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West Kowloon Cultural District

Traditional Chinese

Transcriptions

Mandarin

Hanyu Pinyin xjiwn hu q

Cantonese

Jyutping sai1 gau2 man4 faa3

keoi1

The model of one of the plans

West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The West Kowloon Cultural District(WKCD, is a

proposed and developing project to boost cultural and

entertainment establishments at Hong Kong, SAR. Located at

the wedge-shaped waterfront reclaimed land west of Yau Ma

Tei, the district will feature a new museum of visual culture,numerous theatres, concert halls and other performance

venues under the management of the West Kowloon Cultural

District Authority, which is directly financed by the

government with an upfront endowment of HK$21.6 billion

for construction and operation.[1]

The West Kowloon Cultural District is the largest arts and

cultural project in Hong Kong to date. It aims to be developed as an

arts and cultural hub with world-class facilities. Taking up 40

hectares, the district will include 17 core arts and cultural venues aswell as space for arts education. This includes a new museum of

visual culture, M+ Museum. The project will be developed in 2

phrases with construction scheduled to commence in 2013.[2]

Although hardware is yet to be completed, the West Kowloon

Cultural District Authority has started its software development. Its

first culture event is the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre at the

future site of Xiqu Centre in 2012. Mobile M+: Yau Ma Tei, a

contemporary art exhibition is the second program held by the

Authority, which is the first in a series of pre-opening nomadic

exhibition curated by M+ before the completion of the museumbuilding in 2017.[3]

The early proposal of the project was once overturned in 2006 due

to doubts on financing models and lack of planning. As the project

returned to track in 2006, the government of HKSAR established

the Consultative Committees to formulate a Recommendation

Report to decide what facilities to offer and how they would be

managed in the WKCD. In 2007, a three-month public consultation

were being carried out again and the early stages were completed in

December 2007 to decide what facilities to offer and how they

would be managed.[4]The project was first proposed to attract

tourists to Hong Kong, but the focus of discussion thereafter has turned to the benefits for the local residents,

both intellectually and economically.

In early 2011, it was expected that the first phase of the project will open from 2015, and the second phase from

2026.[5]

Kowloon Cultural District - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Kowloon_Cultura

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1 Introduction

1.1 Location

2 Development history

2.1 Origin

2.2 Design competition

2.3 Invitation for proposal

2.4 First public consultation2.5 Consultative committees

2.6 Stage 1 Public Engagement Exercise


2.8 Master plan selection


2.10 WKCD Authority

3 Venues, museums and layout

3.1 M+ Museum

3.2 Performing Arts

4 Current usage4.1 West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade

4.2 West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre

4.3 Freespace Fest

4.4 Programmes and events

5 See also

6 References

7 External links

Location

The wedge-shaped development site is 40 hectares in area, lies within the Yau Tsim Mong District and is

bounded by Canton Road in the east, the Western Harbour Crossing entrance and Austin Road West in the

north, and Victoria Harbour in the west and south. It can be seen here[6]on Google Map.

Origin

In 1996, the Hong Kong Tourism Board took a survey of tourists visiting Hong Kong. The survey suggested

that many of the tourists thought Hong Kong was lacking in cultural opportunities. The Hong Kong Tourism

Board made a suggestion to Legco in 1998, proposing that new venues for art exhibitions and other cultural

events be established. In the Chief Executive's Policy Address of 1998, Tung Chee Hwa proposed the

establishment of the West Kowloon Cultural District, hoping to develop Hong Kong as the hub for Culture and

Art of Asia.


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Design competition

An international design competition was organised in April 2001[7]to design the district and the ten-member

udge panel selected the gigantic canopy design scheme submitted by Foster and Partners as the winner under

eight aspects,[8]which included "skillful integration of complexes", "singularity of image" and "viability".

