Have you seen the Tamar exhibition? It is well worth a look, to test your own alertness to fact versus fiction. There are four large models of the new government office complex, replete with drawings and even videos, in the lobby of the Queensway Government Offices. They give the public a chance to see what the four consortia bidding for the design-and-build project have put forward.
You are asked to choose which design you like: there is a form available to fill in. Should you have questions - such as what was the design brief, and what are the costs involved - there is nothing available for you to read. So, if you want to make a choice, you are presumably going to choose based on the overall look of the models and plans.
On the day I went to see the exhibition, there were about six other people there. While looking at one of the models, I overheard one of the visitors say to her companion that she liked the long waterfront promenade. The video for that model was showing how nice the promenade would be. Indeed, the sales pitch was all about the promenade: all four models paid a lot of attention to its design. The focus on the promenade is not surprising, since the government and consortia know this was a key promise to the people of Hong Kong. They know the public wants open public space and greenery.
However, take a closer look at the models: you'll see a small explanation saying that the waterfront section is not a part of the project. That means the bids are for the design and construction of the office complex area, not the entire waterfront promenade.
No doubt there will be a promenade along the harbourfront, but it won't be based on one of these models on exhibition. We could be forgiven, however, for believing that the models represent a total design.
In each one, the office towers are massive structures. The models make another thing clear about the design brief: the office of the chief executive must be a separate building. In other words, he doesn't want to work in the same structure as other officials.
Each model shows another structure housing the chief executive office. Proportionally, he will occupy a lot of space. Some of the supporting drawings for the models show a palace-like interior. No doubt, the brief requires something large and impressive.
