The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) recently unveiled a concept plan for the future park in the West Kowloon Cultural District, 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 design 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 that would make Hong Kong proud, and to 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.
The concept design confirms the locations of the arts and cultural venues within the Park, which will provide space for creative programming across all genres. The venues will be linked by a cultural boulevard, an extension of the Avenue that runs through the heart of the District. The venues/ facilities include:
- The Arts Pavilion: Designed by VPANG architects ltd + JET Architecture Inc + Lisa Cheung, which will be situated on an elevated mound in the north-east segment of the Park, close to M+ and Artist Square, with views out to the Victoria Harbour.
- Freespace: A Black Box and an Outdoor Stage. The Black Box will be a flexible space located in the centre of the Park for standing and seated events across all genres, and will accommodate up to 900 people.
- The Big Lawn: A flexible space in the western area of the Park, capable of accommodating over 10,000 standing visitors for outdoor festivals, classical or pop music concerts, and other performances. A further flexible event space is planned for the southern segment of the Park near the waterfront, capable of hosting up to 5,000 people standing.
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.”
Image Credit | Courtesy of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority 圖片由西九文化區管理局提供