# HONG KONG | Central Police Station Revitalization



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Project Site Details *





































The oldest structure within the compound is a barrack block built in 1864. It is a three-storey building constructed adjacent to Victoria Prison. A storey was later added to the block in 1905. In 1919, Headquarters Block facing Hollywood Road was constructed. Subsequently in 1925, the two-storey Stable Block was constructed at the north-west end of the parade ground and later used as an armoury. The Police Station together with the former Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison form a group of historical architecture representing law and order in Hong Kong.


*Preservation & Revitalization Plans *

In 2007, a radical scheme was presented to the public with a huge new addition, to be funded by the Jockey Club. The conservation plan would consist of cultural, heritage, and commercial elements that would finish in 2012.










This plan was shot down from public opposition.


*Local architect joins Central project 
Tamar designer to advise on community attitudes to development of police station site*
25 March 2009
South China Morning Post

The Jockey Club has invited a renowned local architect to work with his Swiss counterparts on a new design for an additional structure at the Central Police Station compound.

But the move, which follows public rejection of a previous design, has drawn criticism because there are no plans for a fresh public consultation.

Architect Rocco Yim Sen-kee, who designed the future government headquarters at Tamar and the Peninsula Hotel's extension, said yesterday he would not be designing the project, but would advise the designers on local perspectives of urban and social culture and community sensitivity about the new building.

"I very much believe that the historic sites need new elements to bring vitality and synergy," Mr Yim said, adding that he was open about the management of prison hall F, which the club did not rule out of demolition plans despite conservationists' call for its retention.

He said it would affect design flexibility if there was a height restriction on the historic site, which 13 NGOs proposed to town planners last month, but he stressed that he would communicate such concerns to his teammates.

The club's executive director for charities, William Yiu Yan-pui, said the project's design architect, Herzog and de Meuron, was "cognisant of local culture, but after the public consultation they were specially aware of the project's importance to Hong Kong". A conservation architect from Britain was also on the team.

"They are quite concerned about the society's acceptance of their outcome," Mr Yiu said.

The new design, to be finalised by the end of the year, will be submitted to the Town Planning Board.

But the club would not conduct another round of public consultation on the new design, he said, adding that people could express their views through the board's own consultation procedure.

"We have clearly heard from the community that they do not want a tall structure. There is little time to do another round," Mr Yiu said.

Town Planning Board member and architect Bernard Lim Wan-fung said the board had no mandate to assess or endorse architectural designs. "The Jockey Club should not push the responsibility to the board, but should itself invite public views again," he said.

Central and Western District Council vice-chairman Stephen Chan Chit-kwai said the club should seek council members' views, but had not approached it since the old proposal was dropped last summer.

Peter Li Siu-man of the Conservancy Association said it was incorrect to say the public were only concerned about height. "We also want to know more about the conservation plan in detail."

Heritage Hong Kong director Alexander Hui yat-chuen said a process without public consultation was flawed. "Even if they are saying they are starting with a piece of blank paper, the process should be done with the proper procedure {hellip} Without knowing what is best to preserve, there is no point in building a management plan."

The club abandoned its plan to build a 160-metre tower last year in the face of public opposition.


*Photos *
Source : http://www.pbase.com/siusiuming


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* URA project lures suitors *
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Property developers' interest in Wan Chai's Lee Tung Street - commonly known as Wedding Card Street - has not slackened because of the economic strains.

The Urban Renewal Authority announced yesterday it has received 15 expressions of interest in the project, the same number it received last September after a first sounding on prospective redevelopers.

"The strong feedback from the market was expected due to the scarcity of new land supply in urban areas," said Midland Surveyors director Alvin Lam Tze- pun.

Besides a lack of urban land available for developers, he said, the MTR Corp (0066) does not plan to offer for tender any new projects in the first half.

Word in the market is that Wheelock Properties (0049), Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), China Estates (0127), K Wah International (0173), New World Development (0017), Cheung Kong (0001) and Hopewell (0054) have submitted expressions of interest.

Lam said some smaller developers may form syndicates due to the investment size and to reduce risk.

The Lee Tung Street-McGregor Street project covers about 88,500 square feet. It is expected to have an overall gross floor area of about 835,000 sq ft for residential and commercial use along with public open space and a home for the elderly plus three buildings preserved for their historical value.

Lam estimates the site is worth about HK$5 billion, and the land price could reach HK$6,000 per square foot. It includes 900 residential units, he noted.

Developers see solid attractions. Among them: possible sea views from the higher floors and the fact that it is on the transport network.

"The formal tender is expected to be competitive as developers have regained confidence recently after the primary home market showed signs of recovery," Lam added.

The URA's tender review panel will shortlist qualified parties and invite them to submit formal tenders. The tender exercise is expected soon.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Culture coup for station plan *
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Culture is to have a bigger share of the Central Police Station Compound project, which originally had 70 percent earmarked for commercial use.

It will now be split 50-50 between cultural and commercial use.

Hong Kong Jockey Club executive director for charities William Yiu Yan-pui hopes that, on this basis, the compound will become self-financing.

But the club indicated there will be no public consultation before the project is reviewed by the Town Planning Board.

Construction on the HK$1.8 billion project is expected to start in mid-2010.

