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Results of the Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) Piazza Design Competition were announced today (August 25). The Government will hold a prize presentation ceremony shortly.
Results of design competition
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The winning design of the competition, entitled "Piazza of Time", by architect Mr Tenny Yeung and his team, adopts a theme featuring the background of the TST waterfront as an important public transport hub of Hong Kong. The runner-up is the design by Mr Au Yeung Ho-shun's team.
The design competition was co-organised by the Tourism Commission and the Architectural Services Department in May 2009. The plan of the TST piazza project at that time was to replace the bus terminus adjacent to the TST pier with the public transport interchange (PTI) adjacent to Wing On Plaza at Mody Road, TST East, so that the waterfront site could be released for development into a piazza. It was hoped that, through the design competition, a creative design could be achieved for reference in the development of the piazza into a unique tourism attraction.
The design competition is supported by various professional bodies, with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects being the sponsor. Other supporting organisations include the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects, the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The adjudication panel comprises representatives of the co-organisers, professional members of the architectural, planning and landscape design sectors, the tourism trade and experts on conservation of historic structures, as well as council and community representatives. Further details of the competition results are available at the website: www.archsd.gov.hk/english/tstpiazza/home.html .
Background to the Tsim Sha Tsui piazza project and
the way forward
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In June 2005, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved funding for the construction of a new PTI adjacent to Wing On Plaza to replace the existing bus terminus outside the TST Star Ferry Pier, so that the waterfront site can be released for development into a piazza. The first phase of the proposal included the construction of a public transport interchange at Mody Road in TST East, which has been completed and was commissioned in August 2007. The construction of a new turnaround outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at Salisbury Road forms the second phase of the development. The third phase of the development involves the construction of a piazza.
The Government gazetted the works for construction of the planned turnaround in 2009 and 2010. Public views collected during the gazettal period showed that the major concerns were over the future arrangements for bus services and the possible impact of the piazza project on the traffic flow. Some also considered that the TST pier's bus terminus should be conserved so as to preserve the collective memory of the Hong Kong community.
Taking into account the public views received, the Government has revisited the way forward for the piazza project, and proposes to adopt a new design concept that will integrate the piazza with the revitalisation of the TST pier, with an aim to developing the vicinity into a tourism node. Under the new design concept, the Government proposes to expand the planned turnaround to make a new public transport interchange, so as to enable all bus routes currently using the TST pier bus terminus to continue to call at the TST pier in future. This arrangement would assist passengers in using bus services and interchanging with Star Ferry services. It would address the strong requests of the public and District Councils for keeping the existing bus service arrangements, while improving the pedestrian environment outside the pier.
With the expansion of the area of the new transport interchange, the area of the piazza will be reduced accordingly by 40 per cent. In planning the development of the future tourism node, the Government will showcase the area's history as a public transport interchange so that both the public and visitors can reminisce about the history of this vicinity.
The Government has recently consulted the Yau Tsim Mong District Council on the new design concept, and the Traffic and Transport Committees of the Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin, Sham Shui Po and Kwun Tong District Councils on the bus service arrangements under the proposal, and has obtained their support. The new design concept was also presented to the Harbourfront Commission's Task Force on Harbourfront Developments in Kowloon, Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing.
Since the design concept for the revitalisation of the TST pier and its adjacent area has changed substantially, and such development was not anticipated when the design competition was launched, entries for the design competition, including the winning entry, did not have the revitalisation of the TST pier as an essential part of the overall integrated design. It was unfortunate that the competition entries could not eventually be adopted as the design of the tourism node. The Government expresses its sincere gratitude to the participants and supporting organisations for their involvement.
The Government plans to gazette the works for the expansion of the turnaround this September, and will proceed to draw up a more concrete design for the tourism node. It will liaise closely with the various professional institutes and other relevant parties in working out a design, and will exchange views with the winning participant of the design competition where suitable and feasible, with a view to enhancing public engagement and developing a design that would receive the support of all parties concerned.
Ends/Thursday, August 25, 2011
Issued at HKT 16:11
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