Local team produces winning design for West Kowloon arts pavilion
The arts pavilion at the future West Kowloon Cultural District will be based on a design by three Hong Kong-born architects, after they beat 99 other teams in an international competition.
Located in the West Kowloon park on the Victoria Harbour waterfront, the pavilion will be used by M+ as its primary exhibition site while the visual arts museum is being built. It will later provide space for artists, designers and organisations to stage independent small exhibitions and events.
The winning design features an elevated main exhibition space which "floats" above the foliage in the park. The building will feature mirrored external walls that reflect the surrounding greenery. Artwork will be shown against the backdrop of the Hong Kong Island skyline with its view of Victoria Harbour.
The pavilion will house gallery spaces with polished concrete floors and white walls.
The seven-member adjudication panel's co-chairman, Lars Nittve, said that the entry had been chosen because it "fitted into the landscape and frames the views of Hong Kong, creating an outdoor space which easily flows into a well proportioned space". The design would also offer flexibility for small exhibitions, he said.
In the description of their entry, the winning team of Vincent Pang, Tynnon Chow and Lisa Cheung explained that the concept behind the design was to provide a simple, pure and clean space away from urban noise and pollution so that people could appreciate Hong Kong through fresh eyes. The architects hoped that the cultural park would allow visitors to relax and take them away "from the chaos of the commercial world".
The pavilion is scheduled to be completed within next year.