Meanwhile, the club has appointed Hong Kong-based award-winning architects Rocco Design to the revitalization project. Rocco has won awards for its innovative work on Hong Kong Station and the Peninsula Hotel extension. 

When asked about a dispute over the height and size of the renovated compound, Rocco's executive director Yim Sen-kee said he understood the public's concern and that the design would be flexible.

The other 12 groups involved include French cultural consultant dUCKS Sceno and local tree consultant Jim Chi-yung.

Conservancy Association campaign manager Peter Li Siu-man said the club should explain the ratio adjustment to the public.

"I don't oppose the concept, but the club should explain how and why the ratio has been adjusted, and the affect on conservation with such changes."

He said he is disappointed that no public consultation will be conducted before the planning board's review.

The original plan, which would have created a 160-meter tall structure, was opposed by environmental groups, who proposed a 77-meter height restriction. 

The Town Planning Board will discuss this proposal on April 17.

Last year, the club bowed to public pressure and pledged to reduce the height and bulk of the new structure after a six-month public consultation.

The Central Police Station Compound was declared a monument in 1995.

It is comprised of Central Police Station, the former Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison.


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## altuzarra27 (Feb 16, 2009)

Last year, the Hong Kong Shenzhen Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism Exhibition was held in the Central Police Station Compound. Right now, the Hong Kong’s participation in the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai, including the themes of its pavilion and Urban Best Practices Area exhibit are showcase there as well. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust also announced its ambitious plan to revitalize the compound to the public.

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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Student tours to Central Police Station launched *
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Government Press Release

The Development Bureau will organise tours for young people to visit the Central Police Station Compound, one of the most impressive clusters of declared monuments in Hong Kong, between April and August.

The tours will be held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings between April 1 and August 5, with three tours a day. Lasting for about two hours, the tour will cover the Headquarters Block, Barrack Block, former Central Magistracy and former Victoria Prison. Trained guides by the Hong Kong Architecture Centre will share with young people fascinating stories about the buildings' history and architectural features.

The tours are free of charge. Students of primary five and six as well as secondary schools may apply in groups.

Application forms can be downloaded from (www.heritage.gov.hk). Completed forms should be faxed to 2110 1607, emailed to [email protected] or mailed to G/F, 8 Peel Street, Central. Please mark "Application for Central Police Station Walking Tours" on the envelope.

For enquiries, please call Hong Kong Architecture Centre at 2805 7146 or 6222 0229.


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## spicytimothy (Dec 10, 2003)

Why can't we do something like this here as they do in Singapore???


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

The contrast is too drastic. It'll take the historic heritage away from the buildings. I believe this is a key element to public opposition of the original glass scaffolding plan.


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## spicytimothy (Dec 10, 2003)

I'm just disappointed how powerless HK gov't is compare to the one in Singapore. That thing should have been built.


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## Shezan (Jun 21, 2007)

wow!


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Jockey Club opposes height limit for Central Police Station scheme *
10 March 2009
South China Morning Post

The Jockey Club has formally discarded its controversial plan to build a 150-metre tower at the old Central Police Station site, according to its submission to the Town Planning Board, which the South China Morning Post examined yesterday.

But its submission, one of 207 turned in by concerned groups over the past month, opposed a suggested 77-metre height limit on development at the site. The Town Planning Board will discuss the height limit proposal on April 17.

The club, which has undertaken to preserve the old police station site and transform it into a cultural complex, proposed the tower in 2007 to house an auditorium, a theatre and other facilities. Its submission says this plan is outdated and has been discarded.

The club had begun to develop a revised scheme for the site that would respect the heritage values and views expressed during last year's public consultation, it said.

The 77-metre height restriction was proposed by an alliance of 13 non-governmental organisations including green groups and heritage concern groups.

But the club said such a limit would be premature, because it "attempts to prejudge a revised conservation scheme that the club has only just begun", and would pre-empt the planning board's due process. The club would submit its revised scheme to the board for approval, it said.

Submissions that favoured a height limit argued it would prevent a new structure from obstructing views or attracting too many visitors, who would overload nearby roads.

Last year the Jockey Club bowed to public pressure and promised to reduce the height and bulk of the new structure, after a six-month public consultation.

Those calling for the height limit say it would respect the "open character" of the old prison courtyard, in keeping with a suggestion from the Antiquities and Monuments Office.


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

How will the Central Police station of Hong Kong even be revitalised, anyway?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Jim856796 said:


> How will the Central Police station of Hong Kong even be revitalised, anyway?


The original plan was to conserve the heritage buildings and transform it into a mix of cultural and commercial facilities, then build the iconic glass-like structure on top.

