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A virtual river now winds its way along the stones and flows through Cornwall Street Park, an urban oasis in Kowloon Tong that offers visitors exquisite pleasure amid the hustle and bustle of city life.
Through the Park Déco scheme, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has given Cornwall Street Park a new look with innovative furniture and signage. Other park facilities have also been renovated, adding chic decorative accents to the park.
After the launch last May of the first Park Déco scheme in Quarry Bay Park, which was well received by the public, the LCSD extended the scheme to Cornwall Street Park and invited the Hong Kong Design Centre to be its design collaborator.
Officiating at the launch ceremony of the Park Déco scheme at Cornwall Street Park today (September 4), the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Raymond Young, said that the Park Dco scheme at Cornwall Street Park has taken into consideration the geographical environment of the park and public views on existing parks. The park has been renovated based on the concept of "Inspirational Flow", which gives the suggestion of upstream water gently trickling down the paving stones, leading visitors to the urban oasis.
Mr Young added that the Government had gained invaluable experience from the Park Déco scheme at Quarry Bay Park and Cornwall Street Park, and at the same time met public expectations and needs for park facilities.
The three sets of creative and innovative furniture at Cornwall Street Park are "Dream Falls", "Urbanmat" and "Living Inside-out".
"Dream Falls" is made from glazed mosaic tiles. Looking at the "waterfall", visitors may imagine a light splash of water flowing down the back of the bench. The furniture piece offers a cooling and refreshing experience on a scorching summer day.
"Urbanmat" takes its form by blending shapes with brilliant colours and rich texture. Resting on the mat creates fresh perspectives to explore multiple relaxing possibilities.
"Living Inside-out" is like a home terrace, designed as a place where one may share leisure time with family and friends in an "outdoor home".
All three sets of park benches are equipped with LED lighting that uses solar energy to achieve energy-saving and be environmentally friendly. Over 70 per cent of the materials used for "Living Inside-out" came from old tyres and old paving stones as well as debris collected during the renovation works at the park.
To tie in with the facelift and the new image of the park, all signage has been revamped and given a new look. The new leaf-shaped signage is attractive and practical, carrying friendly messages to create a relaxing ambience in the park.
Apart from the installation of new furniture and signage, the park has also been refurbished including repaving the jogging track, rejuvenating the service building, and enhancing the green atmosphere through planting new trees and building green walls.
The park lawns have also been returfed while adjoining shrubs have been removed during the renovation works at the park. The lawns are now level, which allows better access for park-goers to enjoy the splendid environment.
Many large open lawns are provided in LCSD parks, including those at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Western District, Hong Kong Island; Jordan Valley Park in Kwun Tong, Kowloon; and Tai Po Waterfront Park and Yuen Long Park in the New Territories. Some members of the public are still under the misconception that they are not allowed to tread on the lawns. In fact, the department welcomes the public to make good use of the lawns, where they can stroll, lie down freely or engage in leisure activities.
By collating the experience gained from the Park Déco scheme, the LCSD will draw up a set of parameters for designing park furniture, which can serve as a useful reference when designing new parks or renovating existing parks in the future. The department also plans to gradually replace existing park signage with more friendly messages.
Other officiating guests at today's ceremony included the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Design Centre, Dr Edmund Lee; the Chairman of the Sham Shui Po District Council, Mr Jimmy Kwok; and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung.
Ends/Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:19
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