Advertisement
West Kowloon Cultural District
Opinion

Hong Kong needs a world-class concert hall, not more museums

Vivienne Chow says the stunning new Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg is proof of how a concert hall can revitalise a city, and holds a lesson for Hong Kong’s new leadership

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The Swiss-designed Elbphilharmonie (Philharmonic Hall) in Hamburg, where G20 leaders arriving for the July 7 to 8 summit will enjoy an evening of Beethoven. Photo: Reuters
Vivienne Chow

As world leaders converge in Hamburg for the G20 summit, one of the highlights for the VIP guests will be enjoying Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 in the city’s brand new concert hall, Elbphilharmonie.

The stunning building with a glass facade was designed by Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron and features advanced acoustics. Located right at the Hamburg harbour, it was built on top of the historic Kaiserspeicher, a former warehouse. The €866 million (HK$7.6 billion) concert hall is a piece of cultural infrastructure that Germany takes pride in.

Since opening in January, it has become a new travel destination in Hamburg, with shows perpetually overbooked. Unlike Berlin, Hamburg is not known as a cultural city, but its people are now thinking about how to reinvent this historic port as a cultural capital.

Advertisement
President Xi Jinping, then Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying and his successor, Carrie Lam, applaud as Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung (second left) and Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum, complete the signing ceremony for the Palace Museum agreement, at the West Kowloon Cultural District on June 29. Photo: SCMP Pictures
President Xi Jinping, then Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying and his successor, Carrie Lam, applaud as Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung (second left) and Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum, complete the signing ceremony for the Palace Museum agreement, at the West Kowloon Cultural District on June 29. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Secret study on Hong Kong’s Palace Museum site revealed in new twist

Concert halls play a vital role not just in a city’s cultural life but also its image on the global stage. Many of Hong Kong’s top civil servants are fans of classical music and concert regulars. But their passion has not led to the development of a world-class concert hall, which Hong Kong deserves.

Many of Hong Kong’s top civil servants are fans of classical music, [but that] has not led to a world-class concert hall
We only have a concert hall in the Cultural Centre complex. There was supposed to be one in the West Kowloon Cultural District. But, after 20 years of debate, delays and cost escalation, the plan to build the concert hall has been deferred. Instead, we are expecting a Hong Kong version of Beijing’s Palace Museum, with HK$3.5 billion in funding from the Jockey Club.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x