Current plans will not likely move away from the cultural and commercial themes, but whether anything new will be added to the site is still up in the air.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*嚴迅奇不認同中區警署設高限 *
25 March 2009
信報

賽馬會昨天公布，著名建築師嚴迅奇(圖)將擔任活化中區警署建築群的執行建築師。對於保育團體向城規會申請在建築群設置七十七米高限，嚴迅奇直指，許多人對高度有誤解，建築物的高度應視乎設計而定，不應在現階段設下無需要的限制。參與高限申請的香港文化遺產基金會董事許日銓稱，嚴迅奇並無保育古蹟經驗，否則馬會不用委託英國專家進行研究，而有關專家報告已清楚指明高度限制的重要性。 

根據古物古蹟辦事處於二○○四年為中區警署建築群設置的保存規定，為保存建築物的歷史風貌和完整布局，新建樓宇不能高於七十七米，十三個團體早前就向城規會申請，限制該地盤的高度限制在七十七米。 

嚴迅奇昨天會見傳媒時稱，曾評估能否在不超出七十七米的情況下達到如期效果，但設計「幾高幾闊」尚未有定案。他認為，不應在未有設計方案前設置「框框」，又指「唔好咁快咁武斷」。 

城規會將於四月十七日討論團體要求設置七十七米高限的申請。對於嚴迅奇指不應在未有設計前設置「框框」，有份申請高限的許日銓接受查詢時反駁，「在平面上有限制，高度就唔限制，完全不成理由。」　　嚴迅奇並指出，馬會早前就「竹棚」設計方案諮詢公眾後，決定推倒重來，但新方案就不再諮詢公眾意見，手法相當古怪。他期望，馬會可主動諮詢市民意見，讓公眾選擇合適的活化方案。 

據許日銓的解釋，海外建築師並無牌照在港興建樓宇，必須透過本地建築師「執行」，故嚴迅奇的角色只是「執行建築師」。 

馬會慈善事務執行總監饒恩培稱，未來六至八個月將有活化整個建築群的具體設計，期望明年初可將設計提交城規會，最快在明年中下旬才施工■


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## spicytimothy (Dec 10, 2003)

I feel like people always forget it's 市民意見, that's opinion, not decision. People should be able to give their opinion but not necessarily make the final call. Otherwise we'd never have anything iconic. Bank of China is a good example.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Well .. if people's opinions don't flow down to the final decision, then a lot more talk about 'fake consultation' then arises. Either way, there's no way to escape it.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*中區警署活化環評﹕新建築影響監獄群外觀 *
1 May 2009

【明報專訊】中區警署建築群的新活化方案還未出爐，但馬會已呈交環境評估供公眾查閱，報告未透露新建築高度，但表明新建築會令域多利監獄群外觀不同，造成潛在視覺影響，報告無提及具體紓緩措施，只表示會減少外牆特色照明系統。

13個團體早前向城規會申請為中區警署建築群加入77米的樓宇高限，惟城規會於上月17日應申請人要求，決定延遲審批申請。

根據馬會提交的環評，馬會認為現有建築物內的空間不能容納建議的文化場地，包括小型劇院和多用途空間，遂建議在域多利監獄範圍內興建一座新建築，以容納中型文化場地，以提供文化設施和自負盈虧，報告未透露新建築高度，但強調有關規模會與現有建築合乎比例。

報告形容，監獄外觀會因新建築物而「有所不同」，對附近可近觀監獄的建築物造成潛在視覺影響，其中距離工地只有5米的贊善里兩側住宅或受影響。若從較遠地方望向建築群，報告指出，項目四周有大廈遮擋，大廈間的空隙可作觀景廊。但環評報告又指出，項目不會設置公眾停車場，遂估計大部分訪客會使用公共交通工具或步往前往建築群，認為活化後的建築群不會產生顯著的額外車流。

古物諮詢委員倡拆石板街鐵欄杆

另外，發展局擬把中環石板街（即砵典乍街）評為一級歷史建築，古物諮詢委員會委員吳祖南昨在會上指出，現時街中設置的圍欄影響其外觀，該會主席陳智思質疑把圍欄移走的可行性。古蹟辦執行秘書明基全表示，圍欄具實際用途，「若石板街落實評為一級歷史建築，將來若有部門在街上進行工程便要諮詢古蹟辦，但我們未試過因評了級移走現有的結構物」。


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*特首鍾情古蹟 難忘童年趣事 *
16 June 2009
文匯報 

每個人都有童年回憶，行政長官曾蔭權的童年回憶就扎根在中環雲咸街一帶。昨日特首昨日出席外國記者協會活動，說起古蹟保育時，不禁對兒時穿梭於老建築的玩樂日子感慨一番：「我家兄弟經常與玩伴走到牛奶公司舊倉庫，看著那些孔武有力的工人沿著雲咸街斜斜的石級，把大大的冰塊一直拖運至皇后大道。」他還笑言一直渴望坐在這些冰塊上沿著石級滑下，因為這「非常有趣」。

曾蔭權回憶兒時經常去看在中區警署上班的父親，因此他對警署的走廊十分熟悉：「那時走廊的鬼古特別多，晚上父子倆又可間中觀賞那些為警務人員而設的電影」。他還說當年荷李活道節目眾多，和今天境況大相徑庭：「荷李活道經常有功夫表演，還有相士和『講古佬』擺檔」，樂趣頗多。又言乒乓球是小時候的興趣，但打球的地方竟是在文武廟。特首對古蹟的鍾情可見一斑。

強調政府重視古蹟保育

曾蔭權幼年在中環一帶住了將近20年，直至1969年結婚後才搬走。他坦言，看到今天的外國記者會和藝穗會會址能夠保持在1890年代的樣子，感到「十分欣慰」，並稱這兩幢建築物可以作為香港活化再利用古蹟的典範。他強調政府將保護、修復和再利用本港的歷史建築，使這些古蹟流傳後世。　■本報實習記者 林景怡


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Source : http://www.pbase.com/sunnyunited/cpsxbicity


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Police station height dispute set to drag on *
21 August 2009
The Standard

The argument over the height of the Central Police Station heritage site looks set to drag on.

