Press Statement from the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) has received media inquiries today regarding the Hong Kong Palace Museum project and wishes to make the following statement:

The WKCDA Management has engaged, under its delegated authority, Mr Rocco Yim last June to ascertain whether the site originally housing the Mega Performance Venue and Exhibition Centre could accommodate a multi-purpose venue for exhibition, convention and performance purposes and a museum facility, and to come up with possible design concepts. Subsequently, the Board approved the appointment of Mr Yim and his firm to be the design consultant in relation to HKPM project in November 2016. Mr Yim has to carry out work before the said Board meeting as some technical aspects and cost estimates have to be made available for HKSARG and WKCDA to discuss the project with other stakeholders.

Like the project itself, such work has to be done on a confidential basis, and within the Government, WKCDA and Rocco's firm, disclosed only on a need-to-know basis. The CS has already explained in detail at the Special House Committee meeting on 6 January why the process leading up to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Palace Museum and WKCDA has to be kept confidential.

As part of the public consultation exercise, the WKCDA will present Mr Yim's exploratory conceptual ideas for the HKPM in the exhibition at City Gallery starting next week.

About West Kowloon Cultural District

Located on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, the West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong. With a complex of theatres, performance spaces, and M+, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, as well as provide 23 hectares of public open space, including a two kilometre waterfront promenade.