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Contents |
Chapter Title Page
Figures
Figure 2.1a Conceptual
Plan Options – ‘City Park’ by Foster + Partners
Figure 2.2 Modified
Conceptual Plan
Appendices
Appendix 2.1 Summary
of Desirable Features for Consideration in Modified CP
Appendix 2.3 Summary
of Views Received in Stage 3 PE Exercise
Appendix 2.4 Tentative
Construction Programme
The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) site is located on the West Kowloon Reclamation south of Austin Road West and the Western Harbour Crossing Toll Plaza as shown in Figure 1.1. The site is currently zoned as “West Kowloon Cultural District Development Plan Area” under the approved South West Kowloon Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K20/28) gazetted on 8 January 2013, and comprises approximately 40ha of land bordering the Jordan/Tsim Sha Tsui area. The site reserved for the WKCD development is currently occupied by works sites, local roads, temporary storage / parking facilities, a temporary promenade at the Waterfront and a number of existing infrastructure and utility facilities such as ventilation buildings for the Western Harbour Crossing and the MTR railway line, a sea water pumping station, etc. Parts of the WKCD site are also currently occupied by the Tsim Sha Tsui Fire Station and by the works site and temporary works areas for the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) project.
Following from recommendations by the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities (CACF) of WKCD in 2006, a number of CACF were proposed, including both performing arts and visual arts venues. Other facilities including hotel, offices and residential (HOR) and Government, Institution or Community facilities (GIC) were also recommended. Plans to imbed sustainability into these core facilities and the WKCD area include adoption of green building designs, renewable energy technologies, water and energy conservation measures, and green transportation.
The
proposed WKCD development will comprise the following major facilities.
Core
Arts and Cultural Facilities (CACF)
The CACF will consist of:
¡ A Mega Performance Venue, an enclosed facility designed for popular amplified music events, with the flexibility to accommodate other art forms and large-scale entertainment events;
¡ Exhibition Centre Complex, designed for large-scale cultural, entertainment and commercial events with facilities to support entrepreneurial arts related events and cultural activities – extending from art fairs and book fairs to fashion shows, performance installations, product launches and celebrations and galas;
¡ A Great Theatre, designed for large-scale productions optimised for a wide range of amplified music theatrical performances with supporting facilities such as spacious foyer designed to accommodate small-scale informal performances and temporary exhibitions, VIP rooms, box lounges, integrated retail and dining facilities, and ample rehearsal spaces;
¡ A Musical Theatre, intended primarily for broadway-style musicals and performances of other art forms, including western and Chinese opera and dance;
¡ A Lyric Theatre, a facility with an orchestra pit for dance, ballet, opera, musicals and theatrical performances, which is designed principally for operatic and dramatic performances, various forms of dance and a wide range of art forms, incorporating unamplified and amplified music accompaniment;
¡ A Centre for Contemporary Performance (CCP) comprising three flexible performing spaces of different sizes (blackbox theatres) and additional workshop/classrooms for educational programs. The CCP will be a facility for contemporary performing arts, mulit- and cross disciplinary, multimedia theatre, music and dance;
¡ Thrust Theatre, primarily designed to meet the needs of larger contemporary dance ensembles and spoken-word drama with amplified music;
¡ Proscenium Theatre, designed for medium-scale theatrical and dance performances with amplified music, primarily to meet the needs of spoken word theatre and various forms of dance;
¡ Outdoor
Theatre, integrated within the landscape design of the
¡ A Music Centre comprising a Concert Hall and a Recital Hall, designed for the acoustics and performance requirements of large scale unamplified instrumental and vocal music, of both western and Chinese origin;
¡ A Xiqu Centre with Large Theatre and Small Theatre as well as a commercially operated teahouse – showcase and education venue for Chinese opera, and a single balcony courtyard type venue with integrated catering facilities;
¡ An enclosed Freespace with Music Box – a physical cluster of two indoor venues. The two indoor venues are namely Music Box and Freespace Theatre. Music Box is intended for the presentation of pop culture events with a focus on music, and is highly flexible for stage position and seating configuration. Freespace theatre is intended for popular and experimental performances such as music, theatre and dance. This venue is highly flexible and offers an opportunity for the presentation of broad range of performance types with stalls format; and
¡ A
museum (Museum Plus) for visual culture – contemporary art, design,
architecture, moving image and popular culture – looking at the world from a
Other Arts and Cultural Facilities (OACF)
The CACF will be supported by the OACF which include Resident Company Centres, Arts and Craft Studios, Pavilions and Literary Arts Centre.
Infrastructure and Support Facilities
The WKCD will also involve the following infrastructure and support facilities:
¡ Government, Institution or Community (GIC) facilities including electricity substation, police post etc.;
¡ Various retail, dining and entertainment (RDE) facilities; and hotel, office and residential (HOR) developments. All residential buildings inside WKCD will be mixed with commercial components such as RDE and office at lower floors to support the leisure lifestyle and minimize the environmental impacts at residential floors;
¡ A district cooling system to provide chilled water for WKCD facilities for substantial energy saving, with possible extension to Government, Institution or Community facilities and hotel, office and residential developments subject to technical, financial and implementation mechanisms;
¡ On-site renewable energy systems e.g., wind turbines and photovoltaics for local electricity supply;
¡ A green transportation system in the form of travellators and eco-buses (operating in the underpass road), coupled with substantial pedestrianisation within the WKCD;
¡ Local road networks comprising a main underpass of approximately 1400m in length, a flyover bridge of approximately 200m in length across the Western Harbour Crossing toll plaza, at-grade link roads, lay-bys and emergency vehicular access;
¡ Other
accessibility features including possible external footbridge connections from
WKCD to
¡ One optional viewing platform and two possible piers for water access subject to the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance (Cap. 531). The viewing platform is an extension of the waterfront promenade, possibly composed of cantilever structure on top of seabed and foreshore. The two possible piers aims to enable marine connectivity for visitor to the MPV/EC and the Great Theatre;
¡ Park – extensive areas of grass and open space with trees offering shade for open air leisure, recreation, refreshment and walking, allow people to relax and find quiet spaces together;
¡ Modification of seawalls for the construction of seawater discharges/outfalls and landing steps near south or south-west boundary of the WKCD site;
¡ Optional water reuse facilities – options to be considered include green building initiatives such as rainwater harvesting and/or reuse of condensate from air conditioning systems;
¡ Optional automatic refuse collection system, if technically feasible and financially viable. The system aims to enhance recycling and to minimize nuisance to be caused from typical waste collection. Should the automatic refuse collection system be implemented, the piping network will be installed underground and rely on transport of waste by vacuum, replacing the traditional refuse room and waste container;
¡ Possible relocation of the existing Tsim Sha Tsui Fire Station located at the south east boundary of the WKCD site in stages; and
¡ Associated utilities, drainage, sewerage, sewage pump sumps, waterworks, engineering works, landscaping and environmental mitigation measures.
