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Hong Kong: West Kowloon Cultural District Development

allen

Do you know about the prposed West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong, for which Norman Foster has won a planning design competition?

The development has now become very controversal owing to the fact that the HK Government opt to let a single land developer to develop the whole 40+ hectures district.

The Hong Kong Institute of Architects has set up a Concern Group for monitoring the whole issue. You may visit their website

www.westkowloonforum.net

for more information. Though mainly in Chinese, I think we may get enough idea on what is the cultural district all about via their LINKS page and REFERENCE page, which contain a no. of english materials.

 
Dec 14, 04 1:38 pm
jlxarchitect

I am a 753th visitor of that website. It seems the public attention is still in the early stage for this development. I would like to follow it and see what happens in the future.

Dec 15, 04 10:38 am  · 
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cstt

Some of the controversal issues are:

1. the government is in favor of skydome design as opposed to
nature design. Norman Foster's skydome design covers 40% of the
40+ hectares of land. The 2nd and 3nd finalists had the similiar
designs.

2. this conventional moderism(skydome) has become a building type
confection, the social acceptability now or hundred years from now
is questionable.

3 the cutural district development which consists of residential and
commericial development might end up to be a housing
development project as the governement inclines to award the
development project to a single developer. All the three finalists
are leading commerical and residential developers in Hong
Kong and have never participated in any cultural development
project.

4. the government has not given enough time for public consulation,
nor sought advice from internationl independent advisors.

5. etc,........

Dec 20, 04 4:47 am  · 
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jlxarchitect

Ok, so it is about the client want to make a profit issue.

Dec 20, 04 2:51 pm  · 
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cstt

yes, lucrative profit from property development.....(Bulletin #39)

www.syneryynet.org.hk

Dec 21, 04 10:53 pm  · 
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