farrell looks for inspiration to a range of precedents and the design conjures up metaphorical associations with waves or glacier-like forms. Materials are in different colors and textures, including colored concrete, acrylic render, profiled metal, enameled glass and rhomboid sheets of marine-grade aluminum as used in shipbuilding, which takes on different colors according to how the light and the reflections hit it, mirroring the sea and reflecting the industrial past and growth of Hull as a trading port.
The roof plane and wall surfaces of the two buildings that form The Deep are constructed as a three-dimensional object instead of a series of two-dimensional planes. The wave-like contours of the visitor attraction highlight the geography of the site and the aquatic function of the building.
This is a landmark project in the North East of England and the area’s most successful new visitor attraction receiving its millionth visitor just 14 months after opening. This year Hull is the UK City of Culture and The Deep has been a focal point of celebrations, including displaying a projection of Hull’s history on its external walls.
7. Punggol Station Singapore
Punggol Station forms the center of Punggol 21, a high-density new town in north-east Singapore comprising contemporary homes, waterfront shopping, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. It serves as the interchange point between the Punggol LRT, an automated light rail network; and the North East MRT Line, which travels directly to Downtown Singapore. The LRT acts as a feeder system, increasing the catchment area of the MRT stop. In addition to the MRT and LRT platforms, the station is designed to accommodate future interchange with a new metro line running along Singapore’s northern shore.
The station’s streamlined modern design is accented with a curved aluminum and stainless-steel cladding, whilst the interior is finished in a clean, monochromatic palette. At 320 meters in length, this futuristic landmark is the longest station on the North-East Line and one of only two above ground. The station is bisected by an arterial road and reads as a monumental gateway to this new district of Singapore.
8. Kennedy Town Swimming Pool Hong Kong SAR
The first proposed site for Kennedy Town Station was the Forbes Street Playground, where construction would affect a number of 120-year-old banyan trees growing on historic stone walls. To protect the trees, the station box was shifted eastward, onto Smithfield and the site of the Kennedy Town Swimming Pool.
A new pool had to be constructed elsewhere before the original one could be demolished. The site chosen was a surface car park that boasted an uninterrupted sea view but had lain derelict since the land was reclaimed in the 1990s. To draw residents to this neglected corner of an otherwise vibrant neighborhood, the site demanded a memorable icon.
Likened to a futuristic spaceship by the South China Morning Post, the new Kennedy Town Swimming Pool was constructed in two phases: the first phase was opened to the public in May 2011 and comprises a 50-meter outdoor pool and a smaller leisure pool, both with magnificent views of Victoria Harbour and Belcher Bay Park.
9. The Eagle London, UK
The Eagle is an art-deco-style masterpiece offering 276 new homes (70 affordable), new public square, and employment space for 300+ people. Designed by Terry Farrell and developed by Mount Anvil, The Eagle located on City Road, just north of Old Street roundabout in London, creates a new landmark building for this fast-developing area, whilst drawing on the heritage of the site to establish a modern-day Art Deco icon.
This project is at the forefront of progressive urban design thinking, drawing on the character and identity of the existing art deco buildings which have been restored considering the quality and long-term use. The tower is an elegant addition to the London skyline.
Farrells provided full architectural services and interior design for The Eagle development.
10. Guangzhou South Railway Station Guangzhou, China
Along with Beijing South Railway Station, Guangzhou South was built as one of four new hubs serving China’s rapidly growing high-speed rail network. The station caters to a regional catchment area home to over 300 million people and was the largest in Asia upon opening in January 2010.
Guangzhou South is located in a rural area 17 kilometers from Guangzhou city center and sits at the heart of the Pearl River Delta megacity. As a result, the station is primed to serve as the terminus of Hong Kong’s Express Rail Link come 2018, functioning as a catalyst for growth in the district of Panyu — evidence of which can already be seen. In addition to this, a new urban precinct of nearly 500 hectares is under construction around the station.
11. CNPC Headquarters Beijing, China
The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the world’s third-largest company according to the Fortune Global 500, designed by Terry Farrell required a new headquarters building to accompany its ongoing expansion. Occupying a prominent corner site along Beijing’s Second Ring Road, this 200,900 m2 complex houses modern, spacious office space along with conference and catering facilities.
Conforming to the capital height restriction of 90 meters, the stolid forms of the 24-story towers evoke a sense of soundness and longevity, reflecting the client’s corporate identity. Intended to consolidate CNPC and subsidiary PetroChina under one roof, the complex is divided into two sections that branch off a shared entrance atrium, providing each branch a defined space within a unified whole.
