RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
organisations were presented during the year in one-person or joint exhibitions of painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics and print-making.
Venues
Most performance venues in Hong Kong are built and operated by the Urban and Regional Councils, and range from major facilities such as the Hong Kong Stadium and Hong Kong Cultural Centre to smaller multi-purpose centres used for district-based cultural activities.
Urban Council Venues Hong Kong Stadium
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The redeveloped Hong Kong Stadium, funded by an $850 million donation by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, was officially opened by the Governor on March 11. The 40 000- seat facility is a national stadium for staging world-class sports and entertainment events.
While there were some teething problems, as with other projects of this magnitude, such as complaints about the noise level from pop concerts and the state of the turf which required some remedial action, the Urban Council has taken active steps to address them. Good progress was made during the latter part of 1994, and it is hoped that the problems will be resolved by 1995.
In 1994, more than 800 000 spectators participated in 47 events held at the stadium.
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
In its fifth year of operation, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre has firmly established itself as the premier performing arts venue in the territory.
The Concert Hall, with its excellent acoustics, is an ideal venue for musical performances. The Grand Theatre, with its advanced stage equipment, and the Studio Theatre, which has variable stage formats, are much sought after for diversified theatrical productions.
Internationally-renowned artists appearing on the centre's stages in 1994 included Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sviatoslav Richter, Philip Glass, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Boys' Choir and the Moscow Art Theatre.
To promote public interest in the performing arts, a total of 292 free foyer, piazza and educational programmes were presented, attracting over 100 000 spectators.
In 1994, a total of 3.6 million people visited the centre.
City Hall
After celebrating its 30th anniversary, the City Hall underwent a major renovation from July 1993 to November 1994. The project was carried out in phases, at a total cost of about $50 million, in order to upgrade the existing building and technical facilities as well as aesthetic aspects.
A new interior design scheme was adopted, introducing contemporary elements while preserving the original architectural concept of the building.
The refurbished Concert Hall was reopened in February 1994 in time for the Hong Kong Arts Festival programmes, while the Theatre and the Exhibition Hall were reopened in May and July, respectively. The completion of the renovation project in November was marked by the opening of a redesigned Memorial Garden.
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