'west kowloon cultural district authority' by foster + partners, kowloon, hong kong
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners


foster + partners has been selected for the design of the 40-hectare masterplan for the
'west kowloon cultural district'. entitled 'city park', the development will be a major
center for the arts and culture where public and private realms converge. seventeen
new venues will include an opera house, concert hall, arena and expo center, all centered
around a series of colonnades and promenades that act as a natural extension of the local
community.



wide pedestrian only streets will be lined with greenery
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners


a 23-hectare park will be situated in the heart of the city, providing a landscaped setting
for a series of social activities. a series of wide avenues and plazas lined with greenery
will link cultural buildings that encircle the park, to the expansive waterfront.



park and waterfront
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners


all vehicular traffic will take place below ground level through a series of networks and
access points. balancing the needs for pedestrians, cyclists and cars, the plan features
designated rings for each mode of transportation with the center accessible solely by foot.



main park
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners


the low energy proposal - consisting of district cooling and heating, grey water recycling
and energy recovery systems for sewage - will achieve a carbon-neutral rating with a
synergistic system of high-efficiency and low-consumption infrastructure.



site plan
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners


from the architects:

'the west kowloon cultural district is an ambitious project to create a dynamic new district
with a rich mix of spaces for everyone in hong kong. our approach is to create a masterplan
where the boundaries between living, working and playing are blurred, public space is
welcoming and lively, and the quality of urban life is substantially improved.'

aerial view of physical model
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



physical model
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



model showing the relationship between hong kong island and west kowloon
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



waterfront
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners



city center
image courtesy of west kowloon cultural district authority / foster + partners




lord foster presenting the west kowloon master plan at the venice architecture biennale 2010
image © designboom



lord norman foster and rocco s k yim at the panel discussion for the development at the venice architecture biennale 2010
image © designboom



panel discussion with the architects from the competing projects
from left to right: rocco s k yim, lord norman foster, and rem koolhaas
image © designboom


lord norman foster discusses various aspects of the project at the
venice architecture biennale 2010:



video © designboom




video © designboom



video © designboom