The Town Planning Board will meet today to hear arguments from 13 nongovernment organizations who are against deferring a hearing planned for September 4 on whether height restrictions should be imposed.

But it is likely the hearing will be deferred, following revelations that the Hong Kong Jockey Club is revising its design concept.

The Development Bureau is working in partnership with the club to redevelop the site. No new statements and design briefs have been introduced by the government or the club.

The NGOs say that neither party can afford to waste its time redesigning if they do not meet the height requirements.

The NGOs want a 77-meter height limit for the site. The organizations' application was first made on January 22 this year, but was deferred because they needed to provide responses to the bureau's argument that it did not need a height restriction.

Once the NGOs had provided their arguments in April, the new date for the hearing was set for September 4. However, the board has requested a further deferral.

Tanya Chan Shuk-chong, a Central and Western District Council member, sees no reason for a deferral.

Albert Lai Kwong-tak, chairman of the Hong Kong People's Council for Sustainable Development, believes that the board is showing double standards.

According to Lai, the board's protocol for development schemes is the establishment of planning controls before the presentation of any development scheme.

He believes that by further delays, the government is ``reversing'' this protocol by wanting the new design brief to be displayed to the public before implementing limits.

The previous ``bamboo'' concept for the site proposed by the Jockey Club in October 2007 was withdrawn in February.

NGOs are also worried about a conflict of interest within the planning board, as the chairman for today's meeting is Director of Planning Ava Tse Ng Suk-ying.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Planners postpone talks on height limits at police station compound *
22 August 2009
South China Morning Post

The Town Planning Board yesterday postponed considering proposals to set a height limit on developments at the historic Central Police Station compound, annoying NGOs that had put forward the idea.

An application by 13 non-governmental organisations for a height limit of 77 metres at the site was to have been considered early next month. The NGOs oppose a 150-metre observation deck proposed by the Jockey Club last year.

The Planning Department this week asked the board to postpone the hearing until the club made its design available later this year.

Yesterday, in response to demands by the NGOs that the delay should not be allowed to favour the club, the board said it would hold the meeting by November 21, before it was due to consider the club's new proposal for development of the site.

That decision sparked criticism that it was an unnecessary "face-saving solution". Albert Lai Kwong-tak, director of the Conservancy Association, said: "It would be embarrassing for [the department] to back down."

Bernard Lim Wan-fung, a board member, said the board was entitled to grant deferment. "The board treats both sides equally," he said.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Heritage pledge for old police station*
The Standard
Thursday, January 31, 2013


Central District Police Station by d-k-t, on Flickr

In an earlier column on the perceived condition and likely outcome of the current conservation activities being undertaken for the Central police station complex, I made some rather poignant remarks about what would likely happen there.

I am happy to report that a reply was sent to me by those responsible for the conservation. They say the complex, or at least the facade, will be conserved in its original state, touched up and repaired where required.

Interior decoration and furniture will not be restored to its original condition if in an advanced state of deterioration.

The plan is to have an authentic historical record of the complex through the use of old photographs and documents either from public records or private collections for viewing by visitors, with guides to explain both history and background.

Historians have been engaged to assist in the project to make sure plans are carried out smoothly and accurately.

These will include keeping part of the existing facilities such as the courtroom, cells and police areas just as they were to authenticate the ambience of yesteryear.

An expert has also been engaged to help conserve the remaining trees and to grow new ones to replace those that have died. According to the expert, there are a total of 11 trees, including a mango tree.

The response I received was quick and to some extent reassuring, though I am a little surprised to hear that there is only one mango tree standing, growing near the administration block which was once my office, the accident investigation section of traffic Hong Kong Island. There were always two mango trees. Did the other one die?

That the complex will not be turned into just another ordinary shopping mall with restaurants is comforting. The buildings within the complex have a long history.

It was once the "Big Station," or Dai Koon in Cantonese. During World War II it was also the site of atrocities committed against our heroic defenders by the Japanese military police, and we would not want to see tourists, however much they might spend, trampling over the sites of suffering.

We should be happy that those responsible for maintaining the site are responsive and concerned that an accurate picture be painted about how the complex will appear when it opens to the public in 2015.

May I suggest that those in charge of this very sensitive project put out points of public interest regarding developments from time to time so that we will be reassured that the right approach is being taken in the conservation of our heritage.

Too often developers have paid lip service to conservation of historic sites.

JS Lam served with Hong Kong police - `Asia's Finest' - for 32 years, reaching the rank of senior superintendent before retiring in 1996.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Central revitalisation project shaping up*
24 December 2013
South China Morning Post	

Future operators of the city’s new contemporary art venue, converted from the historic Central police compound, will be selected by two committees in phases, the Jockey Club announced yesterday.

The project, led by the Jockey Club Charities Trust, covers 16 buildings of historical and architectural significance, including the former Central Police Station, Victoria Prison and courts complex, as well as an open courtyard.

Two new buildings designed by the internationally renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron will be constructed amid the heritage buildings in order to provide more space for contemporary art and exhibition areas. Twenty-seven per cent of the space will be designated for commercial use.

