Aiming for a world-class facility to host and produce the finest examples of Cantonese and other Chinese opera performances, the WKCDA invites the design of a 1100-seat main theatre, a 400-seat small theatre, a Tea House for performances for audiences up to 200 and ancillary training and education facilities.

Michael Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of WKCDA said, “The competition heralds a new phase of the West Kowloon Cultural District development.  We are proceeding to a detailed design stage and I am looking forward to working with inspired creative teams on the realisation of our ambitions for the Cultural District.”

“Following the fantastic response to the West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre performances at the start of the Year of Dragon, we know Chinese Opera has a special place in the heart of Hong Kong people.  We want to find a design team that can deliver for Hong Kong a world-class home for Chinese Opera practitioners, students and audiences and a facility fitting for such an important form of Chinese cultural heritage”

A Steering Committee, chaired by Mr Lee Shing See, a member of WKCDA’s Development Committee, and made up of representatives of professional institutes and arts and culture disciplines, has been appointed to oversee the competition.

Interested parties can submit an Expression of Interest to WKCDA to pre-qualify for the design competition.  Deadline for submission is April 10, 2012.  Further details are available on WKCDA’s website (http://www.wkcda.hk/en/architectural_competition/xiqucentre).

The Xiqu Centre, scheduled for completion around the end of 2015, will be the first of 17 core arts and cultural venues to be opened within the District and one of 15 proposed performing arts venues.  Occupying a prime site at the eastern edge of the District on the corner of Canton Road and Austin Road West, the centre will provide a gateway of access to the Cultural District.