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Swire Properties Unveils Frank Gehry Design for Museum Complex

11 Mar 2005

Swire Properties Unveils Frank Gehry Design for Museum Complex

Swire Properties today (Friday, 11 March 2005) unveiled the design for a Hong Kong Museum Complex at the opening ceremony of "A New Vision for Our Shores" Holistic Harbour Exhibition at Pacific Place.

The Museum Complex is Mr Frank Gehry's first commission in Greater China and offers Hong Kong the chance to create a cluster of world-class art showcases. The Museum Complex contains some 50,000 square metre of flexibly designed exhibition galleries, a theatre, educational centre and support facilities that meet the complex needs of a world-class museum today.

The unveiling ceremony was officiated by Messrs Frank Gehry and Edwin Chan of Gehry Partners and Mr Keith Kerr, Chairman of Swire Properties.

"As Asia's World City, Hong Kong should possess museums that express its true character as the crown jewel in the Asia Pacific region," said Mr Gehry. "Location is a key requirement for a successful museum, and the Tamar site is a unique opportunity situated both in the heart of the city and along the waterfront of the Harbour."

Mr Gehry added: "The Harbour is Hong Kong's most valuable asset and the Museum Complex will enliven the core harbour and generate the vitality that the city rightly deserves."

Mr Gehry, renowned for his deconstructed architectural style and his sculptural, functional buildings, is one of the world's most influential and acclaimed architects. Winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1989, his best known works include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California, the Stata Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, USA.

"Mr Gehry shares our Cultural Harbour vision and his design for a Hong Kong Museum Complex enhances our holistic approach to harbour planning." said Mr Kerr of Swire Properties. "Working with him and his team has been a most enlightening experience."

Swire Properties has long been concerned with the development of the harbour. This exhibition showcases its proposals for a holistic sustainable approach for the entire harbour from Kai Tak to West Kowloon.

"We believe that a holistic planning approach is the way forward, and a constant theme in all of our proposals has been the long term creation of economic and social value." added Mr Kerr.

"A New Vision for Our Shores" Holistic Harbour Exhibition will be held from 12 to 20 March in Pacific Place, 24 March to 3 April in Festival Walk and 8 to 17 April in Cityplaza.

About Swire Properties

Swire Properties, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited, was incorporated in 1972 and is one of Hong Kong's leading developers with extensive experience in the development and management of major commercial, retail and residential properties. The company's strategy has been to 'hub' its investment property holdings around major shopping centres and office towers constructed at the principal Mass Transit Railway intersections.

Swire Properties' investment portfolio in Hong Kong principally comprises office and retail premises, which it manages in prime locations, as well as serviced apartments and other luxury residential accommodation. The completed portfolio totals just over 12 million sq ft of gross floor area. Current investment property pending or under development in Hong Kong comprises a further 3.26 million sq ft, mainly of office space.