Creative Ideas Invited to Restore Bruce Lee’s Residence

For more information, please contact:
Melissa Ng /David Hsieh at 212-752-3320
Daniel McAtee at 202-238-6360
Wing Yan Tong at 415-835-9315

July 20, 2009 - Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs. Rita Lau, today invited members of the public and professionals in related fields to submit ideas and concepts for restoring the former residence of the late Mr. Bruce Lee in Kowloon Tong. The aim is to turn the residence into an attraction for locals and tourists to commemorate Mr. Lee’s contribution to martial arts and the film industry.

In a joint press conference announcing the launch of the Ideas Competition for Bruce Lee's Residence, property owner Mr. Yu Pang-lin said he hoped that the whole community would actively participate so that the best ideas could be selected to restore the residence to its original appearance and to optimize the use of space for the provision of facilities such as an exhibition hall, audio-visual room, kung-fu corner, library and souvenir counter.

The competition is jointly organized by The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, The Hong Kong Institute of Planners and The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, with support from the Tourism Commission.

“We are grateful to Mr. Yu Pang-lin, the owner of the residence, for his generosity in donating the property. Mr. Yu has also agreed to be the promoter of the competition and the Honorary Chairman of the adjudication panel, and will sponsor HK$100,000 (US$12,820) as prizes for the winners.

“The support and advice given by various professional bodies, and Mr. Bruce Lee’s family, friends and supporters are also crucial to the successful launch of the competition,” Mrs. Lau said.

The competition is open to all in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas countries. It comprises two categories - the Professional Group Competition, which is for fellow or full members of professional institutes of architects, planners, surveyors, engineers, interior designers and landscape architects; and the Open Group Competition, which is for all members of the public.

All interested participants should register their participation with the Professional Advisor of the competition from today until August 31 and submit their entries by October 15. Results of the competition will be announced by the end of the year.

A seven-member adjudication panel has been formed, with members comprising representatives of the property owner, Mr. Bruce Lee's family, professional institutions, the Kowloon City District Council and Hong Kong Tourism Board.

“The assessment will be based on four broad guidelines, namely the extent to which the designs address the objectives of the competition; their creativity; feasibility, practicability and buildability; as well as how they would harmonize with the neighborhood,” Competition Professional Advisor, Professor Bernard Lim, said.

Describing the competition as an important step in tapping the community's ideas on the hardware of the restoration project, Mrs. Lau said work had also started on the software side with a view to enriching the contents of exhibits in the residence.

“We are pleased that the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, with funding support from the Film Development Fund, has undertaken to produce a film depicting the life of Mr. Bruce Lee through interviews with people who knew him well.

“Another film, the ‘Making of Bruce Lee’s Residence’, will also be made by Radio Television Hong Kong to document the restoration of the residence. Both films will be shown in the restored residence,” Mrs. Lau said.

She added that the Tourism Commission would continue to research information and source exhibits from various channels, including Mr. Lee’s family members and friends, to make the future Bruce Lee's Residence a real showcase of the life of the late kung-fu star.

Details of the competition are available on the dedicated website: [www.bruceleeresidence.com].