The opening of the hotly-anticipated M+ Museum in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) has been pushed back to 2019 after a delay in funding held up the construction process.

Originally set for opening in 2017, the museum – designed by Herzog and de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong – is now scheduled for completion in Q4 2018, with the public opening set for late 2019. The delay arose after lawmakers held an extended debate over the project, with officials at odds trying to finalise Herzog and de Meuron’s design.

The museum, a part of the larger WKCD culture hub, will feature 60,000sq m (645,834sq ft) of floor space, with exhibitions focusing on contemporary 20th and 21st century film, art, design and architecture from Asia.

Herzog and de Meuron’s design lends itself to wide open gallery spaces; constructed in two main sections, the first horizontal and the second a vertical tower. This will allow for interactive exhibition spaces as well as a research and curatorial centre. Retail, restaurant and entertainment offerings will also be available on site. The development is costing an estimated HK$5bn (US$645m, €565m, £411m) to build.

Ahead of the 2019 opening, timetabled by the construction managers after the delay, a 21-member curatorial team is working to research and build a collection for the museum, while also working on exhibition programmes. As part of this, the museum has staged pre-opening exhibitions at venues around Hong Kong, with a Mobile M+ exhibition also set for Q4 later this year.

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FEATURE: Regeneration – West Kowloon Cultural District