However, the design was scraped in 2005 due to intense public criticism.[9]

Invitation for proposal

On 5 September 2003, the government announced an Invitation For Proposals for the Development of the

district.[10]While the government required provision of certain specified facilities, proponents were allowed

considerable freedom in developing viable proposalsin the other words, the developers can sell residents and

office space located in the lot for profit as they fulfill the government's requirements as outlined as follow:

Three theatres with at least 2,000, 800 and 400 seats respectively; A performance venue with at least 10,000

seats; A cluster of four museums at least 75,000 square metres in size; An art exhibition centre at least 10,000

square metres in size; A water amphitheatre; At least four piazzas; and A canopy covering at least 55% of the

development area.[11]

Three proposals respectively submitted by Dynamic Star International Limited, Sunny Development Limited

and World City Culture Park Limited were then consulted with the public from December 2004 to June 2005 in

order to select the final proposal. Here are the shortlisted designs as presented during the six-month public

consultation in 2005:

Norman Foster's

original design

Dynamic Star

International's

design[12]

Henderson Land's

design

Yell Lin International's

design

First public consultation

The Executive Summary of the consultation report[13]showed the Single-packaged development approach, the

canopy, the government supervision and the concept of the project most concerned and discussed in the open

questions on the consultation form. The report noted there was a strong voice against the Single-packaged

development approach and there was a fear that the WKCD project could evolve into an ordinary property

development project. Over half of the written submissions were against the canopy.

As the government renewed conditions for the development, the shortlisted proponents failed to renew their

proposals and Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan said the much-criticised giant canopy centrepiece of the

winning design by architect Lord Foster would be scrapped with the entire to start all new by a review of the


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basic facilities to be offered.

Consultative committees

The government appointed members to the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities

(CACF) of WKCD on 6 April 2006 and the committee was scheduled to last until June 2007. It re-examined

and re-confirmed the need for the CACF for the WKCD as defined in the Invitation for Proposals issued in

September 2003.

Stage 1 Public Engagement Exercise

Stage 1 Public Engagement Exercise was conducted between 8 October 2009 to 7 January 2010, lasting for

three months. At this stage, the WKCDA held public forums and focus group meetings in order to understand

the views and needs of the stakeholders and the public. Around 66 public engagement events were held.[14]


Following the Stage 1 of the PE exercise, Stage 2 PE exercise involves gaining feedbacks from the public and

various shareholders on the Conceptual Plans prepared by three master planning teams. These planning teams

have incorporated public views they learnt in Stage 1 into their conceptual plans.

The three conceptual plans were unveiled on 20 August 2010 by the WKCD Authority.

City Park prepared by Foster + Partners, led by Lord Norman Foster;

Cultural Connect:Key to Sustained Vitality prepared by Rocco Design Architects Limited, led by Mr

Rocco Yim; and

Project for a New Dimension prepared by Office for Metropolitan Architecture, led by Mr Rem

Koolhaas.

The Stage 2 Public Engagement exercise lasted for three months and run until 20 November 2010.[15]

City Park Foster +

Partners

Cultural Connect:

Rocco Design

Architects Limited

Project for a New

Dimension Office for

Metropolitan

Architecture

Master plan selection

On 4 March 2011, Foster + Partners' plan, 'City Parkhad been selected as the master plan out of the three


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West Kowloon Cultural District

Authority

Abbreviation WKCDA

Legal status Authority

Purpose/focus Artistic

Membership Private

Chairman

CEO

Carrie Lam GBS, JP

Michael Lynch, CBE, AM

Budget HK$21.6 billion

Website http://www.wkcda.hk

entries.[16][17][18]Ronald Arculli the head of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority as well as the

selection board states that the master plan will be submitted to the Town Planning Board at the end of 2011;

construction will start as soon as 4Q 2012. The first phase of WKCD will be able to finish by the end of

2015.[19]The plan was originally costed at HK$21.6 billion; in October 2011, the government revised its cost

estimates upwards, saying it would cost over $29 billion.[20]


The WKCD's Stage 3 Public Engagement Exercise starts on 30 September 2011 at the Thematic Exhibition

Gallery in the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. The focal point of the exhibition was a giant 1:250

physical model, showing how the future arts hub will look like, featuring major arts and cultural as well as other

facilities. To enhance public understanding of the plans, there will also be a digital 3D model, photomontages

and panels displaying key information and features. Pamphlets will also be distributed at the exhibition,

allowing the public to leave their comments.[21]The plan with public consultation until 30 October goes to

the Town Planning Board, which may give the go-ahead by the end of next year.

