West Kowloon Arts Hub's Theatre Site Gets Flooded

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority on Thursday confirmed that it was aware of a "flooding situation" at the construction site for its Lyric Theatre Complex and basement area after the media published photos showing an apparent subsidence problem.

The reports showed parts of the construction site cracked, tilting and under water, while some machinery, such as excavators, were almost completely submerged.

Gammon Construction is the contractor responsible for the project which is to house three theatres of large, medium and small seating capacity for dance and drama performances. The HK$2.4 billion project was hit by delays due to the express rail construction nearby and is now slated to open by 2021.

Police were seen arriving at the scene on Thursday to investigate the subsidence.

In a brief reply to RTHK, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority confirmed there is a "flooding situation" at the construction site, adding that it is closely monitoring developments.

A member of Legco's Subcommittee to Monitor the Implementation of the West Kowloon Cultural District Project, Tanya Chan, said the government also needs to take matters into its own hands.

She said if this flooding had happened during working hours, it could have proved dangerous.

Engineers said the incident may have been the result of poor water barriers, adding that incidents like this are quite rare.

But Democratic Party lawmaker Helena Wong who visited the site said she was told by authorities that the flooding and subsidence was caused by cracks on a temporary pile wall.

The legislator met the cultural district authority's chief projects officer and project general manager.

Wong said underground and sea water have leaked into the basement due to the cracks. But she said the issue won't affect nearby ground and won't slow down the theatre work.

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