Concept plan for the future park in the West Kowloon Cultural District unveiled

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) unveiled a concept plan for the future park in the West Kowloon Cultural District on 22nd July, conceived by a global team led by Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers (Hong Kong) Ltd, with West 8 (Netherlands) and ACLA (Hong Kong). The team has been working closely with WKCDA since their appointment in February 2014.

The vision for the Park is to create a quality green open space for Hong Kong. It will become a waterfront park to inspire, promote and encourage cultural pursuits for all. The landscaped park will provide a vibrant venue for open-air performances of music, dance and theatre, as well as art exhibitions and other cultural programmes. Attention has been paid to shaded areas and topographic variation in designing the Park, providing pleasant environments and spacious lawns for leisure and relaxation. Areas for large-scale outdoor sculpture and installations curated by M+ will be integrated into the design.

Unveiling the concept design, the design team said, “Working alongside WKCDA we hope to create a new kind of public space for Hong Kong – one devoted to the promotion and enjoyment of arts and culture, where daily life seamlessly integrates with cultural activity. The Park will be a tranquil counterpoint to the intensity of urban Hong Kong, contributing an important new greening project to the heart of the city that will offer something for everyone to enjoy.”

Michael Lynch, CEO, WKCDA said, “In a short time working hand in hand with the design team enormous progress has been made, capitalising on their collective experience working on major greening projects and cultural builds in Hong Kong and worldwide. Together we are focused on delivering a dynamic and inspiring public space for Hong Kong with arts and culture at its core.”

The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest cultural developments worldwide. Its vision is to create a vibrant cultural quarter for Hong Kong, a vital platform for the local arts scene to interact, develop and collaborate, and major facilities to host and produce world-class exhibitions, performances and arts and cultural events. It will provide 23 hectares of public open space including a park, a green avenue and a waterfront promenade, and will be well connected with the neighbourhood.