WKCD Authority

The WKCD Authority was established under the West

Kowloon District Authority Ordinance, Cap 601 to develop

the West Kowloon Cultural district that came into action on

11 July 2008. The Authority is made up of the board,

committees and executive board directors.

A Board of Directors was appointed to position in October,

2008. Its chairman was Chief Secretary Henry Tang

Ying-yen.[22]While government officials and experts were

recruited to aid the authority operation temporarily,

executives and managers were recruited to independentlymanage the operation.[23]

The authority has an executive team of seven. Its first

Executive Director (Project Delivery), Angus Cheng

Siu-chuen, a former executive at Hong Kong Disneyland,

was appointed in June 2009 but resigned for 'personal reasons' less than two weeks after taking up the post.

Project Director Augustine Ng Wah-keung then led the project on a provisional basis.[24][25]

On 24 March 2010, Graham Sheffield, formerly artistic director of London's Barbican Centre, was appointed

Chief Executive Officer of the authority on a three-year, HK$3.5 million-a-year contract.

[5][26][27]

However on7 January 2011, he too suddenly resigned for "health reasons", just five months after arriving in the job, and was

not available to talk to the media. A recruitment exercise to replace Sheffield as chief executive was expected to

be launched quickly.[28][29]

The impact of the two top-level resignations worried art critics and a member of the Legislative Council's home

affairs panel, Tanya Chan, who feared that candidates for the job could be deterred by the apparent problems

with the project, which could be delayed by a year, to 2020.[5]

On 27 May 2011, Michael Lynch, the former Chief Executive of the Londons Southbank Centre, was appointed


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as CEO of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority by Hong Kong's chief secretary Henry Tang.[30]

There are two components of the new development, which are the M+ Museum, and the Performing Arts

facilities.

M+ Museum

The M+ Museum will focus on four elements design, popular culture, moving images and visual art.

In June 2010 it was announced that the executive director of the museum will be Lars Nittve. Nittve was the

founder director of the Tate Modern in London. He took up his new post in January 2011 for a three-year term.

Early in his tenure he promises to liaise with local arts stakeholders to overcome his admitted unfamiliarity with

the Hong Kong arts scene.[31]

In July 2012, Uli Sigg announced a donation of his 1,463-work collection of contemporary Chinese art, valued

at $163 million, which is planned to serve as the centerpiece of the M+'s new collection when it opens in

2017.[32]In 2013, the Pritzker Prize-winning architectural team Herzog & de Meuron was chosen to design a

$642 million museum, beating out competitors who included Renzo Piano and Toyo Ito. The horizontal section

of the T-shaped building will offer 183,000 square feet of exhibition space, while the vertical bar, devoted to

offices, storage and education, is to have an LED lighting system that can showcase artwork.[33]

Performing Arts

There are also other Performing Arts Venues including the Xiqu Centre (main theatre and Tea House), a

Freespace with an outdoor stage, a Lyric Theatre, a Centre for Contemporary Performance, Medium Theatre I, a

Music Centre with a Concert and Recital Hall, a Musical Theatre, a Mega Performance Venue and an Exhibition

Centre. A host of ancillary facilities include the Resident Company Centre, other creative learning facilities and

a number of Arts Pavilions for visual arts exhibitions can also be found within the district. The district will be

developed in 2 phrases with the first scheduled to commence in 2013.[34]


Part of the site is used as a temporary promenade (West Kowloon

Waterfront Promenade) managed by Leisure and Cultural ServicesDepartment, which can be accessed immediately to the east of Western

Harbour Crossing toll booths, or via a pedestrian entrance close to the

bus station to the west of the toll booths. Bicycles are available for hire,

intended for riding along a short waterfront cycle track, which will be

removed when the site is developed.

