ENG-2011 — Page 42

10 | Constitution and Administration

CEO and CGO

The Chief Executive's office, which also accommodates the Executive Council Chamber and its secretariat, is located at the western end of the Tamar site, while the CGO is located at the southern edge, housing the policy bureaux. Having them close to each other improves efficiency and enhances the Government's service to the public.

Open Space

Half of the Tamar site is open space embellished by an expansive green lawn (the Green Carpet) at the centre, and other attractions which include an amphitheatre, water pond, floating platform, and a garden.

Together, they form what is called 'Tamar Park'.

The New Legislative Council Complex

The Legislative Council Complex is built by the Government to house the Legislature as part of the Tamar Development Project which started construction in early 2008. The offices of the Legislative Council Secretariat and Members' Offices were relocated to the complex in September 2011. The Chief Executive's 2011-12 Policy Address was delivered in the complex's chamber at the council meeting held on October 12, 2011 when the 2011-12 legislative session commenced.

The Legislative Council Complex is the first purpose-built building for the Hong Kong's Legislature. The new Legislative Council Complex, located on '1 Legislative Council Road', marks a new page in the history of the Legislature of Hong Kong.

The design concept of the Legislative Council Complex is to show the independent and special status, as well as the transparent and dignified image of Hong Kong's Legislature. The profound meaning of 'heaven being round and earth being square' mentioned in traditional Chinese culture has been integrated into the design of the complex, which better reflect the image of a legislature.

According to the designer's design concept, 'square' denotes restraints and 'round' denotes changes. When applied to the characteristics of the Legislative Council, 'square' can mean solemnity and prudence and 'round' can mean openness and empathy. These are basic elements which are crucial and essential for the Legislative Council to play an important role in the political development of Hong Kong. The interior design of the lobby halls and conference rooms of the complex have strategically employed this concept in their themes. As the centerpiece of the complex, the chamber for council meetings is expressed in a conical form that signifies inclusivity, multi-facetness, openness, dynamism and democratic supervision.

Reference has been made to the experiences of the parliament buildings of Germany, Belgium, the UK and the European Parliament when designing the Legislative Council Complex. During the complex's construction, important elements such as environmental protection and energy conservation were of course not ignored. Be it the natural light funnel in the chamber to bring in natural daylight, or the use of wood materials with low emission of Formaldehyde and materials with low volatile organic compounds, motion sensor control, water saving devices,