2.3.1 Purpose and Objective of the Project
The idea of developing part of the West Kowloon Reclamation into a Cultural District began in the late 1990s, with the following objective:
“To
enhance Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s premier centre of arts, culture and
entertainment and create a new look for
WKCDA’s vision is to develop the WKCD into an integrated arts and cultural district that will:
¡ Provide quality culture, entertainment and tourism programmes with a must-visit appeal to both local residents and visitors from around the world;
¡ Meet
the long-term infrastructure needs of
¡ Become a cultural hub for attracting and nurturing talents, an impetus to improve quality of life, as well as a cultural gateway to the Pearl River Delta.
On a regional level, the WKCD project aims
to facilitate the long-term development of Hong Kong as an international arts
and cultural metropolis that enhances cultural exchange and cooperation among
Mainland China, Hong Kong and other places, as well as enhance cooperation among
government and non-government organisations and providers of the arts and
strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a tourist destination. On a community level,
the project will encourage wider participation and community, commercial and
corporate support and sponsorship of arts and culture, while promoting and
providing arts education and free and accessible open space to the general
public. The open space offers an opportunity to create an extensive network of
open spaces through the
2.3.2 Environmental Benefits of the Project
The
major environmental benefits that can be attained directly from the project are
the creation of the
¡ The
Park will be a large, planted open space supporting numerous trees as well as
providing grassy areas and various other landscape and amenity planting. This
park will form a permanent major addition to the natural environment
surrounding West Kowloon and
¡ A green transportation system will be adopted within the WKCD to minimise carbon and air pollutant emissions. The design of the WKCD will focus on pedestrianisation, and where appropriate, will be augmented by additional modes such as eco-buses and travellators. Locating the vehicular network within the site to the basement level will substantially reduce the traffic noise impact, and also free up more space at ground level for provision of landscaping and planting.
¡ Aside from the park, the built features of the WKCD will bring about additional landscape and visual enhancements through the provision of new and aesthetic structures that complement the immediate surrounding developments. Many of the CACF will go through a design competition to generate the optimum design for these future signature buildings, and these will be appropriately balanced with landscaping elements to create a visual attraction from both near and afar.
In addition, sustainability is a parallel vision of this project and can bring about environmental benefits from the core facilities of the WKCD through innovative design and state-of-the-art systems that minimise energy consumption and improve environmental performance.
¡ A district cooling system (DCS) will be adopted for providing chilled water to WKCD facilities. This is a proven technology for providing substantial energy savings compared to conventional air-cooled chillers, and depending on the technical, financial and implementation mechanisms, this system may be extended to cover Government, Institution or Community facilities as well as hotel, office and residential developments.
¡ The use of renewable energy systems will form part of the design of the major built elements, with particular focus on the use of solar photovoltaic systems to augment the electricity or heated water requirements of the buildings, and, the use of wind turbines to contribute to other energy uses such as streetlamps.
¡ Water conservation features such as rainwater harvesting and reuse of condensate from air conditioning systems will be incorporated to reduce the potable water demand from the WKCD facilities.
2.3.3 Scenario with the Project
The
WKCD is an important strategic project that will support Hong Kong’s
development as a creative economy and global metropolis, and is a major
initiative to meet the long-term infrastructure needs of
The
establishment of the CACF will form the heart of the arts and cultural
community in
The
OACF will complement the signature arts and cultural facilities by providing
related supporting facilities including various studios and centres for the
preparation and compilation of a diverse range of arts and cultural programmes.
There will also be educational institutions for arts and culture to nurture
future talents and build up
The
Park will form a centrepiece for the WKCD and will create a large open space
planted with numerous trees and overlooking the magnificent views of
The
WKCD will form a major destination and attraction for local residents as well
as visitors from the Mainland and other parts of the world. Many
of the completed railway networks adjacent to the site, such as Kowloon Station
and Austin Station, have been built to accommodate the projected increase in
passenger demand that will arise from operation of the WKCD. In
addition, the adjacent road and rail networks currently undergoing planning or
construction, such as the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Terminus, road
improvement works at West Kowloon and Central Kowloon Route, are being
developed (by others) with the WKCD as one of the main driving factors. The
WKCD development will form a major anchor that binds these transportation
networks together and create the synergy between travel and destination that is
crucial for optimising the tourism potential at
The
non-cultural facilities within the WKCD including the residential, commercial
and retail sectors will provide the sustainable mix of activity required to
ensure the WKCD becomes a liveable community that integrates with the existing
surrounding communities. These non-cultural facilities provide additional
opportunities for meeting the strong commercial and residential demand in the
Overall,
development of the WKCD will not only bring value-added contribution to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the economy, visitor spending and employment
opportunities, but also various intangible benefits for the development of a
creative economy, nurturing local talents, attracting and retaining investors
and talents, raising quality of life, reinforcing economic integration with the
Pearl River Delta and branding
2.3.4 Scenario without the Project
According
to the recommendation report published by the Consultative Committee on the
Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the West Kowloon Cultural District (CC) in
2007, no new public performance venue has been built in Hong Kong since 2000,
and no major territory-wide, purpose-built performing arts venue has been built
since the completion of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in 1989. There has also
been no significant development of new performance venues from the private
sector (a recent search identified only one new venue since the publication of
the CC report). The CC report also stated that the local arts and cultural
sectors have remained vibrant and pluralistic in the past 10 years despite the
ups and downs in the economy, with increasing number of performing arts groups,
programmes and audiences. As a result, there has been an acute shortfall in
supply relative to increasing demand for centrally located performing arts
venues. This shortfall has adversely affected the availability of renowned
overseas long-run stage performances in
In
the absence of the project, the aforementioned issues will continue to have an
increasingly adverse impact on the arts and cultural sector in
In
addition to direct impacts on the arts and cultural sector, the lack of an
integrated arts and cultural district will reduce the tourism appeal of Hong
Kong, and the tourism sector has already indicated that Hong Kong is at risk of
losing its competitive edge as a tourist attraction/destination in the absence
of (or undue delay in) implementation of the WKCD project. The people of
Given the strategic location of the WKCD site in relation to existing and planned rail networks; particularly the Express Rail Link project already undergoing construction, the absence of the WKCD will have a direct impact on the operational and financial forecasts on which these new rail facilities are based, thereby creating knock-on effects for adjacent and concurrent major infrastructure projects.
The CC has expressed that public expenditure on culture and the arts should be regarded as an investment as important as any other major forms of investment, as it contributes to freedom and diversity of expressions, creativity and innovation, community building and development, as well as social harmony and cohesiveness. The WKCD is such an investment in culture and the arts, without which, the benefits of such investment cannot be realised.
Furthermore, WKCD is intended to incorporate open space, tree plantings and landscape features, increasing the greenery spaces for members of the public to relax. Without the Project, these features will not be developed.
2.4 Consideration of Alternative Development Options
With the mission to turn the vision of the WKCD into reality, a decision was made by the WKCDA to explore how the WKCD should be built by undertaking a three-stage public engagement (PE) exercise. The stages of the PE exercise comprised the following:
¡ Stage 1 - Gauge the public and stakeholders' views on their aspirations and expectations of the WKCD as well as users' requirements for the arts and cultural facilities.
¡ Stage 2 – Presentation of three Conceptual Plan Options for the WKCD by three different consultants commissioned by the WKCDA.
