foster + partners: city park for the west kowloon cultural district

‘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

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 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