Merit Award in Open International – East Kowloon Cultural Centre by Rocco Design Architects
Project Overview
The East Kowloon Cultural Centre (EKCC) is a cultural building in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, housing five performancevenues of various sizes to serve cross-district communities. it is a hub for all, a place for ideas collision, where creativesparks are generated and radiate through the “windows of art” to the city.
The EKCC is not just designed to serve event attendees. By intentionally bringing daily commuters through the Centrevia a public route that intertwines but does not conflict with the activities of event users, it helps to eliminate thepsychological and temperamental gap between cultural elites and the general public. More importantly, it will helpsustain energy and vitality in an otherwise aloof cultural venue. The building cultivates a culturally immersiveenvironment that encourages engagement and spontaneous interactions, seamlessly infuses art and culture into thecommunity.
Five performance venues of different scales and configurations maximize the variety and flexibility for accommodatingperformance and community events. The 1200-seat auditorium is the main multi-purpose venue. The 550-seat theatrefeatures a 3-sided thrust stage, which is the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The 250-seat drama studio, the 180-seatdance studio and the 120-seat music lab are tailored to suit the high demand of venues in such scale for theperformance of medium and small art group.
Project History
The site was once occupied by a social housing estate built in the 1960s. With the redevelopment of the housing estatewith new residential towers, a piece of land was spared for cultural facilities to address the growing communitydemand for performance spaces. Despite being surrounded by residential neighborhoods, the site is segregated bymajor roads on both sides. It is situated along the commuting routes from the neighbourhoods to the nearby publictransit station. The design aims at enriching community life by injecting cultural programmes into the residentiallandscape and at the same time enhancing urban connectivity.
Project Team
Architect : Rocco Yim
Company : Rocco Design Architects Associates Ltd
Associate Architect: Charles Kung, Herbert Hung
Owner: Leisure and Cultural Services Department