¡ Stage 3 – Presentation of the proposed Development Plan (DP) before refinement and submission of the final DP to the Town Planning Board for approval.
2.4.2 Alternative Development Options
2.4.2.1 Summary of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 PE Exercise
The Stage 1 PE exercise was conducted between 8 October 2009 and 7 January 2010. Based on the responses received, a number of important concepts were identified which include:
¡ Green Setting
and Environmental Friendliness;
¡
¡ A Relaxing
Atmosphere;
¡ More Open
Space;
¡ Connectivity
and Convenience;
¡ Well-planned
Ancillary Facilities, Universal Accessibility and the Use of Advanced Information
and Communication Technologies;
¡ Catering to
the Needs of Different Users; and
¡ The
Importance of Arts Education and Nurturing Talents.
The findings from the Stage 1 PE exercise were taken into
consideration by the Conceptual Plan Consultants for formulation of the
Conceptual Plan (CP) Options to be presented to the
public under the Stage 2 PE. Three master planning teams each prepared CPs showing the proposed
distribution of the arts and cultural facilities as well as various other land
uses, including commercial, retail, hotel, residential and public open space
(shown in Figure 2.1a to
2.1c). The three CPs
are:
1. “
2. “Cultural Connect: Key to
Sustained Vitality” – by Rocco Design Architects Ltd.
3. “Project for a New Dimension”
– by Office for Metropolitan Architecture
The Stage 2 PE exercise was conducted between 20 August 2010 and 20
November 2010. The results of the public survey from the
Stage 2 PE exercise suggests that the public generally favours the “City Park” Option for most of the
questions asked. In particular, the “City
Park” Option appeared to be most favoured by the public from an
environmental perspective, due to the highest ranking it has received from
questions on ‘Green Setting’, ‘Environmental Friendliness’, ‘Public Open Space’
and ‘Open Space’ categories. Following completion of the Stage 2 PE
exercise, “
2.4.2.2 Modified Conceptual Plan
The
purpose of the modified CP stage is to refine the preferred CP (the “City Park” option) to allow
incorporation of the feedback obtained during the Stage 2 PE exercise as well
as further consideration of environmental and technical issues, and to
translate it into an implementable Development Plan. The changes include
modification of originally proposed CP elements from the “
Based on the consideration of desirable features and other modifications to the preferred CP, the preliminary layout of the WKCD was revised as shown in Figure 2.2. A summary of the major changes and the environmental benefits / dis-benefits arising from the layout changes between the preferred CP and the modified CP is provided in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1: Summary of Major Differences between the
Conceptual Plan Option: “
|
Feature |
Conceptual
Plan Option: “ |
Modified Conceptual Plan |
Reason for Change |
Environmental Benefit / Dis-Benefit |
|
CACF |
|
|
|
|
|
M+ |
Located on south east side of WKCD |
Located on
western side of WKCD adjacent to the |
This was part of the general re-shuffling of land use parcels to further improve efficiency of layout within WKCD |
No significant difference |
|
Xiqu Centre |
Located at the centre of the ‘Theatre District’ |
Located at the eastern boundary of WKCD |
This was part of the general re-shuffling of land use parcels to further improve efficiency of layout within WKCD |
No significant difference |
|
Outdoor Theatre |
Located adjacent to the eastern side of the Western Harbour Crossing |
Located near the tip of the Western Harbour Crossing portal |
As part of the general re-shuffling of
land use parcels within WKCD, the outdoor theatre was relocated further
within the |
Reduces potential operation phase noise impact from the Outdoor Theatre on nearby planned and existing NSRs |
|
Transportation Elements |
||||
|
Ferry piers |
One ferry pier located at south-facing waterfront |
Two possible piers, one located at south-facing waterfront and another located at west-facing waterfront, both subject to the Protection of Harbour Ordinance |
To improve the dynamics of pedestrian flow
throughout the WKCD, it was considered preferable to have two possible piers
to serve as entry points from other parts of |
Additional marine works may potentially cause noise and water quality impacts during construction phase, but can be mitigated with appropriate protection measures |
|
Automated People Mover / Travellator System |
Elevated APM |
Ground based pedestrian (e.g. travellator) systems |
Further engineering analysis revealed that it was not feasible to construct an elevated APM given the site constraints. A review of alternatives was made and generally, ground based pedestrian systems (e.g. travellator) was identified as the preferred alternative due to its flexibility of implementation and better integration with the surrounding pedestrian network |
Avoidance of potential railway noise source, therefore reducing potential operation phase noise impacts. Also avoids potential visual intrusion due to elevated APM structures |
|
Ancillary Facilities |
||||
|
Elements Footbridge |
One footbridge located at western side of ‘Theatre District’ |
A potential additional footbridge connecting the north western side of WKCD with ‘Elements’ mall |
To improve the dynamics of pedestrian flow throughout the WKCD and particularly to serve the Mega Performance Venue, it was considered preferable to have two pedestrian footbridges to serve as entry points from ‘Elements’ mall |
Implementation of the additional footbridge would extend the project boundary and associated construction works area, however, additional environmental impacts are likely to be minor |
|
Floating structures |
None |
An optional viewing platform located at the south-facing waterfront, subject to the Protection of Harbour Ordinance |
Such features were not originally proposed
in the ‘ |
Additional marine works may potentially cause water quality impacts during construction phase, but can be mitigated with appropriate protection measures |
Aside from the comparative environmental
benefits / dis-benefits due to changes in the preliminary layout of the WKCD
shown in Table 2.1, a preliminary environmental assessment
was undertaken by Foster + Partners for the original ”City Park” option. A summary of the
findings from the original preliminary environmental
assessment for the ”City Park” option
(Original PEA) and the major changes to the preliminary environmental
assessment findings due to the updated Modified CP (Modified PEA) are presented in Appendix
2.2. In general, most of the
findings from the Modified PEA show either no significant change, or an improvement on the findings from the Original
PEA.
The purpose of the Stage 3 PE exercise was
to showcase the Modified CP to the public for final comment prior to
finalisation of the Modified CP into a detailed Development Plan (DP) for
submission to the Town Planning Board (TPB). The Stage 3 PE
exercise started on 30 September 2011 and was concluded on 30 October 2011.
During this time, a total of 1,172 comments and views via the PE 3 pamphlets,
online and media reports were received from members of the public. The WKCDA
also held a total of 12 public engagement events including one youth forum, two
public presentations, nine focus group meetings/forums, and one conference.
Following completion of the Stage 3 PE, a “Report on the Analysis of Views for the Stage 3 PE exercise for the WKCD” was published in December 2011 to summarise and present the findings. A summary of the results from the report is presented in Appendix 2.3.
