Enter HK's controversial Door
Vince Chong, Hong Kong Correspondent
23 July 2007
Straits Times
THE Hong Kong administration has finally unveiled a winning design for a controversial HK$5.2 billion (S$1billion) government headquarters at the waterfront Tamar site, next to the famed Victoria Harbour.
The towering design, known as 'The Door', marked a strong start to Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang's second leadership term, which he began just this month after a landslide re-election win in March.
The approved design has also been seen as a symbol of political determination, following setbacks suffered by city officials in recent years over key proposals such as a goods and services tax (GST) and a giant cultural hub, which were shot down by strong dissenting voices.
'The Door', which was chosen last Tuesday from four contenders, marked an overcoming of detractors who had long complained about the city's high building density that has led to more traffic congestion, narrow streets which trap street pollution, and the lack of green, open space within the city.
Pollution is a big issue in Hong Kong, and has been blamed for the departures of foreign talent, especially those with young families.
A contract to build the headquarters - a building for the Chief Executive's Office and Executive Council, a new chamber for the Legislative Council and a building for lawmakers and the Legco secretariat - will be awarded this year, following further scrutiny of the design.
Work is expected to be completed by 2010.
The project in the prime district - first mooted by Hong Kong's first chief executive Tung Chee Hwa in 1998 - has taken a decade to get off the ground.
The then HK$4.85 billion project was subsequently shelved in 2003, with the city's economy crippled in quick succession by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, and the 2003 Sars outbreak.
When Mr Tsang took over as Chief Executive in 2005, he revived the plan as the city began to experience economic recovery.
It is estimated that the Tamar project will help create some 30,000 jobs in the construction sector.
However, opposition from some sceptical lawmakers, as well as environmental and conservation activists, further delayed the project, with some calling it a 'white elephant' and a waste of taxpayers' money.
Unlike other more controversial proposals, however, the government managed to push this one through after convincing the public and lawmakers that it would do its best to ensure that the structure coexists with its environment, and not spoil it.
In finally obtaining legislative votes last year, officials pledged that the public's views would be heeded with the reduction of the project's height and density. Detractors were also assured that the project would have no long-term environmental impact.
A public consultation on the final Tamar designs attracted some 13,000 views - from people who filled in comment cards on the designs - which were said to have contributed to deciding the winning blueprint, though these have yet to be released by the government.
The proposals for the GST - to be tentatively set at 5 per cent - and a cultural hub did not even reach legislative voting, because of public opposition.
Many feared the proposed tax would erode Hong Kong's competitiveness as a shopping hub. Others were against a cultural hub project being tendered to a single private developer, which would have stood to gain from the profitable residential and commercial space that was included in the project.
City University professor James Sung said a key factor for the approval of the controversial Tamar project has been Mr Tsang's re-electionwin.
'He just started a fresh leadership, and this has given him more of a mandate to see through this project,' he said.
Ironically though, architects told The Straits Times, the debate between activists and officials has 'compromised' design quality.
'It has to be conservative now in order to please both the public and officials, most of whom know nothing about architecture,' said Hong Kong University architecture professor Lee Ho Yin, noting that 'The Door' resembles an 'outdated' French design made famous two decades ago.
'It is such a waste as the project could have been an iconic landmark like the Sydney Opera House or the CCTV Tower in Beijing.'
The Other Designs Considered