The winning entry in a competition to design a new piazza to replace the Tsim Sha Tsui ferry pier's bus terminus will never be used.
Architect Tenny Yeung Wan-kit and his team's entry, called 'Layers of Time', has been shelved after the government's plans for redeveloping the area came under strong opposition from conservationists.
Instead of relocating the entire terminus to a site in Mody Road, the government now proposes replacing it with a smaller one while reducing the size of the piazza by 40 per cent.
In the winning plan, seven existing bus shelters would have been retained, with four preserved as pavilions and the other three fitted with a glass cover under which shops and restaurants would be housed, with a viewing area on top.
The government said it was 'unfortunate' the Yeung design could not be used, but opponents of the redevelopment have also criticised the government's modified plans, saying the best option was to retain the terminal in its current form.
The redevelopment was approved by the Legislative Council six years ago, and the design competition was launched by the Tourism Commission and the Architectural Services Department in 2009. The latest plan was put forward in June.