HKMB Hong Kong Means Business

Hong Kong Means Business Hong Kong Means Business
  • Login / Register

Languages

  • EN
  • 繁
  • 简
  • Events
  • My Feed
  • Contact HKTDC
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe

Section Menu

  • Market Opportunities
  • Tech & Innovation
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainability
  • Creativity & Lifestyle
  • HKTDC Updates
  • Featured Topics

Languages

  • EN
  • 繁
  • 简
  • HKTDC.com |
  • About HKTDC |
  • My HKTDC |
  • Login / Register |

HKTDC.com About HKTDC My HKTDC

Login Register

Hong Kong Means Business

Section Menu

  • Market Opportunities
  • Tech & Innovation
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainability
  • Creativity & Lifestyle
  • HKTDC Updates
  • Featured Topics

https://hkmb.hktdc.com/en/1X0AGQDH

Entrepreneurship
SAVE FOR LATER
SHARE / SEND

"Scan QR Code" in WeChat and tap "..." to share.

Public spaces reimagined

The launch a new pavilion and additional facilities inside the Art Park at the West Kowloon Cultural District will encourage the public to engage with culture – and each other.

25 March 2019



Kingsley Jayasekera

This year looks set to be a momentous one for the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), with the Xiqu Performing Arts Centre making its debut this January and a new pavilion unveiled this month by local architects New Office Works after the practice won the inaugural West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) Young Architects & Designers Competition. The timber structure, named Growing Up, features a distinct sloping roof and will provide a space for leisure and relaxation on the waterfront over the next six months. There’s more to come from WKCD by the end of 2019, with the scheduled opening of further areas of the Art Park, which hosts arts and cultural events including the Freespace Happening festival, said Kingsley Jayasekera from the WKCDA’s Marketing and Customer Experience Department.

Tell us about the pavilion design competition – what were you expecting from the competition entries?
While there are many pavilion design projects and competitions around the world that we took inspiration from, we wanted our competition to support young Hong Kong talent at the beginning of their careers. In building the West Kowloon Cultural District we are working with many experienced international and Hong Kong architects on the major buildings but as one of our roles is to nurture creativity, we wanted architects and designers who were less established to have a role in the district. Our expectation was innovation, fresh ideas and a very public-focused design philosophy and the 320 entries we received delivered this in their rich diversity and bold ambition.

WKCD
Use of wood was a key feature for Growing Up

Tell us why you singled out New Office Works as the winning entry.
What stood out about the winning entry was its use of wood, its close attention to the location on the waterfront with its sunset views, its usability as an event space and in particular the way the design reflected elements that were particular to Hong Kong. For instance, the level changes, the density of the city, the scaffolding used in construction, the mix of old and new and east and west, and the way nature interacts with buildings are all represented in the design.

The WKCD provides 23 hectares of public open space, including a 2km waterfront promenade. How important was it to provide that public space, and tell us about some of the ways in which it is used.
The public space is essential to the district, and allows the public the freedom to linger, interact and engage with other people and the arts and culture. We already hold a variety of events on the site, including our regular Freespace Happening festivals that include live music, market stalls and arts and crafts workshops. Traditionally everyday use of public space in Hong Kong has been quite heavily regulated but unlike other parks in Hong Kong we welcome activities like pet walking, ball games, kite flying and picnicking. We also run a successful street performance scheme. The aim is that the activities in our venues should spill into the public spaces and the integration of public space within the buildings should encourage the public to cross the boundary and experience what the venues and museums have to offer.

What is distinct about the approach to public spaces in Hong Kong compared with other cities?
Due to its compact urban environment, public space is often small and has a large number of hard surfaces, which makes management easier but spaces less attractive. Generally, lawns are hard to find and are not accessible for the public and many activities are forbidden.

You will open up further parts of the Art Park this year, including Freespace. Tell us about that.
The Art Park is an 11-hectare green space to host arts and cultural events. It features a raised deck that slopes down to a lawn on its reverse side, faces out to the harbour to the front and sits above a row of restaurants and seats. Along the waterfront promenade instead of the usual railing we have created a low wall/seat, which opens up the view of the skyline. Eventually this promenade will extend for 2.5km and offer the best views in Hong Kong.

The lawn spaces, the largest of which can accommodate 10,000 people, are all designed so they can host events with pre-fixed power and data points. Running through the Art Park is the Cultural Boulevard, which has a small art pavilion, and Freespace, a new centre for contemporary performance that is set to open next month. It comprises The Box, the largest black box theatre in Hong Kong, live music bar/café The Livehouse and two multi-purpose spaces for artistic exchange and collaboration, The Room and The Studio.

The Art Park will link with future facilities like the M+ museum, which opens in 2020 and will feature a large public terrace, and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which will debut in 2022.

Related link 
West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD)

BACK TO TOP ^
CONTENT PROVIDED BY
    Topics:
  • Design Services,
  • Hong Kong,
  • Architecture,
  • culture
  • Design Services
  • Hong Kong
Home

Article Topics

ARTICLE TOPICS

DESIGN SERVICES24640
HONG KONG36026
ARCHITECTURE107196
CULTURE85025

ARTICLE TOPICS

DESIGN SERVICES24640
HONG KONG36026
ARCHITECTURE107196
CULTURE85025

interest_article

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

07 February 2023

City sets sights on Riyadh

01 February 2023

Cutting down disposable plastics

12 January 2023

Elephantine task for financiers

23 December 2022

Bespoke tailor London bound

Related Events

RELATED EVENTS

1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023

DesignInspire

19 - 22 April 2023

Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair 2023 (Physical Fair)

19 - 29 April 2023

Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair 2023 (Click2Match)

26 - 29 October 2023

Eco Expo Asia 2023 (Physical Fair)
FIND AN EVENT

Social Share

FOLLOW US

GET WEEKLY UPDATES

newpaper-img

GET OUR WEEKLY EMAIL UPDATES

banner-img


I acknowledge that the above information may be used by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) for incorporation in all or any of its database for direct marketing or business matching purpose (and may therefore become available to the public within and/or outside of Hong Kong for use by them), and for any other purposes as stated in the Privacy Policy Statement; I confirm that I have the consent and the authority of each individual named in this form to release their personal data for the purposes stated herein.


*For non-EU/EEA customers, please skip this box which is solely for EU/EEA customers as required by the relevant data protection law in the EU.

THANK YOU

Thank you for registering.

SHARE THIS STORY

EMAIL
LINKEDIN
WeChat
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
WHATSAPP

ID: HKTDCofficial

Don't have an account?

Create An Account

successfully added on your preferences.