West Kowloon Cultural District King s Asian CCI Research Society Crea6ve Spaces in Asia Jeffrey D. Liu
Introducing the WKCD in 5 Points: The WKCD is a proposed and developing project to boost cultural and entertainment establishments at Hong Kong located at the waterfront west of Yau Ma Tei, it will feature a new museum of visual culture (M+), numerous theaters, concert halls, and other performance venues Taking up 40 Hectares the district will include 17 core arts and cultural venues as well as space for arts educa6on. Managed by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA); current CEO is Michael Lynch, former CE of London s Southbank Centre Directly financed by the government with an upfront endowment of HK 21.6 billion (1.7 billion GBP)
A sense of scale
A sense of scale HK is the most dense high- income urban area 67,000 people / sq. mile or 25,900 people per sq. km (Pop. Density in London is 12,331 per sq. mile) Property prices are third highest in the world (second behind London)
The plan
Core Arts and Cultural Facilities (CACF) A Mega Performance Venue, designed for popular music events, and flexibility for other art forms and large- scale entertainment events Exhibi6on Centre Complex; designed for large- scale cultural, entertainment and commercial events. A Great Theatre large scale theatre produc6ons A Musical Theatre intended primarily for broadway style musicals and performances, including western and Chinese opera/dance A Lyric Theatre facility with orchestra pit for dance, ballet, opera, musicals and theatrical performances Freespace with Music Box
M+ New museum of visual culture slated to open in 2018 (date has been pushed back), been in planning stages since 2005 Designed by Herzog & de Mueron (best known for designing the Tate Modern) approximately 60,000 m2 Director Lars Nimve best known for being the founding director of the Tate Modern M+ Sigg collec6on over 1500 works donated by Swiss collector Uli Sigg, universally recognised as the largest, most comprehensive and important collec6on in the world of Chinese contemporary art from the 1970s to the present nomadic exhibi6ons already being held by M+ while they are wai6ng for the museum building to be completed
M+ Building Museum for visual culture contemporary art, design, architecture, and popular culture. Construc6on 2015-2018
Xiqu Centre Large and small theatre, with commercially operated Tea House, showcase venue for Chinese Opera. Construc6on 2013-2016
West Kowloon Terminus Planned: largest underground HSR sta6on; Located next to WKCD; connec6ng it to mainland China directly [Shenzhen, Guangzhou, PRD], and eventually to the main high speed rail to Beijing. HKD$ 62.4 billion (approx 5 billion GBP)
What has the WKCD been up to? West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre first cultural event held by the WKCDA, at the future site of the Xiqu Centre, focusing on Cantonese Opera, visual art installa6ons, and film Freespace Fest Contemporary music and performing arts fes6val, which focuses on audience par6cipa6on Mobile M+ and M+ Mamers Events a variety of public programs such as talks (M+ Mamers), nomadic exhibi6ons (Mobile M+) Clockenflap Music and Arts Fes6val annual fes6val incorpora6ng interna6onal and local music, art, and film. 30,000 in amendance last year
What has the WKCD been up to? : Waterfront Promenade
What has the WKCD been up to? : Freespace Fest
What has the WKCD been up to? : 14 Listed M+ Events since 2013
Potential Criticisms: History of setbacks in developing the WKCD - project proposed in 1998 tourism, not culture, that prompted the government to propose an arts hub not a place for Hong Kongers, but a tourist amrac6on (amrac6ng mainland Chinese or interna6onal tourists) Money could be spent on arts educa6on and arts employment for HKers only the HKAPA as dedicated arts university, who will be getng the job opportuni6es in WKCD? Commercial use of the space retail shops and dining in WKCD
Impact/implications of the WKCD Overall, development of the WKCD will not only bring value- added contribu6on to the Gross Domes6c Product (GDP) of the economy, visitor spending and employment opportuni6es, but also various intangible benefits for the development of a crea6ve economy, nurturing local talents, amrac6ng and retaining investors and talents, raising quality of life, reinforcing economic integra6on with the Pearl River Delta and branding Hong Kong as a world- class city. from the WKCD execu6ve summary 2014 HK as a financial center, WKCD signifying a shiv towards a cultural center?
Sources: hmp://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/aedas- kowloon- terminus hmp://www.expressraillink.hk/en/database/xrl- in- hk.html hmp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hong_kong_cultural_policy hmp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/west_kowloon_cultural_district hmp://www.scmp.com/news/hong- kong/ar6cle/1432869/west- kowloon- cultural- district- should- be- about- arts- not- money- experts hmp://hk- magazine.com/city- living/ar6cle/decade- dithering hmp://www.masterplanningthefuture.org/?p=1943 hmp://www.westkowloon.hk/en/mplus/learn- about- the- collec6on hmp://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/londonfacts/default.htm? category=2 hmp://www.hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibili6es/ arts_culture_recrea6on_and_sport/arts.htm hmp://www.westkowloon.hk/en/the- district/reports- and- papers