Testing period announced for Hong Kong's Kai Tak Sports Park

Kai Tak Sports Park Limited and venue operator ASM Global have today announced a testing period for the Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong's multi-venue sports district project, which is scheduled to early next year.

Announced as being set to occur during the “late winter” (Northern Hemisphere), the testing will include rugby and football matches in the centrepiece Kai Tak Stadium, with local sports events to take place in the arena.

In addition to the main stadium, the nearly 28 hectare district is flanked by a 10,000-capacity indoor sports arena and a 5,000-spectator public sports ground for school sports days and athletic events.

ASM Global handled project management, premium sales, and programming since joining the team five years ago, and will operate the district once it opens.

Populous master planned the district and provided designs for the venues, while Simon Kwan & Associates is the architect of record. ADI Limited provided landscape architecture design and Arup handled all engineering services.

The precinct is designed around the Kai Tak Sports Avenue, an indoor/outdoor through-way that ties the venues together, and will include restaurants, retail shops, jogging trails, a health and wellness centre, an international-standard bowling centre with 40 lanes suitable for hosting international tournaments and a climbing wall on Sports Avenue.

The district’s sustainability focus will integrate solar panels on each of the facilities, incorporate green roofscapes into design, and feature an expansive network of electric charging stations throughout the district. Smart city initiatives include an intelligent building and car management system, Wi-Fi hot spots, an indoor positioning system, and mobile applications to facilitate precinct information booking of facilities and wayfinding.

Once open, the precinct is already scheduled to host events at the 2025 National Games of China and the Hong Kong Sevens.

However, the South China Morning Post has questioned whether there are sufficient events to fill the venue.

Image: Construction at the Kai Tak Sports Park. Credit: Populous.