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HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INVITES TRIO TO TENDER FOR KAI TAK SPORTS PARK
MILAN’S CITYLIFE SHOPPING DISTRICT TO WELCOME 7M VISITORS ANNUALLY
An Alibaba Group subsidiary, New World Development and Dragages Hong Kong are believed to be the three prequalified tenders invited by Hong Kong’s Home Affairs Bureau to submit their plans for the Kai Tak Sports Park. The bureau has asked the trio to offer submissions for the contract to design, construct and operate the 28-hectare facility in East Kowloon, the South China Morning Post reports. Officially, the three finalists have not been named. The tender process began last year with six submissions. The government notified the three finalists on 29 December and they will now have until 29 June to deliver a landscaped parkland that is home to three multi-purpose sports facilities: a 50,000-seat stadium with retractable roof, a multi-function indoor sports centre that can seat up to 10,000 people, and a sports ground suitable for school athletic events and league football matches. Partners are being sought to work on the HK$32billion contract. Interested parties are invited to leave their details at the Kai Tak Sports Park website, www.kaitaksportspark.hk
ATKINS AT WORK ON WIDUS CASINO EXPANSION IN THE PHILIPPINES
Atkins will provide masterplan and full-scope architectural design services for a major expansion of the Widus Hotel and Casino in the Clark Freeport Zone in the Philippines. Upon completion, the four-star property will cover an area of 170,000m2 which is about four times its current size. The extension includes a new casino, a hotel tower, retail, dining and a waterpark development. At the heart of the development will be the main gaming area, designed to attract guests from around the property due to its ease of access from areas such as the grand entrance, hotels and the new retail areas. “Atkins has a strong portfolio of landmark projects in Asia and worldwide, many of which define their city’s identity – from the Burj Al Arab in Dubai to the Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City. We are proud to bring our expertise to the Philippines market and help our client Widus realise their goals,” said Atkins’ director for the property sector in Asia-Pacific, Bertil de Kleynen. www.atkinsglobal.com
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the CityLife Shopping District in Milan is now open. When all the final stage is completed in 2020, the 32,000m² shopping district will welcome 7 million visitors a year. CityLife is one of Europe’s biggest redevelopment projects and will include 1,000 new homes, offices for about 10,000 staff, a 17ha park, piazzas and kindergarten. The 36ha site opens Milan’s old trade fair grounds to year-round civic use and integrates the new public park with Milan’s most extensive pedestrian zone, creating the biggest new public space in the city in more than 120 years. Defined by the three axes of the city that converge within CityLife, the shopping district’s composition continues the geometries of the connecting 44-storey Generali Tower that will be occupied later this year by 3,000 of the insurer’s staff. These formal geometries are aligned with the city’s axes at street level, but twist incrementally as the tower rises, orientating its higher floors to face the Duomo, Milan’s renowned cathedral. Bamboo flooring, ceiling and columns welcome visitors to the shopping district’s interior. Selected for its warmth and tactility, engineered bamboo is extremely durable and can be procured in a large quantity from sustainable sources. Projects within the CityLife development have received LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. www.zaha-hadid.com