HARBOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Kowloon’s waterfront is being transformed thanks to investment in some cutting-edge projects. Valerian Ho reports from Hong Kong
Large-scale regeneration is bringing new life to Hong Kong’s Kowloon waterfront
As any visitor to Hong Kong will tell you, booking a hotel room with a view of the city’s Victoria Harbour is expensive. Property along the waterfront is in high demand, and finding space to build is not easy. On Hong Kong Island, development has been aggressive, with the government reclaiming about 10 per cent of the island’s total area to make room for new projects. Much of this is now prime real estate, within walking distance from key hubs such as Hong Kong station and landmark five-star hotels including the Grand Hyatt and the Four Seasons.
Across the harbour in Kowloon, growth has been slower, save for a few major developments in the districts of Tsim Sha Tsui and Austin, such as the 108-storey International Commerce Centre, which also houses the Ritz-Carlton across its top 16 floors. East Kowloon has remained fairly underdeveloped, with local industries rooted in manufacturing, and high-rise apartment blocks and shopping centres scattered throughout.
Kowloon has famously been described by expats as “the Dark Side” owing to issues such as overcrowding and less spoken English, but, mainly, because of a lack of interest from international investors – until now. Over the past few decades, both the government and private companies have embarked on several regeneration projects, leading to a raft of new hotels, a dedicated cultural precinct and the reinvention of formerly disused facilities.
One of the largest single developments has been going on for some time at Kai Tak in Kowloon Bay. Once the site of Hong Kong’s runway, the area was left idle for many years while plans were discussed on how best to utilise the long, thin stretch of land that juts out into Kowloon Bay.
The answer seems obvious now – a striking new cruise terminal designed by Foster and Partners (captured on our cover). Alongside this, extensions to the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) network have made the area more convenient to access and navigate, encouraging major new hotels to move in.
Lastly, projects such as the West Kowloon Cultural District are putting the Kowloon waterfront on the map, making it a desirable place to live and work.
REVAMPING THE RUNWAY
Kai Tak International airport was demolished in 1998. Hong Kong moved its aviation facilities to Chek Lap Kok, on the far side of Lantau Island, and the huge area of land that remained, spanning 320 hectares, became the highly complex Kai Tak Development project, representing the largest available plot of land fronting Victoria Harbour. Roll forward 20 years, and it now comprises government, institutional and community facilities, residential and commercial areas, and open green spaces.
The first of the major projects to be completed was the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, which launched in 2013 and is managed by Worldwide Cruise Terminals (WCT). Built on the former airport’s famous old runway, the three-storey terminal can accommodate two mega-cruise ships of up to 200,000 tonnes. Since opening, the terminal has served 730,000 holidaymakers and, last year, it welcomed 18 cruises.
The facility is more than just a cruise terminal, however – its impressive harbour views also make it appealing for meetings and events. WCT provides space for a range of gatherings, regularly hosting more than 20 corporate dinners and weddings each month. It has four flexible indoor venues covering in excess of 3,000 sqm and catering to up to 3,000 guests, and can also make use of on-site food and drink outlets and outdoor areas, including its rooftop garden. Major events last year included functions for Volkswagen, Austrian Airlines and Tesla.
A vital boost for business in this section of the Kowloon harbour district is the development of the MTR network. Last year, an extension of the Kwun Tong Line opened from Yau Ma Tei station to Ho Man Tin and Whampoa. Since 2012, a link between Shatin and Central on Hong Kong Island has been under construction; the first phase of the 17km-long railway project – set to open in mid-2019 – will connect Tai
Wai with Hung Hom, passing through new stations including Kai Tak, Ma Tau Wai and Ho Man Tin. The remaining Hung Hom to Admiralty cross-harbour section is targeted to start operation in 2021.
CHECKING IN
Just opened is Shangri-La’s Kerry hotel – the first for this brand in Hong Kong – taking advantage of the MTR’s new extension to Whampoa, and with an enviable location right at the water’s edge next to the Hung Hom Star Ferry pier.
Designed by André Fu, known for his work on the Upper House hotel and Singapore’s Fullerton Bay hotel, more than 60 per cent of the property’s 546 rooms have harbour views. It also boasts the largest pillar-less ballroom in the city, holding up to 2,100 people for a reception. It features rock crystal chandeliers, a 15-metre LED video screen and an extensive harbour-view foyer.
Sharon Foo, director of communications for the Kerry Hotel Hong Kong, says: “Next door we have the two new Wheelock office towers, and the terrace in front of our International Market Place will be open to the public. We want to be part of the Hung Hom community.”
Opening next year, is the Rosewood Hong Kong, which will also enjoy a great location. The luxury hotel will occupy 27 upper-level floors of a mixed-use tower on Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, right beside Victoria Harbour on the site of the former New World Centre, which has belonged to Rosewood’s owning company, New World Development, since the 1970s.
The 398-room property will feature eight restaurants and a spa, while the top 19 floors of the tower will house 199 long-stay luxury apartments with their own dedicated lounge, indoor pool and gym.
CULTURAL CATALYST
In the second half of the 20th century, the Kowloon Peninsula’s western shoreline was so packed with tower blocks that the only way to create new business possibilities was to reclaim land from the sea. The buildings now occupying new foundations include the International Commerce Centre and the huge Elements shopping mall, next to the W hotel.
One 40-hectare plot of land remained, providing the space to develop the West Kowloon Cultural District, a complex of theatres and performance spaces that will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances and cultural events, and provide 23 hectares of public open space, including a 2km waterfront promenade.
Construction started in late 2013, and the headland area and Nursery Park have opened to the public, with events and festivals taking place throughout the year. Last September, the M+ Pavilion opened, a new space for artists and designers to present their work as part of small-scale exhibitions and events in the Art Park.
Next to M+, another significant development is planned. When it is complete in 2021, the Lyric Theatre Complex will comprise three theatres, as well as a Resident Company Centre – a “creative lab” for performers to collaborate and rehearse.
Last year, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority also announced a partnership with the Beijing Palace Museum – a UNESCO World Heritage site – to launch a new attraction, the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Rocco Design Architects will draw up the blueprint – award-winning architect Rocco Yim designed the Yunnan Provincial Museum and Guangdong Museum in China, both of which are renowned for their striking, abstract aesthetics. Expected to open in 2022, the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s permanent galleries will present 5,000 years of Chinese art, shared from the Beijing Palace Museum.
Hong Kong locals will welcome the recent funding of artistic and cultural sites for the Kowloon Peninsula, which will hopefully create another layer to a metropolis best known for its gleaming skyscrapers and business opportunities. As investment continues to pour into the area, Kowloon’s new hotels and infrastructure will no doubt open up a new, exciting side to Hong Kong that many tourists and business people have yet to experience.