The club said yesterday that the two operators – one for developing heritage and contemporary art programmes and the other for commercial and leisure facilities – will be selected by the two committees, respectively.

The first committee, chaired by former Antiquities Advisory Board chairman Bernard Chan, comprises 18 members from various sectors including the arts, heritage conservation and district councils – as well as retired police commissioner Dick Lee Ming-kwai.

The club will invite proposals from operators early next year.

The second committee will be chaired by the club’s property director, Michael Moir, and will include town planner and antiquities board chairman Andrew Lam Siu-lo.

The revitalisation project is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Jockey Club to run historic Central site*
27 September 2014
South China Morning Post

Selection panel fails to find suitable arts venue operator and says club – which is financing HK$1.8b police station revamp – should do it

The Jockey Club will take on the operation of the Old Central Police Station Compound as a heritage and contemporary art venue after failing to choose a winner from three cultural groups bidding to use the monument.

The club, which is financing the HK$1.8 billion restoration of the site’s 16 buildings under a 2008 deal with the government, said yesterday that its selection panel “could not identify an integrated operator” and had recommended that the club take up the operation itself.

It did not name the bidders. But the sole group that entered the final stage of tendering is understood to be Arts in Heritage Research, co-founded by Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, general manager of property giant New World Development, and art collector Calvin Hui Kim-lung.

Its representatives were interviewed by the 19-member panel chaired by Executive Council member Bernard Chan last month. Cheng and Hui declined to comment to the South China Morning Post yesterday.

Two competitors – the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the Asia Art Archive – are understood to have been ruled out earlier for failing to meet a technical requirement.

“The selection committee [assessed] the strategies and plans for the heritage programming, strategies and plans for contemporary art programming, financial capacity, business viability and financial plans for the proposed programmes, and management capability and governance,” Chan said.

Another panel is now in the process of selecting 10 food and beverage operators for the site.

Clifton Ko Chi-sum, who runs the commercial theatre group Spring-Time Stage Productions, said the plan laid out by the club made it difficult for any arts group to come up with a financially viable model.

Ko said he had considered bidding but was put off after learning that the club’s revised plan reduced the size of the theatre to only 350 seats, down from 500 seats under an earlier plan.

“You won’t be able cover the costs even if all the tickets are sold out … Such a small theatre can survive only if the government funds it,” he said. “I doubt if the Jockey Club has enough knowledge to operate an arts venue. The worst thing is for amateurs to lead professionals.”

An arts group member involved in the tender, who declined to be named, said bidders were concerned about a clause that required the operation not to adversely affect the government’s image. But a club spokesman said the operator would be “artistically free”.

In a statement, the club said that it would involve heritage and arts groups in its work at the site.

As well as the police station, the compound includes the former Victoria Prison and the former Central Magistracy, built between 1864 and 1925. It was declared a statutory monument in 1995.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Staff hired to re-energise police station project*
18 April 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

Senior appointments to focus on contemporary art and heritage at revamp of site in Central

The controversial Central Police Station (CPS) project has taken a new turn, with two senior appointments made yesterday to reboot the scheme following the collapse of last year’s process to find a consortium to run it.

Tobias Berger, curator at West Kowloon Cultural District visual culture museum M+ and formerly the executive director and curator of Para Site art space, was named head of art. He will lead the contemporary art operation.

Sino Land heritage manager Winnie Yeung Wing-yin, who oversaw development of the Tai O Heritage Hotel among other projects, will be head of heritage.

Berger was praised by Dr Lars Nittve, executive director of M+, for making a “huge” contribution to the Kowloon project. Nittve said: “This is an exciting time for the visual arts in Hong Kong and it is fair to say the eyes of the art world are fixed on the city. Projects like M+ and the Central Police Station will help consolidate Hong Kong’s position as the centre for visual art in the region and it is refreshing to see a vibrant ecosystem developing that allows creative and professional development within the sector.”

Two working groups were also appointed. Bernard Chan, Executive Council member and chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings, will chair the art working group. Its four members include art critic John Batten and artist Stanley Wong Ping-pui.

Lee Ho-yin, director of Architectural Conservation Programmes at HKU, will chair the heritage working group which has six other members including former commissioner of police Dick Lee Ming-kwai and town planner Andrew Lam Siu-lo.

The new management structure was established after the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is funding the HK$2.1 billion project, failed to select a consortium last year to run the new cultural site. Two bidders were disqualified and one was rejected.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Strong arms of heritage law flexed*
6 May 2015
The Standard _Excerpt_

The revitalization of the old Central Police Station in Hollywood Road has just reached an important milestone: the appointment of specialist leaders and working groups to oversee the heritage and art sides of the project.

Head of heritage will be Winnie Yeung Wing-yin, who has worked on various projects in Hong Kong and Singapore, including the Tai O Heritage Hotel " a former police station. 

Her team will have responsibility for the Central site as a part of our history. This is not only about conservation but community engagement and education.

A heritage working group headed by Lee Ho-yin will provide views and advice.

The professor's team has various people with expertise in such areas as built heritage and " fittingly " a former police commissioner.

Head of art will be Tobias Berger, who has wide experience as a curator in museums and art centers in Hong Kong. He has also curated almost 100 events in Asia and Europe.

