4 teams asked to plan West Kowloon project

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority has selected four teams of consultants to draft a master layout plan of the district. The British architect Sir Norman Foster will head one of teams. Sir Norman earlier designed a controversial giant glass canopy for the West Kowloon project, which was halted three years ago. The Office for Metropolitan Architecture, which designed the CCTV headquarter, will be the other consultant team. Rocco Design Architects, who won a merit in the earlier West Kowloon project design competition, and Mott MacDonald Hong Kong will head the remaining teams.

Leung defends decision to join New World

Former housing director Leung Chin-man said he had done nothing wrong when he joined New World after retiring from government. Leung said in the Legislative Council select committee looking into his post-retirement employment that he suggested his superior Michael Suen to accept the HK$800 million land premium for the Hung Hom peninsula project when negotiating with New World because the Executive Council had already granted Suen the power to negotiate with the developer at the price lower than the HK$1.1 billion bottom.

China Daily - Agencies

(HK Edition 07/21/2009 page1)