Legislative Council Complex

The Legislative Council Complex (LegCo Complex) is the headquarters of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. The complex is located at 1 Legislative Council Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Legislative Council Complex
立法會綜合大樓
Legislative Council Complex in 2011
General information
StatusComplete
TypeLegislature
Architectural styleMix of postmodern architecture and low-frills international design
Location1 Legislative Council Road, Central, Hong Kong
Construction startedFebruary 2008
CompletedSeptember 2011
Opening18 August 2011 (2011-08-18)
CostHK$4.94 billion[1] (whole Tamar Development Project)
OwnerLegislative Council
Height
Top floor33.3 m (109 ft) (Council Block)
57.5 m (189 ft) (Office Block)
Technical details
Floor count5 (Council Block)
11 (Office Block)
Floor area38,905m²
Design and construction
Main contractorGammon Construction and Hip Hing Construction
Website
www.legco.gov.hk
Legislative Council Complex
Traditional Chinese立法會綜合大樓
Simplified Chinese立法会综合大楼

Construction of the LegCo Complex commenced in 2008 and was completed in 2011. It was the first purpose-built building for the Hong Kong legislature.[2]

It forms part of the Central Government Complex.

On 1 July 2019, the building was stormed and briefly-occupied by protesters in the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.

Overview

The Complex sits on the reclaimed Tamar site, facing Victoria Harbour. Before completion of the complex, the Former Supreme Court Building was used to house the Legislative Council.

The LegCo Complex is composed of the Council Block and the Office Block. Adjoining the Complex are LegCo Garden and LegCo Square. The Complex provides office and conference facilities for staff, visitors, and members of the press.[2]

Facilities

Conference facilities

Council meetings are held in 800 square metre The Chamber. There are also five conference rooms for members to hold open and closed committee meetings.

Public and press galleries are located at the upper level of the Chamber together with three conference rooms for the public and the press to observe proceedings of all Council meetings and open meetings of committees. All seats of the public and press galleries are equipped with headphones for simultaneous interpretation between Cantonese and English.[2]

Media facilities

Media facilities for reporters to cover meetings and activities of the Council include a duplex press room, dedicated TV/radio rooms for electronic news media organisations, and larger photo rooms for photographers and camera crews.[2]

Public facilities

The LegCo Complex incorporates a number of facilities open for visit by the public including a library, an archive, a series of education facilities such as a children's corner, a memory lane, a viewing gallery, an education activities room, and two education galleries.

History

Previous homes of the Legislative Council

Before 2011, the Legislative Council met at other locations:

2019 Extradition Bill Protests
Main article: 2019–20 Hong Kong protests

As part of protests against the 2019 Hong Kong extradition bill on 1 July 2019, a smaller, more-radical group of protesters from the day's march against the central government, angered by the previous crackdowns of peaceful protests by the police and from the lack of a total withdrawal of the bill, gathered around the Legislative Council Complex and, after the police withdrew from the site, stormed the building, using improvised battering rams to break through the glass into the lobby of the building.[3] The protesters gained entrance to the Legislative Council chambers and defaced the walls and symbols of the council with graffiti, some calling out against the SAR and mainland governments, and some against the Hong Kong Police Force. The police regained control of the Legco site by midnight, where by then, most protesters had left the site peacefully. The estimated cost of the damage to the site was HK$10 million, though protesters took care not to damage historical artefacts or the libraries.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Tamar Development Project, Hong Kong". Gammon Construction Limited. Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  2. "Legislative Council Complex", Legislative Council of Hong Kong
  3. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016839/protesters-storm-and-vandalise-legislative-council-anarchy
  4. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3016996/hong-kong-protesters-damage-legislative-council-building
Preceded by
Old Supreme Court Building		 Home of the
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
2011 – present		 Succeeded by
current

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