(18 November 2020, Hong Kong) The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA or the Authority) is pleased to announce the completion of building structure of the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), a milestone in the development of HKPM as a world-class museum and a major cultural institution of and for Hong Kong. HKPM is a collaborative project between the WKCDA and the Palace Museum. Following the building topping out in early July 2020, the completion of building structure of HKPM marks a crucial moment in the countdown to the museum’s planned opening in mid-2022.
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The Authority today invited guests and media respectively to the site to witness the tremendous progress of the museum. Guests and representatives from the WKCDA who joined the activity this morning were Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR); Mr Henry Tang, Chairman of the WKCDA Board; Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, Chairman of the HKPM Board; Mr Philip Chen, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Caspar Tsui, Secretary for Home Affairs; Mr Duncan Pescod, Chief Executive Officer of the WKCDA; Dr Rocco Yim, Principal of Rocco Design Architects Limited; Mr Hung Cheung Shew, Vice President of China State Construction International Holdings Limited and Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM. Other guests attending the event included members of WKCDA Board, HKPM Board, WKCDA Development Committee and related government officials.
Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR, said, “With its great vision and mission, the Hong Kong Palace Museum is dedicated to promoting the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture, and advancing dialogue among world civilisations and cultures. Backed by the motherland, rooted in Hong Kong and imbued with a global vision, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, in collaboration with the Palace Museum in Beijing, is set to become a new platform for promoting Chinese culture internationally.” She sincerely thanked the Central Government leaders, the relevant ministries including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Palace Museum in Beijing, as well as the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and teams participating in this project. She hoped that the construction of this world-class Chinese art and culture museum will become a landmark, attracting international attention in Hong Kong.
Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, Chairman of the HKPM Board, expressed, “I am so pleased that the Hong Kong Palace Museum project has been progressing very well since its start in 2017. We have finalised the list of exhibiting items with The Palace Museum, and our curatorial team has selected about 800 items for the opening exhibitions. This is the largest loan from The Palace Museum to other cultural institutions. All the pieces are the finest objects, most of them will be exhibiting in Hong Kong for the first time while some have never been displayed before. I would like to express our gratitude to The Palace Museum for their huge support.”
The construction of HKPM is funded by a donation of HK$3.5 billion from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Mr Philip Chen, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said the Club is honoured to be able to fund the establishment of The Hong Kong Palace Museum, in line with its purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of society. Mr Chen added that the Hong Kong Palace Museum will certainly become a landmark which will enable local people and those from around the world to visit and appreciate the national treasures.
Embracing new curatorial approaches, the museum will offer a Hong Kong perspective and a global vision, presenting the finest objects from the Palace Museum and other important cultural institutions around the world. Through innovative research and travelling exhibitions, as well as educational, cultural, and professional exchange programmes, the museum will build international partnerships and help position Hong Kong as a global centre for art and culture. As a world-class institution, the museum is a cultural resource that belongs to the people of Hong Kong, it will inspire community engagement, foster dialogue and partnership, and promote creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Designed by Rocco Design Architects Associates Ltd., the museum is poised to be a fresh and contemporary interpretation of traditional aesthetics, drawing inspiration from art and architecture, as well as Hong Kong’s urban environment. Three atriums will connect the different floors of the museum vertically, referencing the horizontal spatial configuration along the central axis of the Forbidden City.