PRESS RELEASE

Kai Tak Sports Park Takes the Lead in Promoting Green Sports Practices to Create an Eco-friendly and Low-carbon Venue for Sporting Events

April 21, 2024

(21 April 2024, Hong Kong) Kai Tak Sports Park, the future home venue for Hong Kong, is set to redefine the sports landscape with its world-class facilities. As the city’s largest integrated sports and entertainment landmark in Hong Kong upon its opening in the first half of 2025, it is poised to champion the sports development policies and objectives outlined by the Hong Kong SAR Government by fostering community sports, supporting elite athletes, and establishing Hong Kong as a hub for major international events. As part of our unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable development in Hong Kong, we are dedicated to incorporating green building and ecological designs, implementing energy-efficient and renewable energy systems, embracing smart city concepts within the precinct, enhancing accessibility and connectivity with the surrounding community to encourage the use of public transportation by citizens. Through these initiatives, we are proud to create an environmentally-friendly and low-carbon venue for sports events, paving the way for a new era of green sports development in Hong Kong.

 

The spokesperson of Kai Tak Sports Park said, “As one of Hong Kong’s key providers of sports facilities, Kai Tak Sports Park believes in the crucial role of green sports in driving sustainable development of the community. We have seamlessly integrated multiple sustainable elements and implemented a range of measures during the design and construction phases. Our commitment lies in assisting Hong Kong in achieving its ambitious energy and climate policy target of halving carbon emissions by 2035. Through our efforts, we aspire to establish Kai Tak Sports Park as an environmentally friendly venue with low carbon footprint, while also inspiring and influencing other sports venues and organizations to embark on their own sustainable development journeys.”

 

Pioneering Green Building and Ecological Design

The precinct has been designed with a genuine focus on sustainability. It meets various international standards and has received a number of green building certificates, including Platinum rating under the BEAM Plus Neighbourhood of the Hong Kong Green Building Council and the China 3-Star Design Label from the China Green Building (Hong Kong) Council. Three major facilities (i.e. Main Stadium, Indoor Sports Centre and Public Sports Ground) of the project have also achieved Provisional Platinum rating under the BEAM Plus New Buildings and Gold Pre-certification under LEED for Building Design and Construction.

 

The green and sustainable features include:

 

  • Over 30% green ratio with over 1,000 trees to reduce urban heat island effect and improve visual comfort
  • Provision of 14-hectare of vast open space and soft landscape with green roof and vertical greening to enhance the urban ecology and air purification
  • Adopt various native species for soft landscape design to achieve sustainable greenery and environmental features, while promoting biodiversity. Plants are also adaptive to different growing environment, thus promoting local ecological diversity
  • All buildings are designed with advanced ventilation and green features to improve air quality and reduce carbon emission
  • Charging facilities for electric vehicles are provided at all private car parking spaces

 

Embracing Renewable Energy Systems for a Sustainable Future

Buildings and facilities within the Sports Park are designed to reduce carbon emission and incorporated the latest energy-efficient systems to improve energy efficiency, such as:

 

  • Utilized chilled water supplied by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department’s (EMSD) District Cooling System for air conditioning purposes at Kai Tak Sports Park that offers higher energy efficiency compared to traditional air-cooled air conditioning systems and water-cooled air conditioning systems with separate cooling towers. This not only maximizes energy efficiency but also effectively saves energy
  • Over 10% of roof areas are covered with solar panels that can generate renewable energy for hot water and electricity. This initiative is expected to reduce the building’s energy consumption by at least 1% annually, resulting in a significant decrease of approximately 1,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year. This reduction is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions avoided by planting 43,400 mature trees
  • Adopt intelligent building management systems to minimise energy consumption
  • Reduce use of artificial lights by allowing daylight penetration and provide natural daylight for indoor and semi-open spaces
  • Widely adopting LED lighting systems for indoor and outdoor sporting pitches that meet international standards

 

Implementing an Effective Waste Management System for a Greener Future

The Sports Park implements comprehensive waste management practices, including recycling and reducing single-use items:

 

  • Yard waste composter is in place to turn yard waste into compost to reduce landfill waste
  • On-site waste management and recycling bins will be provided to promote 3R concepts (Recycle, Reuse & Reduce)
  • Rainwater harvesting system is installed at all sports venues, allowing 25% of the total irrigation demand to be met through recycled water

 

Enhancing Connectivity and Accessibility for a More Inclusive Experience

Recognizing the significant impact of transportation on carbon emissions, the Sports Park has implemented innovative solutions to enhance connectivity within the park and with the surrounding community, encouraging residents and visitors to utilize public transportation. These measures include:

 

  • Pedestrians-oriented transport planning measures are adopted to ensure easy access to various public transport options such as the MTR, buses and ferries, and nearby pedestrian network
  • A diverse range of connections through the landscape including cycling track, jogging path, meandering paths and main thoroughfares. These routes provide convenient and covered pedestrian access to venues and outdoor spaces, as well as the GreenWay network through harbourfront promenade and open spaces in the Kai Tak Development Area for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists

 

During the construction stage, the project adopts new technologies and measures including the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) with the 3S construction concept, i.e. Standardisation, Simplification and Single integrated element; and an on-site Automatic Power System which reduces the use of diesel generator. The project also widely adopts prefabricated elements, such as steel trusses, precast concrete seatings, façades and roof panels, etc., to enhance construction productivity and reduce construction waste.