Taking
into account the views obtained from the Stage 3 PE exercise, the Modified CP
was further reviewed from an environmental and other technical perspective and
refined into a proposed Development Plan (shown in Figure
1.2). Table 2.2 summarises the approach adopted in approved
West Kowloon Cultural District Development Plan No. S/K20/WKCD/2 and
associated environmental benefits / dis-benefits. As the Modified CP had
already optimised the CP from Stage 2 PE exercise, most of the changes that
form the Development Plan consist of minor refinements, including relocation of
the Outdoor Theatre to the south part of the Park (which further minimises
potential air quality impact from the Western Harbour Crossing on the visitors
of Outdoor Theatre while also reducing the potential operation phase noise impact
from the Outdoor Theatre on nearby NSRs) and make the planned noise mitigation
deck proposed by the Road Works at West Kowloon (AEIAR – 141/2009) over Austin
Road West become pedestrian accessible linking WKCD and MTR Austin Station.
Table 2.2: Summary of Development Plan Approach and Environmental Benefits / Dis-benefits
|
Major Categories |
Approach Adopted in Development Plan |
Environmental Benefits / Dis-Benefits |
|
Overall Layout / Development Plan |
The overall layout and design has been significantly based on public aspirations identified since the Stage 1 PE Exercise and has sought to create the right balance of green space versus development to achieve the optimum availability and utilisation of both. The efficiency of space allocation was a major planning consideration for the district, leading to a complex utilities and basement road network to increase availability of usable space aboveground. Specific and iconic architectural features for individual buildings and structures will follow in the later stages once the Development Plan is approved. |
The complex basement structure will increase the amount of excavated materials requiring disposal during the construction phase, but will also bring a reduction of air quality and noise impacts during the long-term operation phase. The height and density of buildings are in line with the visual context of the surrounding urban environment and the increased amount of greenery will also be beneficial from a landscape and visual impact perspective |
|
Arts and Cultural Facilities |
The types of CACF to be provided at the WKCD has been set and agreed by stakeholders in the arts and cultural community. The location of individual CACF took many factors into consideration including building facilities and capacity requirements, site constraints, user convenience and other factors that are important for district planning. Many of the CACF will be dynamic enough to support a wide variety of arts and cultural events, and some of the CACF will go through design competitions to capitalise on innovative ideas from the public and private sectors. |
The CACF in general will not generate any direct environmental impact except for the Outdoor Theatre, which is a potential noise source. This has been located away from nearby NSRs. The CACF may be affected by noise and vibration from nearby roads and railways which is difficult to avoid within the boundaries of the WKCD site but can be minimised and mitigated with the adoption of appropriate measures. |
|
Phasing |
Public preference for early implementation has been recognised and the current programme aims for construction to commence in 2013 with completion in phases starting from 2015 and extending to beyond 2020. |
Fast implementation may increase the magnitude of construction phase environmental impacts, but will limit the duration of impact. |
|
Public Open Space |
The |
The overall layout and design has allowed for a significant amount of green space that will positively contribute to the environment within the WKCD. Large amounts of landscaping and planting will be beneficial from a landscape and visual impact perspective, and may also bring improvements to the ecological value of the WKCD. |
|
Commercial and Residential Facilities |
Residential developments are considered necessary within the WKCD to create a self sustaining community that balances the flux of transient visitors to the CACF. The retail, dining and entertainment facilities (RDE) will aim to support the operation of the CACF and the commercial and residential developments and ensure that the WKCD is maintained as a vibrant and lively neighbourhood. Specific details regarding the types and operations of the RDE will follow in the later stages once the Development Plan is approved. |
Residential developments within WKCD are planned sensitive receivers and may be subject to adverse air quality and/or noise impacts. Planning of the future locations of residential developments has taken into consideration the major sources of air and/or noise emissions in order to, as far as practicable, avoid any adverse impacts, and where unavoidable, mitigation measures will be applied to minimise potential adverse environmental impacts. |
|
Transportation, Connectivity and Accessibility |
In line with public aspirations, the WKCD will focus on pedestrianisation and provide efficient access to existing public transport surrounding the WKCD via the provision of various pedestrian links to the north and east of the site. The provision of possible piers is also envisaged provided that they do not conflict with the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance. |
The absence
of significant roads aboveground within the WKCD reduces the potential
operation phase air quality and road traffic noise impact to nearby
ASRs/NSRs. Construction of the possible piers may induce water quality
impacts to |
|
Sustainability |
Sustainability initiatives form a key part of the WKCD and have been incorporated where practicable. |
Some sustainability initiatives (e.g. district cooling system) may create potential noise and water quality impacts, while others (e.g. green roofs) may create beneficial landscape and visual impacts. |
2.5 Consideration of Alternative Construction Methods and Sequences of Works
For the WKCD project, the major construction activities comprise the following:
¡ Deep excavation for the basement;
¡ Foundation works for the buildings, basement and bridges;
¡ Site formation and road construction works, including utilities laying and landscaping works; and
¡ Superstructure for CACF facilities, hotels and RDE etc.
Consideration of different construction methods that can be adopted will need to take into account the following factors:
¡ Severity and duration of the construction impacts on nearby environmental sensitive receivers;
¡ Land and marine traffic impact on existing / adjacent network;
¡ Satisfaction to the design and functional requirements of the WKCD developments, such as loading requirements and the space requirement for the CACF facilities;
¡ Site constrains, such as high water level, limited working space, potential impacts to adjacent facilities such as Airport Express Line, West Harbour Tunnel, MTR railway tunnel etc.; and
¡ Coordination with concurrent interfacing projects and the future developments within and/or adjacent to the WKCD area.
2.5.1 Alternative Construction Methods
2.5.1.1 Excavation
The main excavation works required for the project is for formation of the basement. Two basement levels are proposed to accommodate various facilities including parking, vehicular access and electrical and mechanical (E&M) plant. The anticipated excavation levels for the bulk excavation of the major basement will be approx. -6.5mPD, which is approx. 11.5m below ground level (at 5mPD), except for the basement under the proposed Mega Performance Venue and Exhibition Centre, which will be approx. -17.0 mPD. As the site is adjacent to the harbour, high groundwater levels are anticipated. Other constraints on the excavation works include the composition of the excavated materials and the presence of existing underground utilities and railway facilities.
By
the nature of the basement design, the superstructures to be supported
aboveground, and the soft ground that comprises the WKCD site, excavation will
need to be via open cut method. Two options for open cut excavation are
available: open cut with temporary cut slopes, or via excavation lateral
support (ELS) system. The temporary cut slope option is the simplest method for
open cut excavation, however this requires extensive
working space surrounding the excavation to provide stable temporary cut
slopes. As the WKCD basement extends close to the site boundary which is
bounded by
For
disposal of the excavated materials, two options are considered: disposal by
trucks, or disposal by barges. Construction of the WKCD basement is anticipated
to generate large quantities of excavated materials that require off-site
disposal on a daily basis. Disposal by trucks must make use of the existing
road network and may generate additional dust and noise impacts. The trucks
will also add to the already high traffic volumes on
2.5.1.2 Foundation Works
Foundation works are required for formation of the basement structure and for the future WKCD buildings. The selection of foundation schemes are based on the following criteria:
¡ Types of structure to be supported and load carrying capacity required;
¡ Availability of materials and plants;
¡ Local experience;
¡ Site constraints; and
¡ Construction schedule.
It is anticipated that the foundation works will take the form of reinforced concrete columns and pile caps founded on bored piles. The piling options that are considered include:
¡ Option A – Large diameter bored piles;
¡ Option B – Pre-bored rock socket steel H-piles; and
¡ Option C – Driven Steel H-piles.
