Development of an arts, cultural and entertainment district at the West Kowloon Reclamation waterfront area goes one step forward today (February 28) with the announcement of the winning entries of the Concept Plan Competition by the Jury after four days of deliberations.
First prize winner, a team led by Foster and Partners will receive a cash prize of HK$3 million.
Second price goes to a team led by Mr Philip Y. K. LIAO along with a cash prize of HK$1.5 million.
Three other entries were each awarded an honourable mention and HK$800,000. They were : a team led by Mr Minoru TAKEYAMA; a joint team led by Mr Alan MACDONALD and Urbis-LPT (Architects) Association; and a team led by Mr Rocco Sen Kee YIM.
Lord ROTHSCHILD, GBE, a member of the Jury for the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, chaired the 10-member Jury.
Announcing the results at a press conference, Lord ROTHSCHILD said that he was pleased with the overall standard of the 161 entries.
The Jury felt that the submission of the first prize winner, more than any other, fulfilled the purpose of the competition to define a conceptual architectural plan to establish Hong Kong as a city of world class arts and cultural activity, Lord ROTHSCHILD said.
"The signature feature of the design, a great canopy, 'flows over the various spaces contained within the development' to create a unique landmark. The sinuously flowing form of the site contours and the canopy produce a memorable effect.
"The master layout plan, even at this conceptual level," he said, "organizes the site to take full advantage of its prime waterfront location and its proximity to Kowloon Park and the Canton Road retail district."
In the 1999 Policy Address, the Chief Executive, Mr TUNG Chee Hwa, announced the plan to develop a major performance venue of world class standards in the West Kowloon Reclamation. This would enhance Hong Kong's position as the events captial of Asia.
The Secretary for Planning and Lands, Mr John C. TSANG, said that the Government intends to turn the piece of reclaimed land into a cultural oasis to enrich the lives of our citizens, to attract more visitors from overseas and to enhance even further one of the most beautiful skylines in the world.
"The next step is to start the detailed planning process. Once we have completed the masterplan study, implementation will follow immediately," Mr TSANG said.
"The usual planning process will take about three years and construction about four years. The first of the new facilities is expected to be completed by 2008, but we are working to accelerate the process so that the people of Hong Kong and its visitors will be able to enjoy this urban miracle," he added.
The other jurors are prominent people from within or outside Hong Kong with expertise in the fields of architecture, culture and heritage, engineering, planning, strategic development and tourism. They are as follows: -
* Mr C. Nicholas BROOKE, BBS, JP, Vice-Chairman, Metro Planning Committee, Town Planning Board, Hong Kong;
* Professor CHANG Hsin-kang, JP, Chairman, Culture and Heritage Commission, Hong Kong;
* The Hon Mrs Selina CHOW, JP, Chairman, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong;
* Professor Peter F.V. DROEGE, Professor of Urban Design, Faculty of Architecture, University of Sydney, Australia;
* Professor LAU Sau-shing, Patrick, SBS, Professor of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong;
* The Hon. LEUNG Chun-ying, GBS, JP, Convenor, Executive Council, Hong Kong;
* Mr Peter W. ROGERS, Director, Stanhope Plc, London, England;
* Professor Peter G. ROWE, Dean, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; and
* Professor WU Liangyong, Professor and Director, Institute for Architectural and Urban Studies, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
A Technical Panel comprising local experts and chaired by the Director of Planning, Mr Bosco FUNG, assisted the Jury by assessing whether individual entries generally met the technical requirements of the competition brief.
The competition was launched on April 6, 2001. A total of 161 entries were received when the submission period ended on September 29, 2001. Of these, 71 are from Hong Kong and 90 from elsewhere.
End/Thursday, February 28, 2002
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Photos for reference:
(Note: The above images are published pursuant to the provision in the Competition Document that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government shall be entitled to display, exhibit and/or make available the winning proposals or any part(s) of the winning proposals (whether in physical or electronic form) to the public and publish the winning proposals or any part(s) of the winning proposals in any medium. The participants own the intellectual property rights subsisting in the works of their respective winning proposals.)
Press conference web-casting (Floor / Cantonese / English)
Speech by Lord Rothschild, GBE, Chairman of the Jury, at the press conference (28.2.2002)
Additional pictures of the winning entries and the Jury's commentary on them may be viewed at:
West Kowloon Reclamation Concept Plan Competition