 

Additionally, Kai Tak Sports Park has incorporated smart city concepts, including Wi-Fi hotspots, indoor positioning systems, smart parking management systems, and mobile applications. These initiatives provide visitors with convenient services such as information access, facilities booking, and wayfinding, enhancing their overall experience.

 

As the largest sports infrastructure project in Hong Kong, the major facilities within the precinct are expected to be completed in phases by the end of 2024 for opening in the first half of 2025. We look forward to staging a diverse range of year-round mega sports and entertainment events in Hong Kong for years to come.

 

About Kai Tak Sports Park

Kai Tak Sports Park is a fully integrated sports, leisure and entertainment destination. The 28-hectare Sports Park will be part of the redevelopment on the site of the old Hong Kong International Airport in Kai Tak. The Sports Park features a 50,000-seat Main Stadium with a retractable roof, an Indoor Sports Centre with the flexibility to host community sports and events of up to 10,000 seats, and a Public Sports Ground with a capacity of 5,000 seats. These venues will be complemented with extensive public open spaces for events and leisure together with retail and harbour front dining spaces.

WELL CONNECTED

Commuting and Accessibility

The project site of the Kai Tak Sports Park takes an area of around 28 hectares in the north apron of the former airport.

MTR
Kai Tak Station and Sung Wong Toi Station are within 10 minutes’ walk; with Station Square connecting these stations to Kai Tak Sports Park.

Pedestrian walkways
Pedestrian walkways will connect the Kai Tak Sports Park to new developments in To Kwa Wan, Ma Tau Kok, Kowloon City and Kai Tak districts.

Bus
Kai Tak Sports Park is located near two public transport interchanges.

Ferry
Kai Tak Sports Park is located near Kowloon City Ferry Pier.

Parking
The precinct provides ample public parking spaces.

*Final designs are subject to change.

A PARK FOR ALL

Other Features

Sports and Leisure facilities to be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities, all day, every day.

The 14-hectare open space will cater to a diverse range of user groups from community and participatory sports, active recreation, and sports events. It is composed of a rich tapestry of activity and education zones, galleries, trails and elements that honor the iconic Kai Tak Airport and heritage.

Sports Avenue
The Sports Avenue runs across the entire precinct from North to South, offering connections from the adjacent Station Square the Kai Tak and Sung Wong Toi MTR Stations, and through to the harbourfront promenade.

Main Plaza
Located in the heartbeat of the precinct, the Main Plaza can be used for community recreation activities or events. The canopy over the Main Plaza is designed to provide abundant shade for visitors during event and crowd dispersal, and underneath the Main Plaza, a sub-podium passageway will offer an additional visitor dispersal route during events.

Event Village
Located east of the Main Stadium, the Event Village offers a mix of lawn and concrete floor surfaces suitable for different sports activities or extension programmes for major events.

South Plaza
Located in the southern part of the precinct, the South Plaza offers an open-air multi-purpose space for a wide range of activities inclusive of trails and activity zones. The South Plaza connects the harbourfront promenade through an outdoor amphitheatre-like terrace.

Neighbourhood Park
The Neighbourhood Park at the northeastern corner of the precinct will be equipped with courts for ball games as well as a cycling track, a jogging trail, a children’s playground and a lawn for recreation.

Dining Cove
The Dining Cove which overlooks the Victoria Harbour will offer a diverse range of food and beverage options.

Retail
In addition to restaurants, retail shops, and a health and wellness centre, there will be an international-standard bowling centre with 40 lanes suitable for hosting international tournaments.
*Final designs are subject to change.


MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITIES

Major Venues

A wide variety of international standard sports facilities suitable for both professional and amateur athletes.

Main Stadium
A Main Stadium with a fixed seating capacity of 50,000, with the theme “Pearl of the Orient” as its design inspiration, it boasts a retractable roof and flexible pitch surface that can host a wide range of international, regional and local events in any weather.
The facility has been designed to meet the standards of major international events with customisable staging and seating configurations that cater to various events and crowd sizes. It also adopts a flexible pitch system which can be switched between quality natural turf for premier football or rugby events, to other surface for a myriad of sports, entertainment, and community events. The South Stand honours the great Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tradition, with a vast activity platform set against a panoramic glass wall that provides exceptional views toward Victoria Harbour.


Indoor Sports Centre
An Indoor Sports Centre with a seating capacity of up to 10,000, with 80% of the seats retractable or removable that caters for different events. The venue has been designed to meet the standard of major international tournaments including badminton, basketball, gymnastics, tennis and table tennis. The ancillary sports hall offers a seating capacity of up to 500.
With the use of different arena overlay floor surfaces and removable spectator seating system, the venue can be configured for different sports activities, from elite competitions to community use. Together, the main arena and ancillary sports hall can provide the equivalent space of 12 standard basketball courts for community use when all spectator seats are removed.


Public Sports Ground
A Public Sports Ground with a seating capacity of 5,000, suitable for hosting school sports days, athletics meets, local football and rugby matches, as well as team and athlete training sessions. With the exception of major events, the Public Sports Ground will be open daily to the public for jogging and quali-walk free of charge.
*Final designs are subject to change.