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Public safety is always the Government's foremost and primary consideration

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In response to press enquiries on the safety aspect of the West Kowloon Cultural District project, a spokesman for the Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau said today (June 2) that safety of the public is always the foremost and primary consideration of any Government development project. The development of the West Kowloon Cultural District is no exception.

"Before adopting the winning concept design of the open competition for development of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Panel of Jury which comprised renowned international experts in architecture, had considered the technical viability of constructing the proposed canopy. Since then, Government has also looked into the various technical aspects and consulted local professionals and is satisfied that building of the canopy is technically feasible," the spokesman said.

As clearly set out in the Invitation for Proposals document, Proponents are required to ensure that the design of the canopy can comply with the safety standards stipulated in the Buildings Ordinance. Proponents' submission must provide detailed information on the structural design including the proposed foundation system, vertical supports and materials to be used. The successful proponent is required to prove and verify the structural viability under extreme weather conditions by wind engineering studies including wind tunnel tests.

It is true that the Invitation for Proposals document makes reference to the proposed canopy as covering at least 55% of the site area. However, the document has also made it very clear that the canopy does not have to be fully cladded with glass or solid panels. The winning concept design adopted by the Government assumes that there will be lots of openings for light and wind to pass through. Comparison with the design of the passenger terminal of the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris is irrelevant and misleading.

The spokesman emphasizes that all buildings and structures to be constructed on the West Kowloon Cultural District site including the canopy must comply with the Buildings Ordinance and subsidiary regulations.

"The Government has adequate procedures in place to ensure that all buildings and structures meet all the statutory requirements in the design and the construction stage," he added.

Ends/Wednesday, June 2, 2004

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