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"Quarryside", a new community space in Quarry Bay, was officially launched today. Quarryside makes gainful use of a vacant government site and will provide a new venue for the benefit of the wider community.
Supported by the "Funding Scheme to Support the Use of Vacant Government Sites by Non-government Organisations" of the Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the project has transformed vacant government land into a community space that offer diverse experiences to promote a creative, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Quarryside is operated by St. James' Settlement and sponsored by the Swire Group Charitable Trust (Swire Trust). Swire Properties, as the Supporting Partner of the project, provides consultancy support for the design, construction and operation of the community space. The project is a demonstration of the collective effort of the Government, NGOs and the private sector for the betterment of the community.
To celebrate the opening of Quarryside, an Opening Ceremony was held today and was attended by approximately 100 representatives from the Government, social welfare, as well as arts and culture sectors. Officiating Guests included Ms. Bernadette Linn, JP, Secretary for Development, Mr. Vincent Ng, SBS, JP, Chairman of Harbourfront Commission, Mr. Simon Chan, JP, District Officer (Eastern), Mr. Brian Li, JP, Vice Chairman of St. James' Settlement's Executive Committee, Ms. Mabelle Ma, Director, Development and Valuations of Swire Properties, and Ms. Tina Chan, Group Head of Philanthropy of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd.
The opening ceremony featured handpicked performances to demonstrate the creativity of the community, including a brass quintet by the outstanding musicians from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, a site-specific dance video by the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation, and a modern drum performance by the Gekko Taiko Centre.
"Quarryside demonstrated a concerted effort amongst Government, NGO and the private sector. We are dedicated to being a community leisure space for all, incubating socially innovative ideas and fostering co-creation and collaboration with our community members. We are thankful to have great support from the Development Bureau, Harbourfront Commission, Eastern District Office, Swire Trust and Swire Properties, on the co-creation of this community space project," said Brian Li, Vice Chairman of St. James' Settlement's Executive Committee.
The Secretary for Development Ms Bernadette Linn said that Quarryside is a good example showcasing a cross-sector collaboration through the Government, NGOs and the private sector. "In recent years, we are actively promoting the harbourfront development and hope that more harbourfront space can be fully utilised and enhanced for public use and enjoyment." Ms Linn appreciated for the concerted efforts and contributions by different parties including St. James' Settlement, Swire Trust and the government departments; and she encouraged the public to enjoy this new community space.
The Swire Trust has provided HK$15 million towards the cost of developing and operating Quarryside, with the ambition to drive positive change within the community. "The TrustTomorrow initiative is our commitment to the long-term development of the communities in which we operate. We are very pleased to be able to participate in the meaningful project as it will become a home for community groups to stage their events and create long-term benefits for the wider community," said Patrick Healy, Chairman of the Swire Group Philanthropy Council.
Tim Blackburn, Chief Executive of Swire Properties, said, "For over 50 years, Swire Properties has called Quarry Bay home and has developed its business(es) in the Eastern District. We're delighted to give back to the community in such a meaningful way through the 'Quarryside' project. Looking ahead, we hope to share our rich placemaking experience and help make this space a vibrant leisure 'destination' that will bring together and strengthen local communities through shared values."
"The Harbourfront Commission has been endeavouring to bring about new harbourfront experiences to the public. Thanks to the funding scheme of the Development Bureau, St. James' Settlement and the Swire Group Charitable Trust had been able to make good use of this vacant site and transform it into a new harbourfront community space. 'Quarryside' provides opportunities for the public to interact and relax in the harbourfront and serves as a venue for creative and cultural activities," said Vincent Ng, SBS, JP, Chairman of Harbourfront Commission.
Located at Hoi Shin Lane and spanning over 3,700 sqm, Quarryside will kick off trial operations in July 2023 and gradually open to the general public. Featuring multi-functional and diverse event spaces, these include: the Dockyard Theatre - open 24 hours for public enjoyment and suitable for performances; Workshop Space - artists and creators can showcase their works and conduct workshops to engage the public; Community Kitchen - built for cooking classes and tasting workshops which foster social interaction and relationships through food; Indoor Function Rooms - which can be inter-connected to create one large event space for different needs; and an open lawn and pet-friendly facilities are also available as a green leisure space for the public to visit with their pets.
Quarryside will organise and host a wide range of creativity-led activities covering the areas of health and wellness, placemaking and sustainable living:
Echoing the district's history and culture, the architectural design of the Pavilion and open spaces at Quarryside are inspired by Quarry Bay's industrial past - the sugar refinery and the Taikoo dockyard. The sloping roof at the rear of the Pavilion, where the large function rooms are housed, resembles the tiled roof of the historical sugar refinery, while the gradually flattened portion of the roof at the centre of the Pavilion resembles the historical pier; and the amphitheatre at the front of the Pavilion resembles the historical dockyard.
For further details, please refer to Quarryside website at https://quarryside.hk/.