His team will be responsible for local and international contemporary art programs, with the old station offering unique exhibition environments.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

By *Double Bass* from dcfever :


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Architect puts conservation in context*
8 June 2015
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Roger Wu says deciding how to protect historic sites is all about people’s priorities and values – should heritage come before redevelopment?

“Architecture is about the spirit of a place, which can be summarised in three words: context, context, context,” says Roger Wu Tsan-sum.

Wu should know. Having spent 17 years at John McAslan + Partners in London, a top British architectural firm, the Hong Kong-born professional is well acquainted with how Britain’s interest in history – rather than the conservation of heritage sites per se – has shaped its heritage efforts. And context is precisely what Hong Kong needs to recognise and embrace at the start of its long learning curve on heritage.

“[London] has its own socio-economic and historical context and how it has developed … with the resultant culture,” Wu said. “All these form the very root of a conservation project.”

The British saw great value in conserving a heritage site by relating to its long history and its previous residents, he observed.

“It is with respect and pride the British people ascribe to relics. Not that the people in Hong Kong have no respect for heritage. But their value system is different and many of them see more value in redevelopment than keeping an old building. In short, it’s got its own context.”

Wu cited an example to illustrate how far the differing contexts between the two cities could take a heritage project.

“In Hong Kong, as long as all the required regulations such as fire prevention and safety are met, one can tear down an old construction and replace it with a most ugly building simply because there is no regulation on what a building should look like,” he said. “But in Britain, a local council and its directly elected members are vested with the authority to protect the area’s culture … and can override an owner’s redevelopment right if it is deemed incompatible with the local culture. The British context of conservation has developed for decades with a full set of shared concepts and values as well as legislation.”

Wu is among architects who define conservation as the management of change. But this definition is problematic in Hong Kong, where change is almost constant. Dizzying development makes it hard to establish a sense of history and the respect for it.

“Hong Kong did not respect very much its own history until the recent generations. The city was a place to make quick money, either to send back to the mainland or save for emigration. It was not until the last two generations that people really took Hong Kong as their home.”

Wu himself returned in 2010 to set up an office for the London firm. He now counts among his projects the revitalisation of the Central Police Station complex into a cultural hub, and the Jessville mansion in Pok Fu Lam into a contemporary clubhouse.

Last year, he joined the Haw Par Music Foundation as its chief executive, leading the revamp of its eclectic three-storey 1930s Haw Par Mansion in Tai Hang into a music institution.

“A music institute as a starter will be more sustainable for the historic mansion than, say, an office,” he said. The work was made possible under a plan launched in 2008 to revitalise historic buildings through partnership. “The government has done a lot of work to advance the cause, especially under Carrie Lam [Cheng Yuet-ngor] when she led the Development Bureau,” he said.

To take conservation to a higher level, the concept needs to take root in society – which in turn necessitates taking into account more sophisticated “software”, such as the soul of the site.

“We often hear modern architects say ‘form follows function’,” he said. “But it is often taken out of context. It is not just about the physical function … There is also function of the soul … An emotional feel could override major physical functions.”

Wu observed the Antiquities Advisory Board, a government body on heritage with architects and others on its roster, had operated in a “more reactive rather than a proactive” fashion. What the city needed was “an independent and credible platform … on heritage and conservation formed by scholars, professionals, stakeholders and all interested parties to exchange expertise and ideas not on a crisis basis, but on a regular basis”, he suggested.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*Monitoring of work at Hong Kong’s former Central Police Station compound is ‘problematic’, district councillor says after wall collapse*
Comments by Central district councillor Ted Hui Chi-fung follow criticism of project’s design, management and a perceived lack of transparency and delays during tendering process
May 30, 2016



















The collapse of a structure at the historic former Central Police Station compound is the latest – but by no means the first – controversy to hit the HK$1.8 billion restoration project that began nearly a decade ago.

The Jockey Club first submitted a proposal to revitalise the compound in 2007, but the project has since become the target of much criticism regarding its design, management and a perceived lack of transparency and delays during the tendering process.

In 2014, the club announced it would be taking on operation of the project itself after a selection panel failed to choose a winner out of three cultural groups bidding to run the monument.

Despite critics expressing concerns about the initial design, the project received widespread support among the public during a six-month consultation in 2008.

“I think there was criticism regarding having the club as the operator ... It’s not an expert in modern art or in running a project like this,” Central district councillor Ted Hui Chi-fung said. “The selection process was not very much discussed in public and was not discussed in the council either, so at that stage there wasn’t much the public or the council could do.”

The former police station complex, comprised of 16 historical buildings, sits alongside Old Bailey Street, Hollywood Road and Arbuthnot Road.

The revitalisation project is a joint venture between the government and the Jockey Club. It will see 37 per cent of the site used as a showcase for heritage and contemporary art, 27 per cent used for commercial and entertainment purposes, and the remainder set aside for public access and other facilities.

The site is to be expanded to cover 300,000 sq ft.

Declared a monument in 1995, the compound is comprised of three structures – the former Central Police Station, the former Central Magistracy, and Victoria Prison. The police station, built in 1864, was Hong Kong’s first.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

The Standard _Excerpt_
*Crashing thunder, then cloud of debris*
May 31, 2016





































The collapsed brick wall at the historic former Central Police Station compound on Hollywood Road had a seeping-water problem, its Heritage Working Group chairman Lee Ho-yin said yesterday.

