The Administration Building is conceived as a gateway to the new HKUST campus, it houses administrative offices, with a café and a discovery center at the base, and the Council Chamber and event space at the top. The embracing gesture of the building’s arc creates a welcoming presence focused around the iconic ‘firebird’ sculpture. The stepping and cantilevered profile, is punctuated by balconies that integrate nature at floor. Symbolic of growth and innovation, the building façade is inspired by the texture of bamboo and forges a cultural bridge for the multi-national student body.