Foster boring, Koolhaas unrealistic, Rocco complicated
Best-estimate verdict of the conceptual plans submitted mid-May by the three architects for West Kowloon. The cost of each concept plan is HK$50mln.
The concept plans for West Kowloon were submitted to the government in the middle of May. Yesterday, Koolhaas, Foster and Rocco explained their concepts privately to Henry Tang with models placed in three separate rooms in the Central Government Offices.
Whether the first verdicts – best-estimates based on all limited strings of available information - are correct is for the public to decide. And here lies the problem.
The secrecy is set to continue. On July 5, the presentation by the architects to the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) will be behind closed doors.
Why all this secrecy?
The public pays for the designs and has a right to see the presentations and hear the comments and questions from the Board first hand. The continuing delay in letting the public see the designs only opens the door to suggestions thet efforts are being made to engineer the public consultation to produce the preferred (safe and boring?) outcome.
How about the Tsimshatsui Star Ferry Piazza?
The designs for West Kowloon are not the only ones witheld from the public. The first entries for the design competition for the Star Ferry Piazza in Tsimshatsui were submitted more than ONE YEAR ago. Not a word has been uttered on the progress. The public (and contenders) are left in the dark.
Best-estimate verdict of the conceptual plans submitted mid-May by the three architects for West Kowloon. The cost of each concept plan is HK$50mln.
The concept plans for West Kowloon were submitted to the government in the middle of May. Yesterday, Koolhaas, Foster and Rocco explained their concepts privately to Henry Tang with models placed in three separate rooms in the Central Government Offices.
Whether the first verdicts – best-estimates based on all limited strings of available information - are correct is for the public to decide. And here lies the problem.
The secrecy is set to continue. On July 5, the presentation by the architects to the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) will be behind closed doors.
Why all this secrecy?
The public pays for the designs and has a right to see the presentations and hear the comments and questions from the Board first hand. The continuing delay in letting the public see the designs only opens the door to suggestions thet efforts are being made to engineer the public consultation to produce the preferred (safe and boring?) outcome.
How about the Tsimshatsui Star Ferry Piazza?
The designs for West Kowloon are not the only ones witheld from the public. The first entries for the design competition for the Star Ferry Piazza in Tsimshatsui were submitted more than ONE YEAR ago. Not a word has been uttered on the progress. The public (and contenders) are left in the dark.