Parts of the roof and the first and second floors of the former Married Inspectors' Quarters in the compound collapsed on Sunday.

Rescue workers said no one was injured.

Witnesses said they heard a series of loud bangs. "I have never heard those sounds before in my life," said a woman who works at a bar nearby.

"It was like a boulder rolling down a mountain or crashing thunder."

A woman passing by described "a really loud bang and then a cloud of debris."

The building has been closed for further investigation, clearing up and temporary propping and strengthening, the Buildings Department said last night.

"Approved structural strengthening works were being carried out to the building" before the collapse, the department said.

Senior building surveyor Hung Chi- kin said the department inspected the site a month ago. Its probe would explore whether or not the accident was due to a man-made problem.

Lee said: "It should have been demolished for safety. It is the most difficult heritage project."

He said he did not rule out that other buildings could collapse in the future, and the compound should be regarded as dangerous.

He cited an engineering report, saying that the collapse could be due to cracks between the bricks, which allowed water to get in, noting the recent downpour.

Lee also said the wall was built of green bricks, which were less solid than red bricks.

When asked if the group noticed the water seepage problem when it took over the project, Lee said: "Yes. You could say so."

The Development Bureau said the Jockey Club has carefully removed and would recycle the building materials that collapsed, adding that most of the collapsed material was "newly replaced."


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Wall and roof collapse at historic former Central Police Station raises safety and heritage preservation fears*
Ted Hui Chi-fung says incident at site of heritage revitalisation project ‘shows failure of government’s conservation policy’
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
29 May, 2016

The historic building that partially collapsed in the former Central Police Station compound on Sunday night had been flagged two weeks ago as a vulnerable structure that was in “relatively poor condition”, it emerged yesterday.

Emergency crews combed the rubble with sniffer dogs yesterday, even though they did not expect to find anyone.

The accident, just over a week after the collapse of a green roof at City University, has raised public concerns about safety as well as government heritage conservation efforts.

No one was injured in the *collapse on Hollywood Road within a fenced-off construction site, where the Jockey Club is leading a HK$1.8 billion project to *revitalise the 150-year-old compound. It was fully decommissioned in 2006.

After a wall and part of the roof of the former married inspectors’ quarters came crashing down, it was revealed that it was in the worst condition, due to poor-quality bricks, among the 16 *historic buildings in the *compound.

Experts believe unstable foundations may also be to blame. 

According to a document *submitted by the Development Bureau to the Central and *Western district council for a meeting on May 19, the married quarters and the former Central Magistracy had “a complex configuration” and might require “more time for restoration”.

The married quarters were built between 1862 and 1864 – among the oldest of the blocks–and were slated for redevelopment into an office for an NGO and a visitor centre.

According to the document, progress was “in accordance with the restoration plan”, with the compound scheduled to be opened to the public late this year.

Architectural expert Lee Ho-yin, who headed the project’s heritage working group, said problems with the quarters had been known for a long time.

“It has the most problems among the 16 buildings, as both materials and construction were not up to standard,” Lee, an architectural conservation scholar at the University of Hong Kong, said. He said the use of local green bricks for buildings three to four storeys tall was problematic, noting that this had been known since the start of revitalisation work in 2011.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

The Standard _Excerpt_
*Panel to examine compound collapse*
June 30, 2016

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has set up an independent review panel to examine last month's partial collapse of the Married Inspectors Quarters building at the historic former Central Police Station compound on Hollywood Road.

The three-member panel will be chaired by Greg Wong Chak-yan, who is a registered structural engineer and registered geotechnical engineer, and a past president of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. The other members are Benny Lai Siu-lun, a registered structural engineer with heritage project experience, and Australia-based chartered structural engineer Simon Wiltshier.

Parts of the roof and the first and second floors of the quarters collapsed on May 29. There were no injuries. The Jockey Club is responsible for the overall planning of the revitalization of the compound, parts of which date back to 1864. The project began in 2007.

The panel will look into the circumstances that led to the incident and report on the likely causes and whether any additional measures should reasonably or practically have been taken to prevent the collapse. The club said it will share the results with the government and the public.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
*Collapsed building at 150-year-old former Central Police Station will ‘inevitably’ lose heritage value with restoration project, Jockey Club says*
Partial reopening of historic compound likely to be delayed to middle of next year due to recovery and stabilisation work on former Married Inspectors’ Quarters, which came crashing down in May
September 7, 2016 

The restoration of a collapsed structure at the historic former Central Police Station will mean an “inevitable loss” of its heritage value as it may involve demolishing or reconstructing parts of the building, the organisation in charge of revitalising the compound has said.

In May, a wall and part of the roof at the former Married Inspectors’ Quarters – one of the 16 historic buildings in the 150-year-old compound – came crashing down. No one was injured.

The site, which is a declared monument, was subsequently closed to the public, and a partial reopening, which was originally set for next month, will now likely be delayed to the middle of next year as a result of the recovery and stabilisation work to the building.

The Jockey Club, which is in charge of the HK$1.8 billion revitalisation project, has put forward proposals to the Antiquities Advisory Board for recovering the building which include eight options. The board will deliberate on the plans on Thursday.

