HONG KONG : Historic Preservation

hkskyline · #1 Posted: **May 11, 2007, 7:37 AM**

Hong Kong's heritage preservation movement is gaining strength in recent years as major redevelopments take place and the debate over what to do with historic buildings arises. Recently, the movement culminated with protests over how sites of historic value in the central business district can be integrated with the new harbourfront park and highway plan.

Queen's Pier was designated as a historic building this week, but its fate is yet unclear as the government wants to demolish it while land reclamation continues offshore. Previous colonial governors used this pier as their landing point and for ceremonial purposes. Protesters continue to camp at the site urging the government to preserve the structure in the new harbourfront plans.

The 'Red Brick Building' in Yau Ma Tei is over 100 years old and was the first water-pumping station in Kowloon. Today it is preserved and sits next to a huge residential redevelopment project.

Murray House was the colonial army quarters when it was built in 1846. Formerly located where today's Bank of China Tower now stands, it was dismantled in 1982 and re-assembled in Stanley. Today, it houses a museum and restaurants.

This thread will showcase how historic buildings have been given new functions and what urban design and preservation plans are there for existing historic sites that are being redeveloped.

hkskyline · #2 Posted: **May 11, 2007, 4:09 PM**

Historic Buildings in Hong Kong Park

hkskyline · #3 Posted: **May 13, 2007, 6:30 AM**

The Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market is a Grade III historic building. It operates mainly the early morning just after midnight. The government intends to move the wholesale market to another location but there is debate over how to preserve the buildings in a redevelopment scheme.

MolsonExport · #4 Posted: **May 29, 2007, 5:25 PM**

I know it was ugly, but it is fascinating. I kinda wish the Walled City of Kowloon could have been somehow preserved:

Hourglass · #5 Posted: **May 30, 2007, 1:40 AM**

Great thread, hkskyline.

It's such a shame, really. HK used to have a great stock of colonial-era buildings that have been torn down in the name of progress. Sadly, I'd choose the old GPO over the present-day Worldwide House anyday.

hkskyline · #6 Posted: **Jul 29, 2007, 9:20 AM**

A recent edition of a local travel magazine published an article on historic architecture in Hong Kong :

hkskyline · #7 Posted: **Jul 29, 2007, 9:21 AM**

Wanchai Johnston Road Project
A commercial/residential redevelopment in the heart of Wanchai. Four historical shop-houses (60 - 66, Johnston Road & 18, Ship Street) will be preserved as part of the project.

hkskyline · #8 Posted: **Aug 1, 2007, 4:24 PM**

Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre

The building of Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre was constructed in 1913. It was used as the Wan Chai Post Office from 1915 to 1992 and was declared as a historical building in 1990. It was renovated and became the first Environmental Resource Centre of the Environmental Protection Department in 1993. It is one element of the government's effort in building up an environmentally aware and well-informed community in Hong Kong - an essential first step in developing an improved environmental ethic within the community.

Peichen · #9 Posted: **Aug 5, 2007, 7:58 PM**

This reminds me of the debate over whether or not technology advance is a positive thing. Some believe 480i is enough, some want 720p and talk down 1080i/p and some like me want the most advanced.

Old building can be preserved if it can serve a new function. However, the new function can probably be better served by a modern building.

hkskyline · #10 Posted: **Sep 2, 2007, 4:47 AM**

Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre

The building of Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre was constructed in 1913. It was used as the Wan Chai Post Office from 1915 to 1992 and was declared as a historical building in 1990. It was renovated and became the first Environmental Resource Centre of the Environmental Protection Department in 1993. It is one element of the government's effort in building up an environmentally aware and well-informed community in Hong Kong - an essential first step in developing an improved environmental ethic within the community.

hkskyline · #11 Posted: **Sep 2, 2007, 4:49 AM**

Cattle Depot Artist Village

Former Cattle Depot (Ngau Pang) in Ma Tau Kok, is a place of memory and identity in the district. Being a place for slaughter in the past, it has not been a welcoming spot among the neighbourhood. It is now used by artists as a place for exhibition and art creation. This change of use may have aroused interests in the neighbourhoods.

Description source : http://www.arch.cuhk.edu.hk/serverb/...ang_right.html

kenratboy · #12 Posted: **Sep 4, 2007, 5:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I know it was ugly, but it is fascinating. I kinda wish the Walled City of Kowloon could have been somehow preserved:

That is without doubt the most fascinating structure I have ever seen.

hkskyline · #13 Posted: **Nov 13, 2012, 11:53 AM**

Lui Seng Chun Reopens
http://scm.hkbu.edu.hk/lsc/en/index.html

Lui Seng Chun is an old Chinese shophouse (tong lau) originally owned by Mr. Lui Leung, a renowned businessman who moved to Hong Kong from Taishan county in Guangdong province. Designed and built by architect W.H. Bourne, the building was completed in 1931 with a total gross floor area of 600 square metres. Typical of all tong laus at the time, the ground floor of the four-storey building was used as shops while the upper floors were used as dwellings.

Since the 1960s, the Lui family began to move out of the building as the family continued to grow in size. The building became vacant in the 1970s. In 2000, the Antiquities Advisory Board designated Lui Seng Chun a Grade I historic building. With the vision of preserving the building and to contribute to society, the Lui family decided to donate the building to the Government in the same year.

The Lui Seng Chun building was included in Batch I of the "Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme" initiated by the Government in 2008 and, after a bidding process, Hong Kong Baptist University was selected to conserve the building and convert it into a Chinese medicine healthcare centre. The revitalisation work was completed in early 2012 and the clinic, Hong Kong Baptist University School of Chinese Medicine – Lui Seng Chun, commenced operations in April 2012.

In terms of heritage conservation, every effort was made to retain the original architectural features as far as possible. Necessary alterations and addition works were carried out in compliance with modern buildings and fire regulations as well as meeting the operational needs of the clinic. In the process, the University adhered to the basic principle of minimising the impact of the alterations while ensuring that all alterations could be reversed if necessary.

IMG_0024 by hoho321, on Flickr