West 8 selected for West Kowloon Cultural District Park Project
On the 28th of February, The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (“WKCDA”) announced that a design team led by Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers (Hong Kong) Ltd (DLN), supported by landscape architects, West 8 (Netherlands) and ACLA (Hong Kong), have been selected to design and manage the development of the Park in the West Kowloon Cultural District (“WKCD”), scheduled to open in stages starting from 2015.
Mr Michael Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of WKCDA announced: “Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers (Hong Kong) Ltd leads a global design team of West 8 (Netherlands) and ACLA (Hong Kong)”.
The Park will provide a major green open space in the heart of the city and a waterfront promenade which wraps the entire headland, offering spectacular views over Victoria Harbour.
It will also house a series of small-scale arts and cultural venues; an intimate small scale theatre for standing and seated events and an outdoor stage capable of welcoming over 10,000 standing visitors for large-scale performances and festivals. The Park and its related venues will act as a test-bed for creative programming across all genres in arts and culture, aiming to be perceived as a destination and a venue in its own right, and will include the first automated bicycle rental system in Hong Kong.
Working with the local partners DLN, ACLA and design team *, West 8 will commence work on the development of a master plan for the Park and related venues, with an initial concept design expected to be unveiled this autumn. The scope of work includes administration of the construction process across the whole park site, design of the Freespace venues, collaboration with the architects for the Arts Pavilion (to decide on the best location for this venue within the overall scheme) and liaison with the M+ design team (Herzog & de Meuron and TFP Farrels) regarding the interface area of the parkland which connects to the M+ museum and overlooks Victoria Harbour.
Announcing the appointment of the park design consultant, Mr Michael Lynch, Chief Executive Officer, said, “Appointing this design team, each with world-class expertise in the sector, is another major leap forward in the development of the District. Working hand in hand with the design team, we are now in the exciting position to take forward one of the biggest infrastructure projects on site. I have every confidence that together we will turn the Park into one of the most inspiring and unique spaces in Asia.”
Official announcement to be found here: www.westkowloon.hk
Profile of the Park Design Team
The West Kowloon Cultural District park design team brings together strong local talents and leading international expertise in public space design and landscape design.
Lead consultant Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects and Engineers (HK) Ltd (DLN) was founded in Hong Kong in 1972 and has grown in step with the city since that time to become one of the most versatile and best known architectural and design practices in the region. DLN’s work is emblematic of contemporary Hong Kong’s vitality and culture and includes some of the best known landmarks in the city.
Park design is to be conceived and developed by West 8, supported by local project landscape architect ACLA. Their in-depth knowledge of local flora and landscape practice will complement West 8’s design. ACLA was established in Hong Kong in 1978 and has been responsible for design of many of the landscape environments in the city. Besides parks, ACLA is currently working with the Government as the landscape consultant behind Greening Master Plans covering the whole of the territory of Hong Kong.
* The complete team structure includes the following:
- DENNIS LAU & NG CHUN MAN ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS (HK) LTD ARCHITECT: Project Leader
- WEST 8: Park and Landscape Planning & Design
- ACLA: Project Landscape Architect & Planting Specialist
- GRIMSHAW: Design Consultant
- HYDER: Geotechnical Engineer, Structural, Civil & Environmental Engineer, Beam & Consultant – Traffic Engineering, Pedestrian Flow Modelling (Provisional)
- JCP INTERNATIONAL: Risk Management, Value Engineering
- JONES LANG LASALLE: Retail, Dining & Entertainment Consultant