Of the eight recovery options, five include partial or full demolition of the structure, and some allow for adaptive reuse of the building for retail purposes.

Two options involve restoring the collapsed parts by using salvaged, traditional or modern materials.

The most drastic option involves demolishing the remaining parts of the structure still standing and transforming them into an open courtyard.

“The recovery options outlined above will, inevitably, and to varying degrees, result in some loss to the heritage value [of the building],” the Jockey Club said.

More : http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ollapsed-building-150-year-old-former-central


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

The Standard _Excerpt_
*Drilling blamed for quarters collapse*
Nov. 4, 2016

Holes drilled in a building wall of the Married Inspectors' Quarters to reinforce it instead led to its collapse in the 152-year-old former Central police station compound, according to an independent review panel.

Built between 1862 and 1864, the venerable building - among the oldest of the blocks - collapsed on May 29 this year on Hollywood Road within a fenced-off construction site, where the Hong Kong Jockey Club has been leading a HK$1.8 billion project to revitalize the historic architecture since 2007.

A club-appointed three-member review panel said in a nine-page English report the collapse most likely initiated at the north wall under a "curtain fall" mode, as a result of the failure of the brick columns between the ground floor and the second floor.

The collapse of the entire section of the north wall in turn pulled down the upper section of the adjoining west wall.

It was suggested in the report that the excavation of 18 holes - about 350 millimeters wide, 200mm high and 200-300mm in depth - between May 20 and May 28 on the north wall was the immediate cause and one of the major reasons for the collapse.

The holes were excavated to pocket steel square box sections into the wall as part of the timber floor strengthening and fire resistance works on the first floor.

The panel noted that the brick columns may have had indiscernible cracks or weak bonding on the first floor near the holes that allowed cracks to propagate during or shortly after the hole excavation.

Panel chairman Greg Wong Chak- yan, a former president of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, said any holes drilled within the brick columns base width should have been avoided and an alternative reinforcement detail, which did not involve cutting into the zone immediately below the brick columns, should have been adopted.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Old Central Police Station in Hollywood Road, Hong Kong by spenson_shih, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Three options for old police station*
Sept. 20, 2017
The Standard _Excerpt_

Work is continuing on Tai Kwun - the heritage and arts rejuvenation project at the old Central Police Station compound.

People are understandably interested in Block 4, the 1860s building that partly collapsed in May last year. After considering many alternatives, specialists and project managers have come up with three possible recovery options.

One is to rebuild the missing parts of the block using modern and some original materials. This would leave the structure looking pretty much as it would have done, though part of it would not be authentic. This option downplays the fact that the collapse happened. The other two would preserve the collapse itself as part of the site's story.

The second option is to replace the missing part of the block with a contrasting modern design. This would enable strengthening of the structure and a wider range of uses for it.

The third is to make the remaining structure secure and leave the missing part as a courtyard. This reduces floor space - though of course it creates an additional open area.

There are obvious trade-offs here among practical engineering issues, preservation of heritage and the future use of the space. It is important to remember that the collapse affected around 15 percent of the original block.

Whichever of these options is used, most of the old building will be preserved.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Historic Hong Kong police compound to partially reopen as heritage and arts centre in May*
Conservation work for the HK$1.8 billion project on Hollywood Road started in 2011 but faced a setback when a wall and roof partially collapsed two years ago
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
March 25, 2018

Hong Kong’s 154-year-old former Central Police Station compound, which is being turned into a heritage and arts site, is expected to partly open to the public as early as May after seven years of conservation, the Post has learned.

At least one of the compound’s 16 historic buildings – the three-storey Married Inspectors’ Quarters built in 1864 – may remain closed due to ongoing efforts to restore a wall and part of its roof, which collapsed in 2016, a few months before the conservation was expected to be completed.

The HK$1.8 billion (US$230.8 million) project on Hollywood Road, led by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, was conceptualised in 2007 and conservation work started in 2011.

The Post learned that the Jockey Club had targeted opening part of the compound to the public in late May, pending approval from government bodies.


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## jchk (Jul 15, 2015)

*Tai Kwun finally has an opening date!*

http://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-en...ng-kong-prison-and-police-station-turned-arts



> *Former Hong Kong prison and police station turned arts complex to open this month after US$485 million, eight-year restoration*
> With city’s biggest heritage conservation project, covering 16 buildings of former Central Police Station and Victoria Prison, some of them 150 years old, nearly complete, public will have their first chance to look inside this month
> 
> Hongkongers can finally visit the restored Central Police Station and Victoria Prison compound. With the city’s most expensive and exacting heritage restoration project nearing completion after years, the cultural complex will open to the public on May 29.
> ...






























(Photos by Nora Tam via SCMP)


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

大館 Tai Kwun by Soledad Lee, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

TAI KWUN_10 by RAYMOND TAM PHOTO - ONEPLUS STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY, on Flickr

TAI KWUN_15 by RAYMOND TAM PHOTO - ONEPLUS STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY, on Flickr


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

DSC04185 by Martin Ng, on Flickr

DSC04117 by Martin Ng, on Flickr

DSC04146 by Martin Ng, on Flickr

DSC04163 by Martin Ng, on Flickr

DSC04176 by Martin Ng, on Flickr


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