Celebrates 50 Years

commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law Close up commitment to the rule of law A time capsule of memories – Hong Kong City Hall celebrates 50 years Leisure and Cultural Services Department AS a complex of buildings that has touched the hearts of many in one way or another, Hong Kong City Hall (City Hall) has over its five-decade history witnessed the mixture of emotions, career dreams and successes of the city’s residents. City Hall’s simple Bauhaus style put Hong Kong on the global map in relation to modern architecture. From pride in its globally acknowledged Renaissance-style structures of the past in favour groundbreaking Bauhaus design to the academic of the clean lines associated with Bauhaus success of those accessing library facilities within, architectural design, signalling the dawning of a from international acclaim for the calibre of its arts new era in which clean geometric lines and the performances presented over the decades to the functionality of space were hallmarks. tears of marital joy at the Marriage Registry, put simply, City Hall is a time capsule of Hong Kong City Hall complex comprises the Memorial memories, and it has documented the pulse and Garden linking the two main buildings – the High development of one of the world’s greatest cities. Block and the Low Block with facilities such as the Marriage Registry, the City Hall Public Library and And so it was with much pride that the Leisure the Concert Hall. A nurturing ground for the local and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) recently arts and host to numerous international artists, the celebrated the history and role of this iconic Concert Hall has also been an important venue for landmark during City Hall’s recent Golden Jubilee official ceremonies, including two royal visits and celebrations marking five decades of excellence and the swearing-in ceremonies of several Governors service to the people of Hong Kong. during the colonial era. A bold new era of design A novelty on the Hong Kong skyline at the Designed by British architects, Ronald Phillips time of its construction, this then-bold and radical and Alan Fitch, and completed in 1962, Hong new Bauhaus-style structure was the subject of Kong’s new City Hall embraced the global trend of both curiosity and admiration. The opening of this the day to break with the tradition of the ornate exciting $20 million, 11,000-square-metre and 14 commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law Close up multi-functional complex constructed on the newly reclaimed seafront also heralded an era of unique and ground-breaking architectural designs in Hong Kong that continues to this day. Apart from its unique architectural design, City Hall is also furnished with facilities renowned for both form and function. “The Theatre was purposefully designed to offer unobstructed sightlines from every seat in the house and the shoebox-shaped Concert Hall with wooden walls and ceilings is globally renowned for its excellent City Hall’s Concert Hall is renowned for its excellent acoustics. acoustics,” says Assistant Manager (City Hall) Special Projects, Mickey Chung Chor-mun. Iconic cultural venue In fact, Sir Malcolm Sargent, who conducted Instrumental in bridging the arts of the East the London Philharmonic Orchestra at City Hall’s and the West, City Hall has not only nurtured opening concert, acknowledged the Concert Hall generations of local artistic and performing talents, as being one of the world’s venues with the finest but has also fostered an appreciation for, and love acoustics. of, the arts with audiences over the last 50 years. More than 10,000 local and overseas arts troupes have performed at City Hall since its inauguration five decades ago, and many more important cultural events, such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Festival of Asian Arts and the Hong Kong International Film Festival, made their debuts there. “City Hall continues to provide a world class performance venue and contributes to the cultivation of performing talent in Hong Kong, making a significant contribution towards the continuing development of the arts in Hong Kong,” says Manager (City Hall) Venue Partnership Scheme, Karen Law Wing-man. “Local groups, such as the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre and the Hong Kong Dance Company made their respective debuts at City Hall before launching onto the world stage. Put simply, City Hall is regarded by many arts City Hall’s Marriage Registry at the High Block leading directly to the Memorial practitioners as Hong Kong’s iconic cultural venue.” Garden following a renewal project in 1993. 15 commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law Close up commitment to the rule of law City Hall’s foyer conveys its classic and simple Bauhaus style. And while the 1980s signalled the provision A highlight jubilee event was the staging of of additional new major cultural complexes onto “The Golden Stage – Hong Kong City Hall 50th the Hong Kong landscape, such as the Hong Kong Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition”, which Coliseum and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, which made special note of the venue’s influence over, and has further fostered the development of a dynamic dedication to, local performing arts over the past arts scene for which the city is now famous, City 50 years, including drama, music, Chinese and Western Hall, now a Grade 1 historic building, may no opera, festivals and dance, as well as multimedia and longer be the most sophisticated and magnificent film activities that have taken place there. Through performing arts centre by today’s standards. the invaluable photographs, posters, audio and video Nevertheless, it is a cultural landmark that has earned recordings, costumes and stage-setting models a special place in the hearts of Hong Kong citizens. featured in the exhibition, visitors could revisit the glorious days of City Hall. “The planned construction of new performance venues in the West Kowloon Cultural District will The exhibition featured costumes worn by undoubtedly change the usage of, or demand for, renowned Cantonese opera stars Mak Bing-wing the facilities at City Hall,” adds Senior Manager (City and Fung Wong-nui, who performed their popular Hall), Gladys Fong Nga-man. Cantonese opera Never-ending Ties and Feud at City Hall when the venue opened in 1962. Other items on “Even so, I think it is more important to establish a display included the nightclub set from Raymond To complementary and synergy relationship among the and Ko Tin-lung’s famous drama I Have a Date with city’s venues, whereas City Hall will also be in a better Spring, stage-set models from We Are One Family position to support budding small and medium-sized and Teahouse, precious posters and recordings, performing arts groups and build young audiences and interviews with eminent artists on their various as lifelong patrons of the arts.” performances and experiences at City Hall. A celebration of success Rarely seen old photos of the swearing-in To mark the occasion of City Hall’s Golden ceremonies of former Governors, the Concert Hall, Jubilee celebrations, LCSD has earlier hosted a series the Theatre, the former Ballroom (nowadays the of celebratory exhibitions and lectures featuring Exhibition Hall), the Marriage Registry, the Memorial notable performances and recitals presented at the Garden and the City Hall Public Library, together venue over the last five decades. with pictures of various memorable civic events 16 commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law commitment to the rule of law Close up that have taken place at City Hall over the years witnessing of the birth of their stage performances, were shown in the exhibition. There were also and how the creative ambience within City Hall precious and memorable photos collected from inspired them. the public during the “Hong Kong City Hall 50th Anniversary Photo Collection Campaign”, be it Memories forever a family photo of seven children standing in a row, To commemorate the special occasion of a snapshot captured at a corner of the Memorial City Hall’s Golden Jubilee, LCSD also published a Garden or a portrait of joyful graduates. These new book – Where Modern Hong Kong Began: photos all carried fond memories of City Hall, The City Hall and Its 50-Year Story. Written by proving that the development of City Hall has been veteran music critic, Chow Fan-fu, the 100,000- interwoven with that of the local community over word publication affectionately and exhaustively the past five decades. depicts people and events closely associated with City Hall over the past 50 years. The book, priced at Archival gems $230, is now for sale at the arts shops of City Hall Through the exhibition, the public could enjoy and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. retrospective excerpts of brilliant performances at this iconic cultural venue, including the screenings It takes time for a city to create and develop of excerpts of plays performed by the Hong Kong its own culture. City Hall will continue to nurture Repertory Theatre, namely I Have a Date with Spring, local cultural talents and contribute to the ongoing Noises Off, We Are One Family, Where Love Abides, development of the arts in Hong Kong over coming Xiaojing Hutong and Peach Blossom Fan. Early decades, guaranteeing that the city’s global recordings of various concerts and performances reputation as a haven for culture and the arts were also featured, including a piano recital continues to soar.

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