The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) is a large arts development in Hong Kong. Based on a Foster and Partners master plan and comprising , the district will eventually include 17 venues. The Xiqu Centre for Chinese opera, the Freespace centre for contemporary performance, and the M+ Museum are already open, while the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Lyric Theatre, and other spaces for arts education and commercial structures, are expected. It is managed by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA). Location The wedge-shaped, waterfront site was created from reclaimed land in the 1990s as part of the Airport Core Programme. It lies west of Yau Ma Tei in the Yau Tsim Mong District and is bounded by Canton Road in the east, the Western Harbour Crossing, Austin Road West, and Victoria Harbour. It is within walking distance of Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), a popular tourist area, and of the Kowloon Station complex, which is connected to the Elements commercial centre and high-speed rail to mainland China. History The project has gone through multiple, well-publicised delays for nearly 20 years. The first phase opened in 2015, while the second phase is expected to be completed in 2026. In 1996, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) conducted a survey of visiting tourists, who cited a lack of cultural attractions. The HKTB proposed to LegCo in 1998 that new venues for the arts and cultural events be established. In his 1998 Policy Address, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa proposed the establishment of the West Kowloon Cultural District, endeavouring to develop Hong Kong as a cultural hub for Asia. In April 2001, an international design competition was launched. Ten members of the judging panel selected a canopy design submitted by Foster and Partners as the winner under eight aspects. Leslie E. Robertson Associates were appointed as the structural engineering firm. However, the design was scrapped in 2005 due to intense public criticism with regard to financing models, the involvement of property developers, lack of planning, and the design itself. In 2006, the government established consultative committees to formulate a report on what facilities to offer and how they would be managed. In 2007, a three-month public consultation was carried out again, the early stages of which were completed in December 2007. Invitation for proposals In September 2003, the government announced an Invitation For Proposals for the Development of the district. While it required the