The new Creative Media Centre (CMC) which will house the School of Creative Media (SCM) and related departments at City University of Hong Kong will be a landmark building for Hong Kong and its citizens, according to Professor H K Chang, CityU President.  

Professor Chang was speaking to an audience of 1,200 at the Business of Design Week 2005 on 22 November at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre, where he acknowledged the creative genius of Mr Daniel Libeskind, the CMC architect.

“We at CityU are very lucky to have Mr Libeskind working with us on this project,” Professor Chang said.  

In his address, Mr Libeskind shared his passion for architecture and discussed its meaning and place in the world today, emphasizing that architecture meant much more than the physical infrastructure and technology that went into a building.  

“It’s far closer to the kind of profession that tells a story. It’s closer to literature, film and drama. Every building tells a story,” he said.

Mr Libeskind, renowned for his multi-disciplinary approach and his strong belief in humanistic, forward-looking architecture, touched on more than a dozen of the major works he has developed worldwide: from the Jewish Museum in Berlin to the re-development of World Trade Center in New York, from the extension of the Denver Art Museum to the CMC at CityU.  

“CityU’s Creative Media Centre is not just about the building,” he said. “The questions are how do you harness and create the energy of the people who are in it? How do you create a place that is vibrant and robust, where learning and meetings can take place?” 

Mr Libeskind said that his intention was to make the CMC both “part of nature and a visible icon” because buildings had to speak to their surroundings. 

CityU awarded the CMC design project to Studio Daniel Libeskind in 2002 and appointed the company to be the project consultant for the construction of the building in 2004.

The CMC facilities will enable the University to offer the highest level of education and training in Asia in the creative media fields. There will be an academic facility, with Government funding of HK$550m. The University is in the process of seeking sponsorship for additional facilities within the new building.

Professor Chang said the SCM mission was to create and educate talent and to inspire students to master the most advanced digital technology and use it in the art of storytelling.  

Business of Design Week is organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre and attracts renowned designers from all over the world. Funded largely by the HKSAR’s Innovation and Technology Commission, this annual event provides a platform for designers, corporate leaders and educators from around the world to exchange ideas, discover new trends, explore business opportunities and find inspiration.

Business of Design Week, inaugurated in 2002, was held this year from 19 to 23 Nov. CityU was the title sponsor to Mr Libeskind's talk and showcased 12 novel technological projects at the event's Innovation & Design Expo, 21 to 23 Nov.