Hong Kong Cultural Centre

On the one hand there are those who say that the virtually windowless, ski-jump-shaped Cultural Centre clad in pink ceramic tiles is an aesthetic horror. On the other hand…no, actually, come to think of it there is no other hand. By any measure it is an eyesore. Despite being arguably the territory’s most derided landmark, making woeful use of its spectacular location (and being compared with everything from a cheaply tiled public toilet to a roadside petrol station), inside it is a world-class venue containing a 2085-seat concert hall, a Grand Theatre that seats 1750, a studio theatre for up to 535, rehearsal studios and an impressive foyer. The concert hall even has a Rieger Orgelbau pipe organ (with 8000 pipes and 93 stops), one of the largest in the world. On the building’s south side is the beginning of a viewing platform from where you can admire Victoria Harbour and the skyline of Central and gain access to the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade and Avenue of the Stars.