Council Paper No.11/2014

CONNECTIVITY OF XIQU CENTRE

PURPOSE

This paper aims to update members on the connectivity of Xiqu Centre, the first major West Cultural District (WKCD) venue to be completed, and the replacement of the covered walkway along by two new pedestrian passageways through the Xiqu Centre.

WEST KOWLOON CULTURAL DISTRICT

2. Stretching across 40 hectares of reclaimed land, the WKCD is one of the largest cultural projects in the world, blending art, and open space.

3. Its vision is to create a vibrant cultural quarter for where the local arts scene can interact, develop and collaborate. Providing 23 hectares of public open space with two kilometres of vibrant harbour-front promenade it will also include a variety of arts and cultural facilities that will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances and arts and cultural events.

XIQU CENTRE

4. The Xiqu Centre will be a world-class performing arts venue built specifically for Xiqu (Chinese opera) performances, and a centre for the production, education and research of this unique art form. Located at the eastern edge of the WKCD, at the junction of Canton Road and West, the Xiqu Centre will preserve and reinvent opera and Chinese traditional theatre for Hong Kong and beyond.

5. The Xiqu Centre will house a main theatre and a tea house with a performance stage. The main theatre will provide 1 100 seats 1 while the tea house will accommodate 200.

CONNECTIVITY

6. In order to maximize accessibility to WKCD and mobility in the district, the Xiqu Centre needs to be properly integrated with neighboring community and activity nodes. The provision of the following planned connections will ensure easy access for both pedestrians and vehicles (Annex 1 shows the future connection systems to Xiqu Centre):

(A) Extension of the Existing Pedestrian Subway Connecting MTR Austin Station and the Xiqu Centre

With the provision of escalators, lifts and staircases, the existing pedestrian subway across Austin Road West and Canton Road will be enhanced connecting the concourse level of MTR Austin Station and basement level of the Xiqu Centre. This will help ease the increased pedestrian traffic after the opening of the Xiqu Centre.

(B) Elevated Pedestrian Linkage from the Xiqu Centre to the Adjoining Areas

The landscape deck (being constructed under the Express Rail Link (XRL) project) over Austin Road West for noise mitigation purpose will be converted to a pedestrian linkage connecting the ground level of Austin Road West. Through the pedestrian subway connection in Item (A) above, it can connect with the ground level of Xiqu Centre, MTR Austin Station and Austin Road West.

(C) Lay-by at East Gate and Connection to At-grade Austin Road West

Two new slip roads are being constructed under the XRL project along Austin Road West to facilitate vehicles making U-turn. Additional lay-by will be constructed alongside the eastern slip road, forming the East Gate of WKCD, to allow direct access to the Xiqu Centre and support the pick-up/drop-off activities in the WKCD.

(D) Bridge

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The existing (TST) Fire Station Complex adjoining the Xiqu Centre on Canton Road will be relocated in stages. The first phase of the works, relocation of the Transformer Room block, is being arranged to complement the target completion of the Xiqu Centre in 2016.

Upon the relocation of the entire fire station complex in future, a new footbridge can be constructed to link WKCD directly to Kowloon Park across Canton Road. It can serve as an alternative route for passengers to access WKCD from MTR TST Station via Kowloon Park Bridge. This potential connection is subject to future demand.

(E) China Ferry Terminal Bridge

Scheduled to open upon completion of the waterfront promenade of WKCD in the vicinity, the proposed footbridge will form part of the pathway linking the Xiqu Centre and the waterfront promenade with level 3 of China-Hong Kong City shopping mall and Kowloon Park. The provision of this footbridge will be subject to the future traffic demand justification.

REMOVAL OF EXISTING TEMPORARY COVERED WALKWAY ALONG CANTON ROAD

7. In order to provide good connectivity between MTR Austin Station, Austin Road West Subway and Canton Road, discussions were held at previous Legislative Council meetings1 on a covered pedestrian connection via WKCD/Xiqu Centre.

8. A temporary covered walkway along Canton Road and Austin Road West (Annex 2) is currently provided for people travelling between the exit of Austin Road West Subway and TST Fire Station/ Tsim Sha Tsui. Upon opening of the Xiqu Centre, two alternate covered pedestrian connections will be provided through the Xiqu Centre by the following means: a) Xiqu Centre Basement – A new connection via the Xiqu Centre basement will be constructed to provide a covered pedestrian

1 “Pedestrian Connectivity of Austin Station with neighbouring areas” (LC Paper No. CB(1)557/08-09(04) and “Connectivity of the Cultural District with its neighbouring areas” (LC Paper No. CB(2)1539/12-13(03)

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route between MTR Austin Station, Austin Road West Subway and Canton Road. Pedestrians from MTR Austin Station and Austin Road West Subway can access Canton Road via the Xiqu Centre basement and ground level (Annex 3). New escalators/ lifts will be provided at the Xiqu Centre to bring pedestrians from basement to at-grade level or vice versa. b) Xiqu Centre Ground Level – Pedestrians can use the existing subway stairs or new lift to reach street level of Austin Road West and then access the TST Fire Station/ Tsim Sha Tsui on Canton Road via the covered Xiqu Plaza.

RECOMMENDATION

9. The two new pedestrian passageways passing through Xiqu Centre will provide similar function to the existing temporary covered walkway. YTMDC members are invited to support the replacement of the existing temporary covered walkway along Canton Road by the new pedestrian passageways via the Xiqu Centre when they are in place.

West Kowloon Cultural District Authority February 2014

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NEW LOOP ROAD (BEING MTR AUSTIN ROAD WEST PEDESTRIAN CONSTRUCTED UNDER XRL AUSTIN LINKAGE SYSTEMS (ITEMS A & B) PROJECT) 新迴旋路（港鐵公司 STATION 柯士甸道西行人連接系統（第A及B項） 港鐵柯 建造中） 士甸站

LANDSCAPE DECK (BEING CONSTRUCTED UNDER XRL PROJECT) 高鐵園景平台（港鐵公司建造中）

LAY-BY AT EAST GATE AND CONNECTION TO AUSTIN ROAD WEST (ITEM C) 東閘上落客處及連接至柯士甸 道西 （第C項）

CHINA FERRY BRIDGE (ITEM E) KOWLOON PARK BRIDGE (ITEM D) 九龍公園行人天橋（第 項） 中國客運碼頭天橋（第E項） D Annex 1 – Connectivity of the Xiqu Centre 附件1 – 戲曲中心的連 接系統 AUS Concourse Level 

A B

At Grade Level

C

EXISTING ROUTING BETWEEN AUSTIN STATION AND CANTION ROAD   AUS Concourse / Xiqu Centre Level B2 / B A

LEGEND : VIA EXISTING STAIRCASE / REPROVIDED DISABLE LIFT AND VIA XIQU LG/F / VIA XIQU CENTRE B2/F

At Grade Level

C

FUTURE ROUTING BETWEEN AUSTIN STATION AND CANTION ROAD