Notes to editors:
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Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, JP (3rd left), Chairman of Harbourfront Commission, Mr Vincent Ng, SBS, JP (3rd right); District Officer (Eastern), Mr. Simon Chan, JP (1st left), Vice Chairman of St. James' Settlement's Executive Committee, Mr Brian Li, JP (2nd left); Director, Development and Valuations of Swire Properties, Ms Mabelle Ma (2nd right); and the Group Head of Philanthropy of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd., Ms Tina Chan (1st right) officiated the Quarryside Opening Ceremony today. |
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The "Quarryside" |
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The "Quarryside" |
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Guests tour the Community Kitchen at Quarryside, interacting with the local group who are making the traditional peanut candy. |
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Guests visit the Workshop Space at Quarryside and learn how to upcycle old t-shirts into different objects, created by a product designer. |
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A modern drum performance by the Gekko Taiko Centre at the Dockyard Theatre of Quarryside, was part of the Opening Ceremony festivities for the official launch of this community space. |
About Quarryside
Operated by St. James' Settlement, "Quarryside" is a new harbourfront community space project near Hoi Shin Lane in Quarry Bay through the concerted efforts amongst the Government, NGOs and the private sector. The project has transformed a vacant land plot spanning 3,740 sqm into a vibrant leisure space for community-led creative initiatives. The construction of the project is financially supported under the "Funding Scheme to Support the Use of Vacant Government Sites by Non-government Organizations" of the Development Bureau. Swire Properties, as the Supporting Partner of the project, provides consultancy support for the design, construction and operation of the community space. St. James' Settlement received a HK$15 million sponsorship from the Swire Trust to operate the space and organise a series of public programmes, with strategic focuses on Creative Place-making, Creative Health and Creative Sustainability to cultivate a creative, healthy and sustainable community.
For further information, please visit https://quarryside.hk/.
About St. James' Settlement
Founded by the Rt. Rev. Bishop R.O. Hall of the Anglican Church in 1949, St. James' Settlement began as a club for boys and girls in a temple in Stone Nullah Lane, Wanchai. It was then developed into a six-storey building on Kennedy Road in 1963 to provide diversified services, including children and youth services, elderly services and rehabilitation services. In 1987, the headquarters was opened in Stone Nullah Lane so that the scope of services could be further extended. Our first centre outside Wanchai (named Central and Western District Elderly Community Centre) was established in 1990. Since then, different service centres have been developed and most of them are located along the north coast of Hong Kong Island, from The Belcher's in Western to Hing Wah Estate in Chai Wan. In recent years, in view of the society's ever-changing needs, we have opened service centres in Kowloon and the New Territories. To date, our 85 service points are in operation across Hong Kong, serving more than 2.5 million person-times, and our target beneficiaries include children, teenagers, families, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Visit St. James' Settlement's website at https://sjs.org.hk/.
About the Swire Group Charitable Trust
Established in 1983, the Swire Group Charitable Trust (Swire Trust) is a Hong Kong charity registered under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Its aim is to effect positive change in the areas of Education, Marine Conservation, and the Arts by supporting registered non-profit organisations, primarily in Hong Kong. Swire Trust is overseen by the Philanthropy Council, which is chaired by a member of Swire senior management. In March 2021, Swire Trust launched the HK$150 million TrustTomorrow funding initiative. Since the launch of TrustTomorrow, Swire Trust has funded over 50 inspirational projects that aim to bring lasting benefits and positive change to the community.
About Swire Group
The Swire Group is a highly diversified global corporation, with businesses encompassing property, beverages and food chain, aviation, marine, as well as trading and industrial activities. Its core businesses are mainly focused on Asia, with its key operations in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. Within Asia, Swire's activities primarily come under the Group's publicly quoted arm, Swire Pacific Limited (HKSE: 00019/00087), which is the largest shareholder in two Hong Kong listed companies: Swire Properties and Cathay Pacific Airways.
www.swire.com
About Swire Properties
Swire Properties develops and manages commercial, retail, hotel, and residential properties, with a particular focus on mixed-use developments in prime locations at major mass transportation intersections. Swire Properties is listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and its investment portfolio in Hong Kong comprises Taikoo Place, Pacific Place, Cityplaza, Citygate Outlets. The Company's completed portfolio in Hong Kong comprises approximately 16.6 million sq ft (approximately 1.54 million sqm) of space.
In the Chinese Mainland, Swire Properties has six completed mixed-use developments in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. They include Taikoo Li Sanlitun and INDIGO in Beijing, HKRI Taikoo Hui and Taikoo Li Qiantan in Shanghai, Taikoo Hui Guangzhou and Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu. INDIGO II in Beijing, Taikoo Li Xi'an and a new retail-led project in Sanya are currently under development. The Company's completed portfolio in the Chinese Mainland comprises approximately 13.9 million sq ft (approximately 1.3 million sqm) of space.
In addition to Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, the Company has investments in the United States, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Visit Swire Properties' website at www.swireproperties.com