What is architecture? It’s not only a shelter but reflects our creativity, aesthetics, lifestyle, history, and projects our dreams and future. How can the ironic architectures by star architects can be connected to our lifestyle and need?  The dialogue will be focused on the relationship of architecture and Hong Kong tradition and lifestyle, and, how to make our city more liveable.

The conservation and revitalisation of the former Central Police Station to create the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and art, is the single largest project of its type that Hong Kong may ever do.  Under a joint centre partnership with the HKSAR, the Hong Kong Jockey Club will spend close to $4bn in capital cost, and run the site for 10 years on a not for profit basis.  The business model is based on the concept that the commercial uses – F&B and Retail - will offset the operating losses on the arts/heritage interpretation functions.  Roughly speaking, the total floor area splits into three equal parts: heritage and art; commercial; and plant.

The history of the site began soon after Hong Kong was colonised by the British and has undergone many changes during the following 175 years; what you see today is the result of considerable evolution, comprising buildings/structures from at least the 1860’s to 1956, plus of course the recent interventions designed by Herzog & de Meuron.

There were three Architects involved in the project: Rocco Design Architects acted as the AP and Contract Administrator, and they produced the production drawings for the new buildings and site interventions; Herzog & de Meuron were the concept designers for the new buildings; and PURCELL designed and specified the alterations and repairs to the 16 retained buildings and provided site supervision throughout the construction period.  Among the key challenges of the project was Code compliance and the integration of E&M services. 

During the tour, Mr. Brian Anderson, Managing Partner of PURCELL will expand on this and talk about how those challenges were met. Do not miss this if you wish to know more about it.

Providing a steady and sustainable land supply and comprehensive development plan is on Government and citizens’ top agenda.  Recently the Land Supply Task Force launched the 5-month public debate and invite citizen to express their views.  

We are honored to have Architect NG Wing-shun Vincent, Member of Land Supply Task Force and Mr. YEUNG Ha-Chi, Member of Liber Research Community, to share with us on their insights! Don’t miss out if you wish to know more about it!

Topic: “Land for Hong Kong:  Our Home, Our Say!”

Modernist architecture is a style developed in the Western World in the wake of the horrors of World War I and became a global tendency after World War II. To satisfy the post-war building needs, modernist architects looked for a fundamental change in architectural design. Believing in the power of rational thought, they searched for an economical, efficient, and utilitarian architecture that could be produced through mechanization. This architectural trend has been introduced to Hong Kong since the 1930s.

This Archi-Talk & Walk, led by Dr. Carmen Tsui and Conservation Architect May Ho, will discuss the historical background of the modern movement in architecture and the development of modernist architecture in Hong Kong. Do not miss this if you wish to know more about it.

In this talk, Dr. Prudence Lau will discuss architecture, particularly some in the Art Deco style, developed through the Franco-Belgian land investment and construction firm Credit Foncier d’Extreme-Orient (CFEO) in Hong Kong.  Primarily focusing on their Hong Kong residential work, she will show how they combined East and West traditions and technology to create forms of modern architecture in Hong Kong in the 1930s-50s. Archi-Walk around Prince Edward Road, where the company’s buildings from the 1930s still stand today (including the location of the lecture), will follow after the talk. Do not miss this Archi-Talk cum Walk if you wish to know more about the Art Deco Architecture in Hong Kong.

Some name them Chinese Renaissance and some say they are Eclectic Architecture. No matter how they are named, their appearance will always catch our attention - a bit of Chinese and a bit of western. They were the products of the time, when the post revolutionary China had been established and western trained Chinese Architects went back to their homelands and put their passion in revitalizing Chinese architecture into practice. Tung Lin Kok Yuen was one of these Chinese-western hybrid built in 1935 under this social context that still exists in Hong Kong. Though talking about the social architectural history and visiting this pre war Buddhist Temple, one can understand more the architectural style of that era.

Under the reign of King Edward VII (1901-10), Hong Kong enjoyed a rich mix of building works, ranging from utilitarian dockyard, offices and municipal facilities. Its development was matched with innovative construction technology. It is the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences (HKMMS)’s pleasure to invite Mr Kevin Li, Board of Directors of Hong Kong Architecture Centre to speak on the these topics. There will be a guided tour after the talk introduce Edwardian architectural style by using HKMMS as an example. If you wish to know more about the Hong Kong’s past heritage and HKMMS , please join this illustrative activity.

Arts and Crafts Movement developed in Britain in the late 19th century in reaction to industrialization and factory made furnishings and components, which emphasized the importance of traditional materials, natural textures and craftsmanship. Examples of Arts and Crafts architecture in Hong Kong are really rare, but we are lucky enough to have a few survive. Do not miss this Archi-Talk cum Walk if you wish to know more about the arts and crafts movement in Hong Kong.