Of the three options for piling, Option C has a relatively low loading capacity which necessitates a greater number of piles compared to Options A and B, and will also generate the greatest noise and vibration impacts, hence this option is not recommended. The environmental impacts of Option A and Option B are similar, however Option A provides larger loading capacity to meet the design requirements for the future WKCD facilities. Hence Option A is the preferred piling option.
2.5.1.3 Site Formation
The construction methods to be employed for site formation and roadworks are all conventional methods which include site clearance, excavation and filling, construction of access road and utilities laying, and finally the landscape works. For these works, the methods are well established and there are limited alternative options.
For construction of the possible piers and intakes/outfalls for the WKCD drainage and district cooling systems along the harbourfront which involves minor seawall modification, no dredging is required. Construction of the possible piers will require installation of marine piles, which will be driven into the seabed. Silt curtain will be deployed to enclose the marine works. Construction of the outfalls and landing steps will involve excavation and modification of the existing seawall, followed by installation of the landing steps and intakes/outfalls. The surrounding seawall will then be reconstructed and backfilled. Further details are provided in Section 5.6.1.2.
2.5.1.4 Superstructures
Construction of the superstructures for buildings will likely take the form of one of the following:
¡ Conventional in-situ reinforced concrete construction;
¡ Precast concrete construction; or
¡ Steelwork construction much of which will be in the form of prefabricated steelwork elements.
In
general, the aforementioned superstructure construction options will not
present significant differences in terms of the environmental impacts to nearby
sensitive receivers. Specific construction methods will be determined once the
structural form of the buildings has been developed. A concrete batching plant (CBP)
with a silo capacity of less than 10,000 tonnes is proposed to be located
onsite. There is an existing concrete batching plant situated within the WKCD
site which is being operated by MTRC for construction of the West Kowloon
Terminus. It is proposed that the WKCD project will make use of the existing
concrete batching plant to minimise unnecessary dismantling/installing works. The
capacity of the concrete batching plant to be handed over to WKCD by MTRC is
approximately 110 tonnes pulverised fuel ash silo and 30 tonnes of cement silo.
However, pulverised fuel ash silo will not be used under the WKCD Project. MTRC’s
CBP (CBP Phase 1 of the XRL project) located in the east (east BCP) will be
handed over to WKCD in 2014 to begin operation by WKCD. The east CBP is
expected to be operated by WKCD at the same location from 2015 to 2016, as
shown in Figure
3.3d. WKCD
will demolish the east CBP and relocate the CBP to the west of WKCD site (west
BCP) in 2017, as shown in Figure
3.3g. The
The
WKCD will also contain a vehicular bridge (the proposed
¡ Cast in-situ deck – scaffolding/falsework is erected for the placement of formwork before in-situ concreting of deck structure;
¡ Single span lifting method – the entire span precast deck will be lifted into position;
¡ Steel truss with concrete deck – this method involves lifting the prefabricated steel truss followed by construction of the concrete deck; and
¡ Precast
segmental method - the bridge deck will be constructed as precast segments
(each a few metres long), which are lifted into position and then tied together
with pre-stressing cables. This method has been extensively adopted in
The
pedestrian bridges are generally short and form a relatively small component of
the WKCD project, hence the potential environmental impact associated with
construction of these bridges, and the difference between construction methods
adopted, will have limited environmental significance. Construction of the
2.5.2 Sequence of Works
Options for construction sequencing are influenced by a number of considerations including the following:
¡ Public wish for implementation of the WKCD as soon as possible;
¡ Scheduled handover of temporarily occupied WKCD sites by MTRC for construction of the West Kowloon Terminus under the XRL project; and
¡ Other sequencing constraints, e.g. excavation and foundations for the basement must come before construction of the building superstructures, etc.
A description of the considerations for the construction sequence for major elements of the WKCD project is provided as follows.
2.5.2.1 Basement
There are two sequencing options for construction of the basement:
¡ Construction as one whole entity at the same time; or
¡ Construction as subdivided zones at different times.
To construct the basement as one whole entity would require a huge number of construction plant and equipment working in synchronisation. While this is technically feasible, from an environmental perspective, this option would potentially generate the greatest magnitude of construction phase impacts due to the huge extent and number of plant operating on the WKCD site at the same time. Construction as subdivided zones provides greater flexibility for construction of the basement as it allows different parts of the basement to be constructed at different times according to a more optimised schedule, which is technically preferred as it reduces the construction of the basement to more manageable units and the magnitude of environmental impacts, particularly construction dust and noise impacts, can be reduced. A summary of the benefits and dis-benefits of the two basement construction options is presented in Table 2.3.
Table 2.3: Comparison of the Benefits and Dis-Benefits of Basement Construction Sequencing
|
Considerations |
Construction as Whole Entity |
Construction as Subdivided Zones |
Preferred Option |
|
Environment |
|
|
|
|
Benefit |
The interim scenario where some facilities completed at early stage would be subject to dust or noise impacts from the yet-to-be completed construction works can be avoided |
Construction dust and noise impacts can be separated by location and spread over time, thereby reducing potential magnitude of impacts. Greater flexibility in coordination of plants operating together, with potential to minimise cumulative noise impacts. |
Construction as Subdivided Zones |
|
Dis-benefit |
Maximum number of construction plant and equipment operating at the same time. Considerably greater construction dust and noise impacts. |
Some abortive works in temporary works construction by phasing may occur. There will be interim scenario where some facilities completed at early stage would be subject to dust or noise impacts from the yet-to-be completed construction works |
Construction as Subdivided Zones |
|
Programme/Technical |
|
|
|
|
Benefit |
Less construction interface. |
Greater flexibility in programming construction. Allows earlier implementation of some CACF. Utilize on-site facilities installation. |
Construction as Subdivided Zones |
|
Dis-benefit |
Large basement extent - structural and
geotechnical design difficulties. Lower excavation efficiency due to barging volume limit. |
No major dis-benefits |
Construction as Subdivided Zones |
2.5.2.2 The Park
For construction of the Park, simultaneous construction of the entire park area is not possible as part of the future park site will be occupied by construction of the basement structure for the Mega Performance Venue and Exhibition Centre, and it is anticipated that the current temporary barging facilities and associated access roads towards the southern part of the WKCD site will need to be retained to facilitate removal of excavated materials from the basement construction. It is also anticipated that a temporary tree nursery is required to be set up in order to meet the provision of the recommended trees for the future area in the Park. The temporary tree nursery will be located within the future Park site and unaffected by excavation works. It also serves as a testing ground for the exotic and/or native tree species recommended, in order to test the species adaptability, acclimatization and survival rate in the conditions of the WKCD and allow for sufficient time for proposing alternative. Given that early implementation of the park is of public interest and will also help to mitigate some of the visual impacts generated by the WKCD construction activities, it is practical to construct the Park in phases. This will reduce the active construction area of the Park (and the associated potential construction dust and noise impacts) while allowing early establishment of certain sections of the park to provide associated landscaping, visual and aesthetic benefits.
