HONG KONG – The Airport Authority Hong Kong unveiled a development called “Skytopia” as the brand of its Airport City project on Thursday, saying it aims to develop the brand into a landmark integrating art trading and leisure elements.
With large artwork spaces, yacht facilities and driverless transportation systems, the Airport City expansion, which will cost HK$100 billion ($12.84 billion), will offer unique experiences for passengers and tourists from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and overseas, the authority said.
AA revealed the Skytopia development at a news conference on Thursday afternoon, followed by a briefing on its ambitious Airport City blueprint.
Skytopia will become a convergence of business activities, pop cultures, art dealing and leisure, the authority said. To achieve the vision, the project will incorporate facilities for art trading and artwork storage, a pier with 500 berths for yachts, a fresh market for high-end produce from around the world, as well as venues for tourism and leisure activities.
The second phase of AsiaWorld Expo, which is part of the Airport City blueprint, will provide indoor multi-purpose venues with 20,000 seats.
Smart infrastructure, including a driverless transportation system connecting different parts of the Airport City, also features in the blueprint.
Speaking at the event, Fred Lam Tin-fuk, chairman of the Airport Authority, indicated that after the three-runway system is fully operational, overall capacity of the Hong Kong International Airport will increase 50 percent, allowing it to handle 120 million passengers and 10 million metric tons of cargo annually – significantly enhancing the airport’s service capability.
Lam added that the goal is to develop Airport City into a comprehensive landmark destination attracting tourists from Hong Kong, elsewhere in the Greater Bay Area, and the rest of the world.
Cissy Chan Ching-sze, the Airport Authority’s executive director of commercial, said that the name “Skytopia” embodies the important characteristics and vision of the project’s development.
“SKY” is self-explanatory, “IA” signifies the international airport, reflecting the inseparable relationship between the sky and the airport, and “TOP” promises a top-notch experience for visitors from around the world, highlighting the landmark’s world-leading features, she said.
The driverless vehicles to be deployed at Skytopia were highlighted by Vivian Cheung Kar-fay, the Airport Authority’s acting CEO, as they will provide seamless transits enabling visitors to easily reach any destination in a short time.
Cheung said that Skytopia will also strengthen Hong Kong’s position as the world’s second-largest art trading center by establishing a world-class art industry ecosystem through its art creation, trade and storage facilities.
These art-related facilities will generate synergy with art exhibitions at AsiaWorld-Expo, propelling Hong Kong’s development into a world-class art marketplace, Cheung added.
Cheung said that Airport City will leverage its unique geographical location to develop a series of water leisure and recreation facilities.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said she hopes the Airport Authority will transform Skytopia into a world-leading landmark and develop it into an economic growth engine.
Contact the writer at fangxue@chinadailyhk.com