Serving as a symbol of the company into the 21st century, the headquarters combines a classic, timeless appearance with a focus on sustainability and advanced building technology. The design makes use of natural lighting and ventilation, reducing energy consumption. Building elevations that front major roads incorporate double-skin facades, minimizing noise penetration and regulating interior climate through air extraction and heat exchange systems.
12. British ConsulateHong Kong SAR
Winner of an architectural competition in 1992, the Terry Farrell design was the sole proposal to suggest a low-rise structure, in keeping with the verdant hillside setting, as opposed to a monolithic high-rise. At the time, the old Victoria Barracks was being redeveloped into the Hong Kong Park. Originally home to Colvin House, venue of the Sino-British deliberations on Hong Kong’s future, much of the consular site was undeveloped. In concentrating the mass of the new building along the road, in a linear arrangement, Farrells could retain several mature trees within a garden at the heart of the site. This garden, centered on a small waterfall and stream, is visually unified with the adjacent leafy hillside.
At the same time, the buildings shield the secluded garden from traffic noise while projecting a strong street presence. The disciplined, elegant architecture projects both approachability and decorum befitting a public building. The complex houses separate but connected quarters for the consulate, the British Council, UK Trade & Investment, as well as conference facilities and a diplomatic housing block.
13. Gatwick Airport London, UK
Farrell’s big picture thought leadership thinking about surface access to airports led Gatwick to commission Farrells in 2012 to support their overall advocacy for a second runway, and a transformation of the airport. Terry Farrells’ work with Gatwick has continued since that time with a stream of repeat commissions, from advocacy to central government, through capturing and simply describing the spatial and economic benefits of the airport throughout Britain to a detailed exploration of the new terminal architecture, from plan layouts through to media quality flythrough.
Building on this work, Farrells are currently undertaking a wide-reaching review and masterplan of the existing airport, to help Gatwick maximize best use of the land, buildings, and resources available, and to plan for the best possible passenger experience.
14. Regent’s Place London, UK
Farrells were commissioned by British Land to prepare a masterplan for the whole of the Regent’s Place estate on Euston road which included two office buildings – 10 & 20 Triton Street. The buildings face several listed buildings such as Holy Trinity Church, Great Portland Street station and the White House Hotel and therefore the materials and scale were sensitively considered throughout the design process to complement and reflect the existing contextual aesthetics in the street.
The Regent’s Place masterplan and completed commercial mixed-use development represent the culmination of several years of planning, consultation, development, and construction.
The fully built out and award-winning masterplan successfully enhances and transforms the urban fabric of this key area of the West End of London bordering the Euston Road and Regent’s
Park.
Before the masterplan, Regent’s Place was a disconnected commercial enclave. The brief demanded that it become a diverse community, a place to live, work and play and an integrated part of the west end of London. This was achieved by creating high-quality spaces and places between the buildings, and a network of new streets enabling and encouraging linkages to the surrounding area including a new north-south pedestrian route through the masterplan, animated by a new Arts Centre and linking to Fitzrovia via a new at-grade pedestrian crossing over the Euston Road.
15. Beijing South Railway Station Beijing, China
Over the past decade, China has invested heavily in high-speed rail to promote economic integration and foster urban growth. Since the first dedicated high-speed line opened in 2003, the country has built a staggering 22,000 kilometers of track, forming the world’s longest high-speed rail system.
To integrate the capital with this network, Beijing needed a new railway station – its largest. To link the rest of the city to this transport super-hub, the station also serves two Beijing Subway lines. Inspired by the Temple of Heaven and traditional Chinese motifs, the roofline is the station’s most visually striking feature, reminiscent of the grand station halls of railway travel’s golden age.
Connected to many of China’s largest cities, including Tianjin and Shanghai, the station serves a catchment area home to some 270 million people. In order to handle massive passenger flows, Farrells developed a hybrid of the railway stations and airport typologies. Building on previous experience generated at Kowloon Station and Incheon Airport, Beijing South segregates arriving and departing passengers, below and above the platform level respectively, to allow people to board and alight trains in the shortest distances and times possible.
At the urban scale, the station negotiates the intersection of two axes: Beijing’s cardinal grid and the diagonal alignment of the railway. Pedestrian linkage through the station enhanced connectivity between the existing adjacent neighborhoods.
