Located at Salisbury Road, it was built by the former Urban Council and, since 2000, has been administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government.

As early as 1970, the Urban Council pressed for construction of a new cultural venue in Kowloon of the same modern standard as the City Hall in Central.

[3] When construction finally began, the demolition of the historic railway station occupying the site was extremely controversial.

The centre was designed by then-Public Works Department chief architect José Lei.

[5] The cultural centre opened with the International Celebration of the Arts, a special programme that ran from 5 November to 6 December and showcased Hong Kong musicians, Kunju opera, Cantonese music, and performances by a range of international artists including the Cologne Opera, the Alban Berg Quartett, Sadao Watanabe, and the first Hong Kong appearance of guitarist John Williams.