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Chloe Lai

Museum foundation throws its weight behind West Kowloon cultural project

Hong Kong will be the first Asian home of the world famous Guggenheim Museum if a joint venture between Cheung Kong (Holdings) and Sun Hung Kai Properties wins the bid to develop the West Kowloon Cultural District.

The New York-based Guggenheim Foundation made the announcement yesterday during a video conference at the Cheung Kong Center  in Central, in which the property giants unveiled their plans to the public.

However, the proposed design for the 40-hectare site was not divulged by the joint venture, named Dynamic Star International. Cheung Kong vice-chairman Victor Li Tzar-kuoi said arts facilities would form the backbone of the project.

Guggenheim Foundation director Thomas Krens said it had agreed to support the project.

The involvement of the foundation gives the joint venture's bid a further boost after it was earlier backed by the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Beijing Palace Museum.

If its bid is successful, the joint venture would develop and manage the cultural district for 30 years.

The foundation sees the project as the first step in establishing a long-term presence in China.

'It will open up a window to this part of the world for the Guggenheim, which will benefit our constituencies in New York and Europe,' Mr Krens said.

'China is such a big country with a vast population. If there are opportunities for further developments, we will probably have more than one museum in China.'

He described the Kowloon project as an opportunity not to be missed.

The foundation administers a global network with branches in Berlin, Las Vegas, Venice and Bilbao, Spain.

The establishment of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao prompted the regeneration of the rundown industrial city by bringing in hordes of tourists.

In addition, the foundation has strategic alliances with the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, which would also exchange collections with the local Guggenheim.

Exhibition programmes for Hong Kong would be tailor-made through consultations with local artists and cultural groups.

Talks between Guggenheim and Cheung Kong began a year ago, but details of the link have yet to be finalised, including the relationship with the Pompidou Centre.

Mr Krens said the foundation had yet to talk to the French institute on the Kowloon project, but added he welcomed the opportunity for co-operation.

Dynamic International is competing for the project with Swire Properties, Henderson Land, and a consortium of  Sino Land, Wharf (Holdings), Chinese Estates Holdings and the K Wah Group. There is also individual bidder Lam Sze-tat.



Guggenheim eyes HK as Asian base