Anchor Plaza

To mark Hong Kong Maritime Week 2025, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum announced on Thursday, the 20th of November, that its Hong Kong Maritime Museum Jockey Club Anchor Plaza was officially open. Located behind Central Piers 9 and 10, the ‘plaza’ not only showcases the historic anchor of the Seawise Giant, but also features a walkthrough pavilion with immersive displays and interactive screens. It showcases Hong Kong’s rich maritime heritage and the diversity of its marine life.

The opening ceremony was held at 1730 pm at the plaza. Marine Department’s Wong Sai Fat, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Queenie Lau, Sabrina Chao, Alan Tung, Anthony Hardy, museum chairman, Richard Kendall, museum director and Tat Lai Wong of ARTA Architects, attended and officiated as ribbon-cutting guests. At 1800, the plaza was officially opened to the public.

​Richard Kendall, said: “We are very excited about the opening of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum Jockey Club Anchor Plaza. We anticipate that this extension to our museum will become a cultural landmark in Central. In the plaza the museum will showcase Hong Kong’s rich maritime history and culture, which we hope will actively inspire the public’s understanding and enthusiasm for maritime matters and their importance in the development of Hong Kong as a global port city.”

Tat Lai Wong, co-founder of ARTA Architects said: “As a young architectural firm in Hong Kong, we are delighted to have been given this opportunity to create an iconic design on the harbourfront. Our design of the pavilion is formed from different profiles of boats over time to create a conceptual re-interpretation of traditional and modern boat forms, and we hope that the Anchor Plaza will be able to tell many stories of the ships and the sea to the public.”

Introduction

Funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust through the Chief Executive’s Community Project list, the plaza is focused around the 36-tonne, 7-metre-high anchor of the Seawise Giant, the largest cargo vessel ever built. It also features a walkthrough pavilion with immersive ArtTech displays and interactive screens, providing an interactive public learning space.

Anchor of the Seawise Giant

The 36-tonne Seawise Giant anchor, which originally had 20 shackles of chain (about 27.4 metres per shackle), is 7 metres long in the shank, 4.45 metres across the flukes and 1.13 metres thick. This anchor was once installed on Seawise Giant, the largest cargo vessel ever built. The ship, once owned by Hong Kong shipping magnate, CY Tung, and subsequently operated under a variety of other owners and names, was dismantled on the beaches of Gujarat, India, in 2010 after 35 years of service. Its anchor was later acquired by the museum’s chairman, Anthony Hardy.

It was a considerable challenge to move the anchor from Gujarat to the Government Dockyard in Hong Kong, where it has been in temporary storage since June 2010. The anchor stands as a symbol of the vessel’s former glory, embodying Hong Kong’s rich and storied maritime heritage. On 27 March 2025, the anchor was transported by road from the dockyard to the Central harbourfront, marking the final steps toward the plaza’s grand opening.

Walkthrough pavilion

A short video screened overhead in the pavilion has two chapters – ‘Development of Vessels’ and ‘Our Ocean’. The video introduces the public to the types of vessels that have operated in Hong Kong over the years and the 5,000 species of marine flora and fauna endemic to our waters. The Seawise Giant and its anchor are also featured in the video which takes viewers through different ‘eras’ in Hong Kong’s maritime history.

Modern design

The plaza, designed by ARTA Architects, re-interprets the significance of maritime history by taking a contemporary approach with inspiration from traditional boat forms, interplaying and echoing with the anchor of the Seawise Giant. To better showcase the anchor, the designers created a set of wave-inspired concrete steps that not only highlight modern architectural aesthetics but also provide a relaxing space for visitors to gather and enjoy the harbourfront. Through the plaza, the museum and designers aim to connect people and architecture with maritime heritage and the ocean.

For further details visit https://www.hkmaritimemuseum.org/hong-kong-maritime-museum-jockey-club/anchor-plaza?mc_cid=fb531665f8&mc_eid=UNIQID