Official opening of the Jockey Club Innovation Tower marks PolyU’s commitment to design innovation for the betterment of society.
(from left) Prof. Cees de Bont, Prof. Roy Chung Chi-ping, Ms Eva Yam,
the Hon. Eddie Ng Hak-kim, Prof. Timothy W. Tong, Mr T. Brian Stevenson,
Ms Marjorie Yang Mun-tak, Dame Zaha Hadid, Mr Patrik Schumacher,
Dr Victor Lo Chung-wing and Mr Lai Wai-kin
Rising fluidly from the northeastern tip of PolyU's Hung Hom campus, the Jockey Club Innovation Tower is a landmark design in its own right. Yet it also marks a continuing heritage of creative design used to bolster the social good and an aspiration of helping Hong Kong towards a more diversified economy. Housing PolyU's world-renowned School of Design, now in its 50th year, and the newly inaugurated Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (JCDISI), the Tower is quickly becoming a focal point in the development of Hong Kong as a design hub in Asia.
The official opening ceremony on 18 March attracted both local and international guests, including government officials and professionals from such diverse fields as architecture, design, arts and culture, education, engineering and business, to name just a few.
Officiating at the plaque unveiling ceremony were Ms Marjorie Yang Mun-tak, PolyU Council Chairman; Mr T. Brian Stevenson, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Prof. Timothy W. Tong, PolyU President. Other officiating guests included the Tower’s architect, Dame Zaha Hadid, founder of Zaha Hadid Architects; the Hon. Eddie Ng Hak-kim, HKSAR Secretary for Education; Prof. Roy Chung Chi-ping, PolyU Court Chairman; Dr Victor Lo Chung-wing, Immediate Past Chairman of the PolyU Council; Ms Eva Yam, Deputy Secretary-General of University Grants Committee; Prof. Cees de Bont, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Design; Mr Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadid Architects; and Mr Lai Wai-kin, President of the PolyU Students’ Union.
Ms Marjorie Yang thanked the government and the University Grants Committee for their support, and paid special tribute to her predecessor as PolyU Council Chairman, Dr Victor Lo, noting that the University needed such a visionary leader to kick start the unconventional mega-scale project. Her thanks also went to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, which contributed HK$249 million to the construction and fit-out of the Tower, along with the first three years of operating costs for JCDISI. Mr T. Brian Stevenson, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, suggested, "the Tower would help PolyU cement its role as the design hub for Asia and extend its international reputation for creative design and innovation, thereby contributing more to Hong Kong's creative industries".
Prof. Timothy W. Tong later summarized the input of all parties concerned, including the entire University community, explaining that “this iconic and symbolic building is the fruit of collective efforts”. The Tower’s architect, Zaha Hadid, expanded on the concept of collectivity at the opening ceremony, commenting that the Tower would provide a “creative and multidisciplinary environment” where a variety of design programmes are delivered by diverse professions and expertise at PolyU; nurturing talents in a collective research culture where many contributions and innovations can influence each other.