2.5.2.3 CACF
Construction of the CACF is largely constrained by completion of the basement structure beneath, hence its sequencing is closely linked to that for the basement construction. Some CACF such as the Xiqu Centre and the Centre for Contemporary Performance have been identified as being of greater priority for early implementation, hence construction resources may be focused on completion of these CACF, with progressive completion of other CACF subject to resource and funding constraints. With a phased construction of CACF (see Section 2.7), the environmental impacts associated with such superstructure construction are anticipated to be localised and of lesser magnitude than if all the CACF were constructed at the same time. It is also anticipated that in the interim stages upon completion of the basement and prior to commencement of specific CACF, the site of the future CACF will be provisioned with temporary landscaping to further reduce the visual impact associated with inactive parts of the WKCD.
2.5.2.4 Hotel and Other Facilities
Construction of the proposed hotel and other non-CACF buildings are subject to land sale, hence they are likely to be independently implemented after completion of the basement. While many of the non-CACF buildings are located close to adjacent sensitive receivers, each building is small in comparison to the CACF and their construction activities will be of smaller scale and more localised. Similarly, construction of other infrastructure including the bridges and possible piers will form a relatively small component of the WKCD construction activities, hence the environmental difference due to construction sequencing is unlikely to be significant.
2.6 Summary of Selection of Preferred Scenario
2.6.1 Development Options
As described in Section 2.4, the Development Plan for the project has gone through both public consultation and technical assessments of development options which has culminated into the selection of the current preferred scenario for development (shown in Figure 1.2). This Development Plan is thus the recommended option for development of WKCD as it is considered to best meet the aspirations of the public while maintaining technical feasibility and incorporation of environmental considerations. Throughout the options selection process, environmental considerations have played an important part in setting limits, boundaries, and some of the core requirements of the project. The following summarises the key environmental considerations that have been incorporated into the Development Plan to improve the environmental performance of the project.
2.6.1.1 Key Environmental Benefits
As described in Section 2.3.2, the key environmental benefits that will be generated from the project include the following:
¡ Creation
of a
¡ Landscape and visual enhancement will be achieved via provision of new aesthetic structures that complement the surroundings with many of the CACF forming future signature buildings and provision of landscaping elements to create a visual attraction from both near and afar; and
¡ Adoption of a green transportation system that focuses on pedestrianisation and augmented by additional modes such as eco-buses and travellators.
2.6.1.2 Key Environmental Impacts Avoided or Minimised
The three different consultants commissioned by the WKCDA in preparing the Conceptual Plan had also carried out preliminary technical assessments on the options as part of the submission. The technical assessments were conducted with the aim of identifying environmental impacts and alternative strategies in advance. As a result of this process, a number of environmental impacts have been avoided or minimised in the Development Plan. These include the following:
¡ Locating the vehicular network within the site to the basement level to avoid the traffic noise impact, and increase ground level space for landscaping and planting;
¡ Consideration of air or noise-sensitive uses (e.g., residential developments) within the WKCD and locating these away from nearby sources of air or noise emissions wherever practicable;
¡ Relocation of the planned ASRs (e.g. Outdoor Theatre) away from the Western Harbour Crossing to minimise the potential air quality impact;
¡ Relocation of potential noise sources (e.g. Outdoor Theatre) away from existing and planned NSRs to avoid potential operation phase noise impact;
Other design options that were proposed during the Conceptual Plan stages and were discarded due to non-environmental reasons but have nevertheless contributed to the avoidance or minimisation of potential adverse environmental impacts include the following:
¡ Removal of proposed aircraft and helicopter landing facilities and thus avoidance of potential adverse aircraft noise impacts to existing and planned NSRs;
¡ Removal of elevated APM and thus avoidance of potential adverse railway noise and visual impact to existing and planned NSRs, while also increasing ground level space for landscaping and planting; and
¡ Removal of proposed sewage treatment plant which avoids potential odour impacts.
2.6.1.3 Key Environmentally Friendly Designs Incorporated
Sustainability is also a part of the vision for the project; hence the following key environmentally friendly designs have been incorporated into the preferred scenario:
¡ Renewable energy systems including use of solar photovoltaics and wind turbines;
¡ A district cooling system for providing chilled water to WKCD facilities (with substantial energy savings compared to conventional air-cooled chillers);
¡ Green roofs as part of the thermal control for WKCD buildings;
¡ Water conservation features such as rainwater harvesting and reuse of condensate from air conditioning systems where practicable; and
¡ Provision of cycling tracks and extensive pedestrian network to complement the green transportation system.
2.6.2 Construction Method and Sequence
As described in Section 2.5, a number of alternative construction methods and sequence of works has been reviewed and compared prior to recommending the preferred option. Consideration of environmental impacts during construction stage has been one of the main factors affecting the choice of construction method and construction sequence. The current recommended option has aimed to provide the optimum balance between environmental concerns and non-environmental considerations such that the WKCD project can be efficiently and sensitively implemented.
A summary of the major construction activities and the comparison of alternative options including justification for the recommended option are provided in Table 2.4.