West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre

On 1824 January 2012, the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre


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West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre

(2012)

(http://www.westkowloon.hk/bambootheatre) was held at the junction of

Canton Road and Austin Road West (the future site of the Xiqu Centre).

It was the first cultural event organized by WKCDA to mark the launch

of the design and construction stage of the district. The event was a

combination of traditional Cantonese opera, contemporary visual art

installations and film shows in collaboration with the Chinese Artist

Association of Hong Kong and various renowned visual artists, attracted

around 12,000 participants in 7 days.

WKCDA plans to make the Bamboo Theatre an annual event, extending

the period to three weeks in 2013 to include other forms of performing

arts including contemporary Chinese music and dance performances.

Freespace Fest

Freespace Fest is a two-day contemporary music and performing arts festival held on 1516 December 2012 at

Freespace, the future performance venue situated inside the West Kowloon Cultural District Park for live music

and cross-boundary performances opening in 2015/16. Freespace Fest will include contemporary music

programmes, street performances and other experimental performing arts events.

Programmes and events

On 27 August 2012, the Authority announced a handful of events to bring life and people to the district before

a tree nursery and the Park construction begin at the headland next year.[35]

Event Date Event Name Venue Organizer

01/11/2012 -

04/11/2012

Hong Kong Wine & Dine

Festival

West Kowloon Waterfront

PromenadeHong Kong Tourism Board

01/12/2012 -

02/12/2012

Clockenflap Music & Arts

Festival

West Kowloon Waterfront

PromenadeClockenflap

15/12/2012 -

16/12/2012Freespace Fest

West Kowloon Cultural

District (Park)WKCDA

21/01/2013 -

11/02/2013Song Dong: 36 Calendars TBC

WKCDA and Asia Art

Archive

30/01/2013 -

16/02/2013

West Kowloon Bamboo

Theatre

Junction of Canton Road and

Austin Road West (Xiqu

Centre)

WKCDA

23/03/2013 -

02/06/2013Mobile M+: INFLATION!

West Kowloon Cultural

DistrictWKCDA

Hong Kong cultural policy


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^ http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr07-08/chinese/fc/pwsc/papers/p08-31c.pdf1.

^"WKCDA Stage 2 Public Engagement Exercise- West Kowloon Cultural District Video" (http://www.youtube.com

/watch?v=w1sGzleRUgs).

2.

^ http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr11-12/english/panels/wkcd/reports/wkcdcb2-2605-e.pdf3.

^ (http://www.hab.gov.hk/wkcd/pe/chi/Public_EE_Report/report.htm)4.

^ abcSudden exit of arts hub chief may delay project (http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP

/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0

/?vgnextoid=85d23f378c06d210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=Hong+Kong&s=News), SCMP, Vivienne

Chow, 8 Jan 2011

5.

^(1 January 1970). " Google" (http://maps.google.com.hk/maps?hl=zh-TW&q=%E6

%B2%B9%E5%B0%96%E6%97%BA%E5%8D%80&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF8&

ll=22.301723,114.160545&spn=0.008676,0.019355&z=16). Maps.google.com.hk. Retrieved 11 December 2011.

6.

^Invitation For Proposals Development of West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong (http://www.hab.gov.hk

/wkcd/ifp/eng/concept.htm)

7.

^WKR Concept Plan Competition (http://www.hab.gov.hk/wkcd/competition/first.html)8.

^ http://blogs.wsj.com/hong-kong/2011/03/04/norman-foster-to-design-kowloon-cultural-district/9.


/wkcd/ifp/eng/bkgrd.htm)

10.


/wkcd/ifp/eng/public_consultation/intro.htm)

11.

^http://www.dynamicstarinternational.com/12.

^[1] (http://www.hab.gov.hk/wkcd/ifp/pdf/report/eng_executive_summary.pdf)13.

^ http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr11-12/english/panels/wkcd/papers/wkcd1129cb2-385-4-e.pdf14.

