Los Angeles, CA (2013) Douglas Ho, Wong Lap Ming of  SLHO & ASSOCIATES LTD. of Hong Kong was Awarded: First Prize in Interior Design Competition, Institutional category, for the entry titled, " Hong Kong Arts Centre agnès b. CINEMA." 

The International Design Awards exist to celebrate the world's most visionary designers, discover new and emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of design worldwide.

Architects and designers of interiors, fashion, products, and graphics submitted entries from over 65 countries throughout the world, proving IDA's global emphasis. Judging was a rigorous process, with Jurors included Alice Blackwood - Editor, Design Quarterly; Lise Coirier - Editor-in-Chief, TL; Hans Fank - Editor-in-Chief, OBJEKT International; Aaron Kenedi - Editor-in-Chief, Print; Rebecca Epstein Kong - Co-Founder, Artware Editions; Raj Nandan - Managing Director, Indesign Group; Laurence Ng - Publisher, IdN; Josh Rubin - Editor-in-Chief, Founder, and Publisher, Cool Hunting; and other leaders and editors in the design community.

It is good news for the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) on its 35th anniversary to know that Douglas Ho, Wong Lap Ming of SLHO & ASSOCIATES LTD. of Hong Kong was awarded the GOLD AWARD at International Design Awards, Los Angeles, USA for the entry titled, " Hong Kong Arts Centre agnès b. CINEMA.”

agnès b. CINEMA has been promoting art films and nurturing film lovers for the past decades. With the strong support of the Hong Kong Film Development Fund (FDF) for providing major funding of the entire renovation project, the cinema is now upgraded to a 3D digital cinema and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Moreover, the cinema is installed with barrier-free facilities for the hearing and visually impaired.  With the number of seats adjusted from 193 to119, the cinema becomes more comfortable and spacious along with its two new wheelchair spaces.

The HKAC Executive Director Connie Lam remarked, “The renovation has been made possible mainly by the sponsorship of the Hong Kong Film Development Fund and generous contribution from our donors. We are glad to share this happy moment with them. We believe that the digital cinema at the HKAC will continue to bring film art to a wider audience and further promote understanding and appreciation of film culture to the greater public, especially for the new generation and film lovers. More youngsters attracted to join the film industry will in turn contribute to its long-term development. Barrier-free design does bring more enjoyments for the needy in the unique experiences brought about by the diverse arts programmes of the cinema.” 

The most obvious change to the new cinema is that its red seats are turned green with grey stripes to complement the HKAC’s signature colour scheme.  In addition, there are significant improvements in its hardware.  In the past, the only supported film formats were Beta SP Pal, DV, 35mm, and 16mm.  Now, the cinema becomes compatible with high-definition, digital, and 3D devices as well to accommodate both video and computer screenings.  Audio output has been upgraded to support Dolby A/SR and 5.1 surround-sound systems. Its stage is enlarged for six square metres, while legroom is widened.  Furthermore, the new cinema is now also installed with subtitling equipment for the Deaf.  Catered to films with special soundtracks for the visually impaired, the cinema now comes with hearing and visual impairment aids to serve a wider audience. Enriched by appropriate software for its existing hardware, art films shown at the HKAC are bound to reach out to more people. 

More information about the Award is being stated in the following link:
http://idesignawards.com/winners/zoom2.php?eid=9-6258-13&cat=Institutional

Annie Ho (Marketing & Development Director) 
Tel: 2824 5306 / 9481 8706　　　　　　　　　　　　 
E-mail: aho@hkac.org.hk