A team consisting of VPANG architects ltd, JET Architecture Inc and Lisa Cheung has been announced as winner of a competition to design an arts pavilion for the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (the "WKCDA") in Hong Kong. With completion planned for 2015, the pavilion is expected to be used as a small-scale exhibition and events space for independent artists and designers. It will also serve as the primary home for exhibitions and programs organized by M+, Hong Kong's museum for visual culture, before the completion of Herzog & de Meuron’s museum building in late 2017.
According to the jury report, “The winning pavilion is designed to offer a respite from hectic city life, and impressed the judges with a smart simplistic approach, which allows the Pavilion to blend into its surroundings. Mirrored external walls camouflage the architecture, reflecting the surrounding expanses of greenery and immersing the building within its Park setting.
“To further this experience, the pavilion’s main exhibition space is elevated, allowing it to float above the foliage, creating the opportunity for artwork to be appreciated against a backdrop of the Hong Kong Island skyline with spectacular views out over Victoria Harbour.
“The building is designed to be surrounded by natural light, away from noise. Inside, gallery spaces are created by polished concrete floors and white walls – a flexible backdrop for multidisciplinary art exhibitions and performances.”
Also planned for the WKCDA is the Bing Thom Architects + Ronald Lu & Partners-designed Xiqu Center, which will be the first of the masterplan's 17 cultural centers. Check out the winning design here.
Reference: WKCDA
