Though this facility is modest in scale, its completion marks a significant milestone in the development of this major cultural undertaking in Hong Kong.
– Carrie Lam

The first venue within Hong Kong’s emerging West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) has been completed on time and on budget.

The M+ Pavilion is a flexible small-scale arts space created by a trio of young local designers. The site is designed as an accompaniment to Herzog and de Meuron’s forthcoming M+ building – a new home for Hong Kong’s museum for visual culture, art, design and architecture.

The new pavilion has mirrored external walls that reflect the greenery of the surrounding Art Park. The main exhibition space is elevated above the foliage, meaning that shows held there will be set against a backdrop of Hong Kong's urban skyline and Victoria Harbour. The first official exhibitions will be held in the run up to the opening of the M+ museum in 2018, offering a taster of its collection.

The design for the pavilion – created by architects Vincent Pang, Tynnon Chow and Lisa Cheung – won first prize in an international competition. Its creators said they wanted to provide a “respite from hectic city life” with a simple building that blends into its environment.

Remarking on the opening, Carrie Lam, chair of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Board, said: “Though this facility is modest in scale, its completion marks a significant milestone in the development of this major cultural undertaking in Hong Kong.

“We will now continue to develop the WKCD into a world-class art and cultural hub where everyone may relax, be inspired and enjoy an extraordinary cultural experience.”

A development plan for the district, masterplanned by Foster + Partners, was approved in January 2013.

The site, which is built on a piece of land reclaimed from the sea in the early 1990s, includes the Xiqu Centre, an opera house set to open in 2018; a black box theatre and an outdoor stage in the Art Park, scheduled for 2018; and a large-scale theatre called the Lyric, planned for 2021 and designed by UNStudio.

The district will also feature 23 hectares of public open space, including a two kilometre waterfront promenade.

The WKCD is being funded by the Hong Kong government to promote the development of art and creative industries, cater to the cultural needs of the public and “strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international art and cultural metropolis.”

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