Table 2.4: Summary of Alternative Construction Methodologies and Environmental Benefits/Dis-benefits
|
Construction Activity |
Technical Requirements |
Constraints |
Environmental Benefit / Dis-benefit |
|
Excavation |
|
|
|
|
Temporary cut slopes |
Requires extensive working space for provision of temporary cut slopes |
Basement area extends close to |
Larger excavation area may increase potential construction dust release |
|
Excavation lateral support system |
Requires lateral support by diaphragm wall or similar ELS system. The ELS System should effectively avoid ingress of water to the works area. |
Construction duration will be increased due to the construction of ELS System |
Excavation extent and potential groundwater intrusion is minimised by use of vertical diaphragm wall |
|
Disposal by trucks |
None |
High traffic volumes on existing urban road network surrounding WKCD |
Potential increased dust and road traffic noise impact to adjacent ASRs/NSRs |
|
Disposal by barges |
Designated barging point required –use the existing MTRC barging point on WKCD site |
Interface with MTRC’s use of the barging point prior to handover of the site back to WKCD |
Potential water quality impacts from barge loading operation |
|
Recommended Option Excavation via ELS and disposal by barges (with trucks used for transporting the excavated materials from the excavation area to the barging point) is the preferred scenario as environmental impacts are minimised compared to other options. |
|||
|
Foundation
Works |
|
|
|
|
Large diameter bored piles |
Comparatively larger working spaces are required due to larger piling plants. It is relatively easy to overcome underground obstructions. This
pile type has largest structural capacities to cater for lateral and vertical
loads and less numbers of piles are required. |
May be susceptible to bulging or necking during pile concreting in unstable ground due to the larger pile size. |
More C&D material will be generated comparing with driven H-piles. |
|
Pre-bored rock socket steel H-piles |
Working spaces required are smaller and flexible to suit the design of the structures, in particular for areas which require temporary traffic diversion and are congested with utilities. It is relatively easy to overcome underground obstructions. |
May be susceptible to bulging or necking during pile concreting in unstable ground. Possible collapse of the annulus space (over-cut) between the side wall and temporary casing before pile concreting would reduce the skin friction. The design loading is smaller comparing with bored piles. |
More C&D material will be generated comparing with driven H-piles. |
|
Driven steel H-piles |
Lower loading capacity therefore greater number of piles required. Working space required are smaller and flexible to suit the design of the structures, in particular for areas which require temporary traffic diversion. |
Higher ground borne vibration and movement induced from the driving operation may cause damage to the adjacent piles, structures and utilities installations. Pre-boring may be required to overcome underground obstructions and require longer construction period. |
Generates the greatest noise and vibration which may impact nearby NSRs. Installation is generally unaffected by groundwater conditions |
|
Recommended Option Use of large diameter bored piles is recommended as it has less environmental impact than some other options and is able to provide the larger loading capacity to meet the design requirements for the future WKCD facilities. |
|||
|
Site
Formation |
|
|
|
|
Utilities, roadworks and landscaping |
Conventional methods |
No specific constraints |
No difference |
|
Possible piers, intakes/outfalls and landing steps |
Installation of marine piles, removal and re-provision of existing seawall |
No specific constraints |
No dredging will be required |
|
Recommended Option The standard construction methods for utilities, roadworks and landscaping will be adopted as there is no significant implication on environmental impact. Use of marine piles for pier / marine structures construction avoids the need for dredging and is not associated with significant environmental impact, hence it is preferred. |
|||
|
Superstructures
(Buildings) |
|
|
|
|
Conventional in-situ reinforced concrete |
Simple construction method, extensive experience in this type of construction among local contractors. Suitable for complicated structural form of the structures. |
No specific constraints |
More C&D waste will be generated comparing with precast concrete. Noise generation due to concreting works. |
|
Precast concrete |
Suitable for structures when the dimension of the structural members are standardized. |
Uneconomical if only a small number of units is required. Connection details may have to be specially designed and would therefore be expensive; The transportation of long units may be difficult. |
Less C&D waste will be generated as formwork can be used more effectively. Construction of concrete panels is carried out off-site and potential environmental impact could be minimized. |
|
Steelwork |
Fast construction and suitable for long span structures. |
The construction cost is generally more expensive than concrete, in particular for fire resistance and corrosion. |
Steel members are fabricated off-site and connected on-site. The potential environmental impact could be minimized. |
|
Recommended Option Generally, the various methods for superstructure construction do not present significant differences in environmental impacts, hence the option to be adopted for individual buildings will be subject to the future building / facilities requirement to be determined in the detailed design stage. |
|||
|
Superstructures
(Bridges) |
|
|
|
|
Precast segmental |
Conventional falseworks and formworks are not required and therefore extensive temporary road closures/diversions at the interchange can be avoided. Construction time is shorter and better construction planning can be achieved. |
Construction cost is relatively high. The gantry girder cannot be very long thus
restricting the span length to a maximum of around 60m currently in |
In-situ concreting works are significantly reduced compared with the other methods, minimizing the potential impacts to the environment, such as noise and air quality. In addition, the operation is quiet compared with other methods. |
|
Precast span |
Extensive experience in this type of construction among local contractors. |
More movement joints and bearings may be needed for single span structures. This deteriorates the riding quality and poses future maintenance problems. Transportation of long beams in the nighttime, with implementation of Temporary Traffic Arrangement may be required. The maximum span length of precast concrete beams is relatively short (about 30m), the use of this method limits the span of the elevated structure and thus increases the number of piers and foundations. This means additional cost will be incurred. |
The potential environmental impact is less comparing with cast-in-situ method. |
|
Cast in-situ |
Simple construction method, extensive experience in this type of construction among local contractors. |
Span-by-span method requires longer construction time. Extensive working space is required for the erection of falsework, temporary traffic diversion is required. |
Air and noise generation due to concreting works. More C&D waste will be generated comparing with other method. |
|
Recommended Option Precast segmental method is considered to be preferable as it is associated with less environmental impacts compared to other options, and is able to meet the technical requirements and constraints. |
|||
As identified in Section 2.5.2, the preferred construction sequencing for the basement construction is as subdivided zones as this sequencing allows for better scheduling of excavation activities such that the magnitude of environmental impacts can be reduced. Early construction of the Park is also preferred as this allows early implementation of some of the environmental benefits of the project, including provision of landscape amenity and reduction of visual impacts due to construction of other parts of the WKCD. The phased construction sequence for CACF is the preferred option for CACF construction as this enables a reduction of the extent and magnitude of environmental impacts while allowing a more flexible programme for implementation of different facilities as needed.
Based on these preferred options identified in Section 2.5.2, a tentative construction programme and sequence of works has been compiled and is shown in Appendix 2.4. A summary of the proposed construction sequence for major construction elements and the environmental benefits/dis-benefits is provided in Table 2.5.
Table 2.5: Summary of Preferred Construction Sequence and Environmental Benefits/Dis-benefits
|
Major Construction Elements |
Proposed Construction Period |
Justifications / Constraints |
Environmental Benefit / Dis-benefit |
|
Basement
|
2013 to 2017 |
|
|
|
Zone 1 (including underpass roads) |
2013 to 2014 |
Partially constrained by the existing West Rail line, requires special approval for construction adjacent to and over the underground railway tunnel |
Concurrent construction with MTRC XRL project with potential cumulative impacts |
|
Zone 2 (including underpass roads) |
