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Quarry Bay Park in Eastern District took on a new and younger look today (May 12) with the provision of more innovative and creative facilities through the Park Dˆmco trial scheme.
To make its parks more lively, Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has tried out the Park Dˆmco scheme through the installation of a number of artistic benches and new park signage with a more positive and friendly tone, while redundant signage had been removed.
Officiating at the launch ceremony of the Park Dˆmco scheme at Quarry Bay Park today, the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Raymond Young, said LCSD manages as many as 1,500 parks and sitting-out areas featuring a wide range of active and passive amenities to cater to the needs of people from all walks of life.
Mr Young said that the purpose of the Park Dˆmco scheme was to inject new and creative elements into LCSD parks by making them more stylish and interesting for the benefit of the community. As for the new park signage, it is intended to gently remind park users, in a positive way, of the park rules and the need to respect other users' rights.
The Hong Kong Arts Centre and Public Art Hong Kong were LCSD's artistic collaborators for the trial scheme. The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Arts Centre and Chairperson of the Board of Councillors of Public Art Hong Kong, Mrs Cissy Pao Watari, said during the ceremony that the implementation of public art projects required thorough understanding of the environment as well as the needs of users. She said the installation of artistic park benches and newly designed signage at Quarry Bay Park brought out natural and creative elements by blending art into daily life and giving the public more access to art - precisely the role that public art should be playing.
Other officiating guests for today's ceremony included the Vice Chairman of Eastern District Council, Mr Christopher Chung, and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung.
Artists participating in this trial scheme took the opportunity to brief guests on their work and creative concepts.
Adopting "Oasis along the Seashore" as its theme, the scheme at Quarry Bay Park is aimed at creating a haven in the city and beautifying the waterfront of Eastern District.
Three sets of park benches, namely "Musical Chair", "Branches" and "Assembled Topology", have been installed along the park's waterfront to blend in with the natural environment and to introduce more green elements to the park.
The three sets of benches are uniquely designed. "Musical Chair" features five colourful notes that can produce different sounds with a pat. The three-seater "Branches" looks like a trail of twigs stretching out from a planter, with soft and delicate LED lights in birdcage shapes that remind visitors of life in the past while enriching the night-time appearance of the park. "Assembled Topology" consists of 17 modular units that know no boundaries nor limitations, allowing visitors to enjoy the surrounding environment in a leisurely manner.
Newly designed signage carrying friendly messages has also been put up in the park to gently remind visitors of the park rules, e.g. by replacing "No skateboarding" with "Pack your skateboard & enjoy the sea view" and with "No climbing" becoming "This is not designed for climbing".
Following the facelift for Quarry Bay Park, LCSD plans to extend the Park Dˆmco trial scheme to Cornwall Street Park in Kowloon Tong. Views from park visitors and different stakeholders will be collected to assess and decide how to take forward this new concept to apply it in the department's new projects as well as existing venues. Members of the public are also invited to take part in an online survey on the Chief Executive's Office Facebook page "Upper Albert Road" (www.facebook.com/UpperAlbertRoad) to give their views on the new facilities at Quarry Bay Park.
LCSD parks are meant for all to enjoy a free and peaceful moment within the bustling city life, and users are free to stroll, lie down or engage in leisure activities on the many large open lawns managed by the department. However, to maintain the beauty and tranquillity of our parks, LCSD appeals to park users to treasure park facilities and be considerate to other users while enjoying these facilities.
Ends/Thursday, May 12, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:18
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