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The SAR government announced on Wednesday the revised West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) development plan for three months of public consultation. The landmark of the WKCD will comprise the M+ (Museum Plus), drama centre and concert halls instead of a giant glass canopy and a 200m skyscraper contained in the original plan.
There will be 17 core facilities for cultural and artistic activities in the recreational district, which are expected to boost the number of seats in Hong Kong's entertainment facilities by 37 percent.
According to the proposed new WKCD plan, the 17 core facilities will house 15 performing art venues, one exhibition centre and a museum called M+. The performing art venues will be built in two phases. The larger ones, including the drama centre, concert hall, chamber music lounge, grand theatre and two mid-sized theatres, will be constructed in the first phase and open to the public in 2014 or 2015.
The time to begin the second phase will depend on the demand for more venues after the first 15 go into operation. That means some vacant land has to be reserved for the second phase, which should be completed no later than 2026. The M+ museum will be the last core structure to finish construction and tentatively set to open in 2031.
M+ represents a brand-new concept in museum design. With a total floor area of 78,750 square metres, it will include both indoor and open spaces for a multi-purpose display community.
To make the construction of this new landmark a success, the consultation committee suggests a design competition be held for M+, the drama centre and concert halls to attract the best minds in this field from around the world. If completed as hoped, M+ will increase the floor space of existing museums in Hong Kong by 52 percent.
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