^Conceptual Plan Options Unveiled as the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Launches Stage 2 Public

Engagement Exercise (http://www.wkcdauthority.hk/en/newsroom/press_releases/index_id_56.html) www.wkcda.hk

20 August 2010

15.

^"Foster + Partners" (http://www.fosterandpartners.com/News/432/Default.aspx). Fosterandpartners.com. Retrieved

11 December 2011.

16.

^"" (http://news.sina.com.hk/news/32/1/1/2034021/1.html).

News.sina.com.hk. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.

17.

^"Norman Foster " (http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news

/expressnews/20110304/news_20110304_55_738407.htm). Rthk.org.hk. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 11 December2011.

18.

^"" (http://news.sina.com.hk/news/32/1/1/2034792/1.html).

News.sina.com.hk. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.

19.

^Benitez, Mary Ann (6 October 2011). "Culture bill likely to rocket" (http://www.thestandard.com.hk

/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=115806&sid=33971760&con_type=1&d_str=20111006&isSearch=1&

sear_year=2011). The Standard. "The West Kowloon cultural district is set to be the SAR's downtown pioneer green

area, but it could cost taxpayers at least HK$8 billion more than expected before it finally becomes a reality."

20.

^Stage 3 Public Engagement Exercise starts on 30 September (http://www.wkcda.hk/en/newsroom/press_releases

/index_id_91.html) WKCDA. 23 September 2011.

21.

^[2] (http://www.wkcdauthority.hk/en/about/members.htm)22.

^[3] (http://www.wkcdauthority.hk/en/job/jobOpp.htm)23.

^Angus Cheng resigns from cultural post (http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/090617/html/090617en05014.htm) HK Govt press release, 17 June 2009

24.

^West Kowloon authority director quits (http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews

/news.htm?englishnews&20090618&56&589975) RTHK, 17 June 2009

25.

^"West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Appoints Chief Executive Officer" (http://www.wkcdauthority.hk

/en/press_releases/index_id_33.html). West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 24

March 2010.

26.

^"Graham Sheffield named WKCD CEO" (http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/100324

/html/100324en05007.htm). Information Services Department of Hong Kong. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 24 March

2010.

27.

^Fresh culture shock as West Kowloon CEO quits (http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&28.


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art_id=106834&sid=30834206&con_type=1), The Standard, Natalie Wong, Friday, 7 January 2011

^[Public Eye: Come clean about why cultural head quit], SCMP Michael Chugani, 12 January 201129.

^Michael Lynch Appointed WKCDA Chief Executive Officer (http://www.wkcda.hk/en/newsroom/press_releases

/index_id_82.html) WKCDA. 27 May 2011.

30.

^Tate supremo for modern art flagship (http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=99750&

sid=28687302&con_type=1&d_str=20100624&fc=7), RTHK News, 24 June 2010

31.

^"Huge China art gift boosts Hong Kong culture district" (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article

/ALeqM5hgXvy8XIi7vQnoHeJvS19WoUAcdA?docId=CNG.67e1aa323fb82e8492afd38964bc1929.531). Agence

France-Presse. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-02.

32.

^Patricia Cohen (July 4, 2013), Design Is Chosen for Hong Kong Museum (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com

/2013/07/04/design-is-chosen-for-hong-kong-museum/)New York Times.

33.

^ http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr11-12/english/panels/wkcd/papers/wkcd0627cb2-2369-4-e.pdf34.

^ http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/52825/show-me-west-kowloon.html35.

West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (http://www.westkowloon.hk)

West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre (http://www.westkowloon.hk/bambootheatre)

Stage 1 Public Engagement Exercise (http://www.pe.westkowloon.hk)Stage 2 Public Engagement Exercise (http://www.pe2.westkowloon.hk)

Stage 3 Public Engagement Exercise (http://www.pe3.westkowloon.hk)

Home Affairs Bureau - West Kowloon Cultural District (http://www.hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities

/Culture/wkcd.htm)

Temporary waterfront promenade (http://www.news.gov.hk/en/category/infrastructureandlogistics/050914

/features/html/050914en06002.htm)

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