2014 to 2017 |
Partly constrained by existing Airport Express / Tung Chung Rail line |
Phased construction reduces number of construction plant operating at the same time. Some concurrent construction with MTRC XRL project with potential cumulative impacts |
|
Zone 3 (including underpass roads) |
2014 to 2016 |
Partly constrained by existing Airport Express / Tung Chung Rail line |
Concurrent construction with MTRC XRL project with potential cumulative impacts |
|
Zone 4 |
2016 to 2017 |
Delayed construction partly due to operation of the on-site tree nursery (to be located within Zone C of the Park) till late 2014, and to reduce the extent of concurrent basement construction with Zone 1 to 3 |
Delayed construction reduces cumulative impacts |
|
Flyover |
2014 to 2017 |
To provide second vehicular access to the MPV and EC and flexibility for event management. |
Improve traffic flow condition with evenly dispersed vehicular traffic and better transportation efficiency, hence reducing the potential air quality/noise impacts from traffic emissions |
|
The
Park |
2013 to 2019 |
|
|
|
Zone A |
2013 to 2015 |
To meet public wish for completion of the Park as soon as possible |
Concurrent construction with MTRC XRL project with potential cumulative impacts |
|
Zone B |
2015 to 2017 |
Partly constrained by progress on the basement Zone 2 and 3 |
Less construction phase overlap with the basement construction thus reducing the number of concurrent plant in operation. Completion of Zone A reduces some of the visual impacts |
|
Zone C |
2017 to 2019 |
Partly constrained by construction of the basement and CACF at Zone 4 and the Hotel |
Avoids cumulative impacts from concurrent construction with the basement. Completion of Zone A and B reduces the visual impacts |
|
Hotel Zone
5 |
2017 to 2020 |
Subject to land sale and factors affecting utilisation, e.g. implementation of CACF |
Avoids cumulative impacts from concurrent construction with the basement. Completion of Zone A and B reduces the visual impacts |
|
CACF |
2014 to 2020 |
|
|
|
Zone 1 |
2014 to 2016 |
Dependent on completion of the basement Zone 1 |
Some cumulative impact from concurrent construction with basement and MTRC XRL project |
|
Zone 2 |
2015 to 2020 |
Dependent on progress of the basement for Zone 2 |
Phased construction reduces number of
construction plant operating at the same time. Completion of CACF Zone 1 may
provide partial screening of noise impacts for NSRs at |
|
Zone 3 |
2016 to 2018 |
Dependent on completion of the basement Zone 3 |
Some cumulative impact from concurrent construction with basement |
|
Zone 4 |
2017 to 2020 |
Dependent on completion of the basement Zone 4 |
Avoids cumulative impacts from concurrent construction with the basement. Completion of much of the CACF and the Park Zone A and B reduces the visual impacts |
2.7 Proposed Project Programme
It is targeted to commence construction of the critical elements of the WKCD in 2013 so as to commission the Phase 1 arts and cultural facilities in stages starting from 2014/2015. A tentative construction programme is shown in Appendix 2.4 and the tentative implementation plan for WKCD is summarised in Table 2.6:
Table 2.6: Summary of Tentative Construction and Implementation Programme for Key Facilities of WKCD
|
Key Facility |
Tentative Construction Period |
Tentative Implementation Period |
|
The Park |
Zone A –
2013 to 2015 Zone B – 2015
to 2017 Zone C – 2017 to 2019 |
Zone A – 2014
to 2015 Zone B
–2016 to 2017 Zone C –2018 to 2019 |
|
Xiqu Centre |
2013 to 2016 |
Main Theatre and Tea House - 2016 to 2017 Small Theatre – beyond 2020 |
|
Free Space (with Music Box) |
2013 to 2015 |
2016 to 2017 |
|
Centre for Contemporary Performance |
2015 to 2017 |
2017 and 2018 (subject to the construction programme of the Express Rail Link) |
|
M+ |
2015 to 2018 |
Phase I – 2018 Phase II – beyond 2020 |
|
Lyric Theatre |
2015 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
|
Proscenium Theatre |
2016 to 2020 |
2020 |
|
Music Centre (Concert Hall and Recital Hall) |
2018 to 2020 |
2020 |
|
Mega Performance Venue and Exhibition Centre |
2017 to 2020 |
2020 (subject to alternative funding options) |
|
Musical Theatre |
2018 to 2020 |
2020 (subject to alternative funding options) |
|
Great Theatre |
2015 to 2020* |
Beyond 2020 |
|
Thrust Theatre |
2015 to 2020* |
Beyond 2020 |
Note: The proposed
construction periods for the facilities are based on the zones it falls in,
with reference to the tentative construction programme in Appendix 2.4. The construction
periods have included the construction of the basement.
* Foundation works are constructed from 2015 to 2016 with interim landscape
area in place up to the construction of superstructure in 2020 or beyond.
The existing Tsim Sha Tsui Fire Station is scheduled to be relocated in phases and it will unlikely be relocated before 2020.
The following major projects under planning and/or construction are likely to interface with the WKCD project:
¡ Hong
Kong Section of the
¡ Road
Works at
¡ Road
Improvement Works in
¡ Central
A summary of the concurrent projects for which potential cumulative impacts will be considered is shown in Table 2.6.
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express
Rail Link (XRL) is a railway service to connect Hong Kong, Shenzhen and
The XRL construction site for the West Kowloon Terminus currently overlaps part of the WKCD project boundary and parts of WKCD site is being temporarily utilised by MTRC for XRL construction activities. These XRL temporary works areas are scheduled to be returned progressively to WKCDA tentatively from end 2013 onwards. As the WKCD project has direct interface with the XRL project and the construction activities for both projects will overlap, cumulative impacts will be assessed.
2.8.2
Road Works at
This
project comprises the road works for Roads D1A, D1, Lin Cheung Road – Austin
Road West Underpass and upgrading of Austin Road West as part of the road
traffic capacity and network restructuring requirements needed to support the
anticipated increase in road traffic that will arise due to opening of the West
Kowloon Terminus (of the XRL project) and the developments for WKCD. The EIA study for this project
(EIA-175/2009) was approved on September 2009 and construction commenced in
2011 with completion targeted by 2014.
The road works at West Kowloon project is entrusted to, and forms part of the construction activities for XRL at West Kowloon, while the construction activities along Austin Road West also lies along the northern boundary of the WKCD site, therefore, this project will also directly interface with the WKCD project and cumulative impacts will be assessed.
2.8.3
Road Improvement Works in
The
West Kowloon Reclamation Development (WKRD) Traffic Study identified the need
for a number of Core and Additional Road Schemes to enhance the road networks
of the area and prevent traffic impacts and congestion in light of the various
developments planned and underway within the WKRD. One of the Core Schemes is
being implemented under the Road Works at
¡ Scheme
H – Upgrading of the elevated
¡ Scheme I – Provision of a new elevated link
road from the elevated
¡ Scheme J – Provision of a new at-grade link
from
¡ Scheme Q – Provision of a local underpass
along
¡ Improvement Works at the Junction of
According to communications with the project proponent in November 2012, this project will be implemented in two phases:
¡ Phase 1 includes Scheme H (Parts A and B),
I, J, Q (Interim Option) and Junction Improvement Works at
¡ Phase 2 includes construction of an underpass
along
Phase
1 requires an EIA under the EIAO, and an EIA Study Brief for this project was
issued on 22 September 2011. The proposed Scheme Q (Interim Option) and
Junction Improvement Works will also directly interface with the WKCD project
along its eastern boundary (
2.8.4
Central
The
proposed Central Kowloon Route (CKR) is a mainly underground road running
between the West Kowloon reclamation and the future Kai Tak
development for the purpose of relieving traffic congestion on the existing
east-west roads across
According to the EIA for CKR (EIA-208/2013), it is planned to commence construction of CKR in 2015 for completion in around end 2020. The general layout plan of the EIA for CKR indicated that the project boundary for the western section of CKR slightly overlaps the WKCD 500m study area. As this project is likely to be concurrently implemented with the WKCD project and there is some overlap with the WKCD study area, there may be cumulative impacts on air and visual quality, therefore, cumulative impacts from this project in terms of air and visual quality will be assessed based on available information at the time of preparation.
Table 2.7: List of concurrent projects for cumulative impact assessment
|
|
Potential Cumulative Impacts |
|
|
Concurrent
Project |
Construction Phase |
Operation Phase |
|
Hong Kong Section of the |
Fugitive Dust Airborne Noise Landscape & Visual |
Fixed Plant Noise Groundborne Noise Landscape & Visual |
|
Road Works at |
Fugitive Dust Airborne Noise Landscape & Visual |
Vehicular Emissions Traffic Noise Landscape & Visual |
|
Road Improvement Works in |
Fugitive Dust Airborne Noise Landscape & Visual |
Vehicular Emissions Traffic Noise Landscape & Visual |
|
Central |
Fugitive Dust |
Vehicular Emissions |