Urban Park with Largest Wood Fossil Collection in Asia
Opening in late 2023, Nina Park is a unique new destination for Hong Kong, occupying around 70,000 square feet together with its facilities. Designed to appeal to locals and tourists alike, this remarkable collection of fossilised trees will take visitors on a journey that starts millions of years ago.
It is rare to be able to touch and appreciate rare objects like these, but the design of Nina Park actively encourages interaction and education. A visit to this ‘edutainment’ park, offer a chance to learn about the special conditions that led to these tree trunks turning to stone, the amazing process of petrification that requires water, the ash from a volcano, and millions of years of patience.
Let’s take a sneak peek at what awaits visitors to this first and the only one of a kind Hong Kong attraction.
Unique, and Millions of Years in the Making, Nina Park
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Nina Park Wood Fossil Experience CentreSet over two levels, and largely cooled by natural means, the Experience Centre leads visitors through the history, science, and beauty of the fossilisation process. With exhibits from the Jurassic to Pliocene Epoch, there are millions of years of petrification on show, supported by multimedia content and interactive technology.
The Experience Centre will offer workshops for all walks of life, from schoolchildren to the elderly, and there will be on-going guided tours and special events offering further in-depth learning opportunities for those fascinated by our prehistoric past.
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Life MilestonesLooking back so far in time, is a gentle reminder of our own personal history, and with that in mind the curators of the Park have created a meandering walk featuring six iconic landmark fossils, each perfectly suited for Instagram moments.
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Exploring Time through Art at Nina Park
In the heart of Nina Park, three mesmerising art installations by renowned Hong Kong artist Joseph Chan invite visitors to explore the concept of time in an extraordinary way. Guided by curator Chan Lai Kiu, the works combine traditional clockwork craftsmanship with modern automaton theatre, offering a unique experience for all ages. The three installations—Sky, Earth and People—capture the interconnectedness of nature, humanity, and the passage of time.
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Inclusive and Easily AccessibleNina Park has been designed with the entire community in mind. Connected to the Tsuen Wan West MTR, this is a destination that’s very easy to reach. And once in the Park, you’ll notice that it welcomes all ages and stages of mobility with accessible ramps throughout. You’re encouraged to sit on the grass and relax in the green spaces.
Image: amphitheatre
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Preserving the PlanetWe take sustainability very seriously at Chinachem Group, and Nina Park is a showcase of how we design it in to our placemaking initiatives. From how we harvest and reuse rainwater, to the wind catchers that help to naturally cool our Experience Centre, and the way we’ve designed around the existing trees to shade and shelter our visitors, Nina Park actively and passively preserves and economises on resource usage 365 days a year.
Image: smart bench and outdoor bike generator
Why Fossils? And Why Hong Kong?
Creating destinations like these, places where families can congregate, the elderly can relax, tourists can visit, the young can be educated, and where we all meet to celebrate the diversity and excitement of our city, is a passion of ours. Like Central Market, Nina Park is embraced by the city and visitors alike, emerging as a ‘must see’ attraction in Hong Kong.
Nina Park Design Competition – 1st Edition
Throughout this competition, we encouraged designers to reconsider the conventional function of shelter, explored and experimented with design concepts, and proposed interventions for impactful placemaking.
The winning designer may have the chance to bring their vision to life in the form of an outdoor installation, transforming an amphitheatre with creative spatial design, incorporating shade and seating.