Mervyn Miller reports on a change of heart in Hong Kong ELEVENTHHOUR CONSERVATION? Hong Kong might at first sight appear to be an unlikely source of ideas about conservation of historic buildings and areas. It is still the epitome of a dynamic commercially led urban culture, and this is likely to be modified, rather than fundamentally reversed, when the colony reverts to Chinese sovereignty after 1997. Hong Kong has the benefit of a magnificent setting - the Victoria Harbour, separating mainland Kowloon, from the Hong Kong island, criss-crossed by the famous Star Ferries, surely one of the most effective means of mass transit in the world. The water shows off the dramatic skyline of high-rise buildings to advantage, particularly by night, with the dark mass of the peak forming a backdrop to the latest creations of internationally acclaimed architects. Pockets of tradition remain, however. and Shanghai Bank, arguably the masterpiece of Sir Norman Foster. This dramatic juxtaposition of old and new can scarcely be bettered. In and among the teeming commercial streets there are pockets of preservation and oases of greenery. Flagstaff House, a grand Colonial mansion of the 1860s, with shaded colonnades, now houses a museum of tea ware, and is a central feature in a magnificent urban park which also contains a high-tech aviary covering the hillside above. Even modest historic buildings are beginning to hold their own. The Wan Chai Post Office on Queens Road was built in 1912-13, and is now the oldest surviving post office building in the Colony. Single storey, faintly classical, with a pantiled roof, it was set to disappear in a road widening and redevelopment scheme. However, local agitation succeeded in attaining the preservation of the building, which is now, appropriately, an environmental resource centre. Along the road is the Hsung Shing Temple, erected for the worship of a Tang dynasty governor of Kwong Lee, who encouraged the study of astronomy, geography and mathematics, establishing an observatory whose accurate predictions assisted traders and fishermen. With its colourful portico, and waterfront near the terminal for the Macau ferry, a confident Edwardian baroque building of 1906, red brick with granite dressings. This has now been turned into an upmarket indoor shopping centre and regrettably lacks the bustle found in traditional markets elsewhere, although its exterior is unaffected by the change of use. Protection of buildings in Hong Kong is rudimentary, and the Antiquities Advisory Board which reviews cases is, as its name suggests, without statutory force. The preservation of historic areas is likewise at a rudimentary state. Most tourists visit the reproduction Sung Dynasty village in Kowloon, strategically located near the Lai Chi Kok mass transit station. This is a skilful, although ersatz reproduction heritage experience of the type familiar throughout Britain, with 'villagers' in period costume demonstrating everything from noodle manufacture to enamel and bronze work, all of which can be purchased on site. In the New Territories more traditional architecture has survived. Owing to its mountainous terrain, the natural setting has survived with lush wooded hillsides, many of which have country park status. The outlying islands also provide enclaves of traditional village life. I visited Kam Tin, a 500 year old In Kowloon, the Peninsular Hotel, a classical building of 1926, beloved of Noel Coward, is now being expensively refurbished but retains its exterior. Aficionados of 'the master' will know that the 'noon day gun' from his song "Mad dogs and Englishmen" is based on a ceremony still held on the Hong Kong waterfront. Moving inland from the Star Ferry terminal to Edinburgh Place, the Brutalist City Hall, ironically inaugurated by Prince Charles, does not really interfere with the ravishing panorama of a view which contains two traditional buildings - the Cenotaph, designed by Lutyens, and the courts with dome and colonnades, designed by Sir Aston Webb, behind which rise two commercial icons of the 1980s - the Bank of China, designed by I M Pei, and the Hong Kong pantiled roof, this building now..---------------------' represents an agreeable accent in a street scene dominated by indifferent high-rise buildings of the 1960s. If a commercial use can be found, historic buildings are naturally more likely to survive. A notable example is the Western Market, not far from the JOHN BYSOUTH Stone Consultant An independent source of advice to architects, surveyors, engineers and property owners based on 40 years experience in the natural stone industry. 36 years working on many of our finest buildings with the family business J Bysouth Ltd and now as a stone consultant. 90 Selbome Road, Southgate, London N14 7DG Tel/Fax: 0181 882 1554 CONTEXT 44 C!tp-~rtS' ~pccialii,ti,~upplicri,anb<ltontractori, for tbc3RcpairanbJfflaintcnancc of J!;)ii,toricjliluilbingi, m'.depbone: (01536) 373 (431) MATURE LIME PUTTY LIMEWASHANDCOLOUREDBRICKWASHES LIMEPLASTERSANDRENDERS ORDINARYMORTAR POZZUOLANICMORTARS HISTORICALEADPAINTS TRADITIONALSOFT' DISTEMPER 23
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