PolyU's Innovation Tower, due to open in 2011, will further establish Hong Kong as the design hub of Asia
	Pritzker prize winner Zaha Hadid says Hong Kong kick started her architectural career

Renowned London architect Zaha Hadid will make her mark in Hong Kong by building a futuristic Design School for Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU).

Ms Hadid, who was awarded the commission from a field of international contenders, is one of the most influential figures in the world of modern architecture. In 2004, she became the first female recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, architecture's equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Having built a global reputation for revolutionary design, the architect credits Hong Kong with the place "where it all started". In 1983, Ms Hadid's design won an international competition for The Peak Club, a residential and sports facility in the city's most prestigious neighbourhood. The project was never built, but the award was one of the first public acknowledgements of her work and a key early boost to her career.

More recently, Ms Hadid designed the Mobile Art travelling museum for French luxury brand Chanel, which in February this year kicked off its world tour in Hong Kong.

Design boosts commerce

The PolyU project, called Innovation Tower, reflects a growing recognition of the connection between high-end design and commerce. When top names lend themselves to major projects it becomes an effective marketing tool – hence, much has been made of Lord Norman Foster's designs which shape the Hong Kong skyline, including the HSBC headquarters in Central and Hong Kong International Airport.

Victor Lo Chung-wing, Chairman of PolyU Council, said the new Innovation Tower would serve as a driving force in the development of Hong Kong as a design hub in Asia. The new tower will also provide additional space to facilitate inter-disciplinary research and education in the field of design.

Ms Hadid, in Hong Kong recently to launch the project, described her design as bringing together concepts of strata, landscape and layering.

Due to open in 2011, Innovation Tower will house the School of Design and support the development of its specialisms, namely Environmental Design, Industrial and Product Design, Visual Communication, Advertising and Digital Design.  It will also include a museum to showcase local and international design classics, as well as a public gallery to exhibit works by staff, design students and local talents.

Important design hub

In Hong Kong, PolyU is the sole provider of design tertiary education and the city's most important hub of design education and development. Its School of Design director, Prof. Lorraine Justice, was named among the world's top 40 influential designers by ID magazine in the US.

For two consecutive years since 2006, PolyU's School of Design has been named by Business Week as one of the top 60 design schools in the world. Design talents groomed by PolyU have won worldwide recognition and achieved astounding successes with their creativity and innovations. Famous graduates include Oscar-winner Raman Hui, supervising animator for Shrek, Qeelin jewellery brand founder Dennis Chan, and Freeman Lau, Partner of Kan & Lau Design Consultants.

Related links
Zaha Hadid Architects 
Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)