The $350 million Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground will provide crucial venue support for sports development in Hong Kong when it is completed in early 2009.

This was the message today from Assistant Director of Leisure & Cultural Services Eddy Yau, adding that the ground will be able to hold large athletics competitions, including track and field events for the 5th East Asian Games in Hong Kong in 2009. It will also become a regular athletics training base.

Revered venue: Assistant Director of Leisure & Cultural Services Eddy Yau explains the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground project. An artist's impression of Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground and its concourse.

World-class

In the main sports ground, there will be track and fiend provisions conforming to International Association of Athletics Federation standards, an 11-a-side natural-turf soccer pitch, and a covered spectator stand with a seating capacity of about 3,500, and space for a temporary spectator stand with 1,500 seats.

Its secondary ground will house warm-up track and field facilities and a seven-a-side natural-turf soccer pitch, surrounded by the warm-up loop of the running track.

In the spectator stand, natural daylight penetrates through nine skylights on the crescent shaped roof canopy. These add to the uniqueness of the architectural design of the whole venue.

The design has also considered the microclimate effect on both players and spectators, eliminating strong wind and low afternoon sun problems.

Environmental concepts

Environmental design concepts will be adopted in the project. The turf and roof canopy are equipped with a rainwater harvest installation. Rainwater collected will be recycled for irrigation.

The solar panels on the roof canopy will collect solar energy for preheating the hot water system. Skylights bring natural daylight.

The feature light poles in the entrance plaza, installed with photovoltaic panels, will also reduce electricity demand.