West Kowloon Cultural District could be downsized
After the first facilities of the West Kowloon Cultural District are built, there is a strong possibility the project will be downsized for pragmatic reasons, writes John Batten
There was much fanfare about the HK$4.9 billion design for M+, the planned museum for visual culture at the West Kowloon Cultural District, by architects Herzog & de Meuron and British firm TFP Farrells.
But Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief secretary and chairwoman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, last week warned of a retreat from the previous administration's grand intentions for the site.
Without any guaranteed future funding, the second phase of construction could be stuck in limbo
Responding to the Legislative Council's criticism of cost overruns, Lam has committed the government to using the original HK$21.6 billion in funds (now HK$23 billion, after being invested) approved by Legco in 2008 to fund five anchor cultural facilities, and a park, within the chosen Foster + Partners master plan of the site.
This is a firm commitment to only fund a "first batch of facilities": the Chinese opera centre; M+; the eastern portion of the West Kowloon park, including an arts pavilion to be used by M+ while the museum is being built; Freespace, a black box theatre and an outdoor stage in the form of an acoustic shell, and a supposedly temporary modular performance venue seating 1,200 people.
The target to complete these facilities is 2018. The revenue-generating parts of the site, such as the hotels, could also be built in this period.
There will be about HK$5 billion left over from this initial spurt of construction. Before work can start on a second batch of facilities - such as the proposed Lyric Theatre and other performing venues, underground roads and infrastructure need to be built. This will require further government funding to be approved by Legco.