West Kowloon Cultural District
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The West Kowloon Cultural District is a proposed district of concentration for arts, cultural and entertainment establishments in Hong Kong, China. It is an ambitious and extravagant project led by several major developers, costing 25 billion dollars, to transform a piece of barren, waterfront reclaimed land, west of Yau Ma Tei into a futuristic artificial canopy. Currently in public consultation stage, construction is planned in 2007 and expected to be operational in 2011.
The project hopes to reaffirm Hong Kong's position as "Asia's World City", attracting tourists and foreign investments. However, there is currently a debate on whether the expensive WKCD project is in Hong Kong's best interests.
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Introduction
Origin
Hong Kong Tourism Board used to make a survey among tourists visiting Hong Kong in 1996. The survey implied that many of the tourists thought Hong Kong was lack of culture in some way. Hong Kong Tourism Board made a suggestion to Legco in 1998, which mentioned setting up new places for cultural and art shows. In the Chief Executive's Policy Address of 1998,Tung Chee Hwa posed a new conception of West Kowloon Cultural District, with great hope to develop Hong Kong as the Culture and Art Center of Asia.
Location
The development site is bounded by Canton Road in the east, the Western Harbour Tunnel entrance and Austin Road West in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the west and south.
Core facilities
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.
Process
Debate
New events
The future of the massive West Kowloon arts hub plan is uncertain after the shortlisted developers balked and the government announced a fundamental rethink of the project.
Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan said the much-criticised giant canopy - centrepiece of the winning design by architect Lord Foster - would be scrapped.
See also
External links
Categories
Places in Hong Kong | Hong Kong culture | Yau Tsim Mong District