Hub set to be heart of Stanley
Mimi Lau
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, February 02, 2006

Stanley Market has long been known as a tourist paradise complete with bazaar-like stalls and cheap goods.

Stanley residents, however, prefer to give it a miss unless a visit is absolutely necessary.

All this could change after next month with the opening of the Municipal Services Building, a five-star government building with an environmentally-friendly design that could save electricity costs by between 10 percent and 15 percent, next door.

Built on a 2,800-square-meter site, the complex will provide cultural, leisure and community areas for local residents.

Southern District councillor for Stanley Lee Pui-ying said the complex is a huge project for the area and that the design is ideal.

"The building of the complex is timely and the modern design is suitable for young people," she said.

It includes a children's playroom, library, dance room, table tennis area, a courtyard and a community hall.

"The use of special materials has created a simple and down-to-earth effect for the building," Architectural Services Department architect Thomas Wan said.

"It can hold more than a thousand people at any one time."

Wan said bamboos will be planted in the courtyard to create a shading effect for the community hall during the summer and allow more light into the building during the winter when the bamboo sheds its leaves.

"Characteristics of a Chinese-style courtyard will be preserved to reflect a good blend of East and West," he said.

Conservancy Organization chief executive Lister Cheung welcomed the eco-friendly design.

However, she questioned if the facilities were what local residents wanted.

"The use of space has been well thought out, but whether the complex will attract local residents over a long period of time remains to be seen," Cheung said.

Considering Stanley is among the wealthiest areas in HK, the last thing the government should be doing is providing these people with playrooms, libraies, courtyards etc. How about giving these facilities to an area that needs them instead?

From news.gov.hk:
Stanley 'green house' completed (http://news.gov.hk/en/category/infrastructureandlogistics/060127/features/html/060127en06007.htm)

Stanley is also a major tourist spot! It good that this place is getting redeveloped!

some pictures from gov website
http://news.gov.hk/en/category/infrastructureandlogistics/060127/features/html/060127p008jpg.jpg http://news.gov.hk/en/category/infrastructureandlogistics/060127/features/html/060127p009jpg.jpg
I saw this building last year with a forumer and it was still under-construction

Stanley isn't a playground for the rich. There is a whole swath of public housing next to Murray House! They're actually lowrises!

I really like it. Very sexy.

Fits in well too.

Stanley isn't a playground for the rich. There is a whole swath of public housing next to Murray House! They're actually lowrises!

Are you talking about Ma Hang Estates. I was passing here and it doesn't look like public housing. But again, I was curious why they would build housing estates in that part of town!

Are you talking about Ma Hang Estates. I was passing here and it doesn't look like public housing. But again, I was curious why they would build housing estates in that part of town!
Yes, Ma Hang. Why would there be a discount tourist market in the middle of Stanley if it is an exclusive rich neighborhood? I doubt the rich people would enjoy being disturbed by the tourists. Stanley is a mixed income neighborhood. It is not Repulse Bay.

Yes, Ma Hang. Why would there be a discount tourist market in the middle of Stanley if it is an exclusive rich neighborhood? I doubt the rich people would enjoy being disturbed by the tourists. Stanley is a mixed income neighborhood. It is not Repulse Bay.

I don't think most of Stanley's residents are disturbed by the tourists. And Stanley Market has been a tourist spot for decades. I agree that it's a mixed income neighborhood since there alot flats within Stanley Market where lower to middle class tenants live.

It's not just a mixed income neighborhood but it's also where one of HK's maximum security prisons are located.

Related thread : http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=344717

Are you talking about Ma Hang Estates. I was passing here and it doesn't look like public housing. But again, I was curious why they would build housing estates in that part of town!

It's probably very odd to response a question posted more than one year ago, but I have the answer. :nuts: :nuts: :nuts:

Stanley was a fishing village before it become a tourist attraction. Slum along slopes was a major problem near where Ma Hang Estate and behind Murray House are today. Ma Hang Estate was to built to relocate those people live in the unsafe slum into a safer and better living condition within the same area plus allow some extra people to move in. In fact Stanely was a quite, low density community, Ma Hang wasn't designed to be a very high density public housing estate.

The Tin Hau Temple next to Murry House today was up on the hill and people had to hike up there.
For anyone didn't know it existed, it's almost unreachable before relcoated.

Some developers did come up the same question why such a prime shoreline location was used for public housing. But I don't see why can't? The shoreline and sea view isn't something for the rich only and it's for everyone, rich or poor. The same question came up for Wah Kwai Estate near Aberdeen under Wah Fu.

A few of us from the forum did a walking tour of the public housing in Stanley yesterday, and it was exceptionally landscaped. The buildings are not too tall and public transport was readily available. Quite a nice enclave for the low and middle classes.

At the back of Murray House by the sea, there is a path walks into and around the hill. At the end of the path there is a small old temple. Did you guys get to walk in there? The location gives a pretty good view of the enitre promenade. The interesting thing is there is a well next to the temple called "Thousand Year Well."

At the back of Murray House by the sea, there is a path walks into and around the hill. At the end of the path there is a small old temple. Did you guys get to walk in there? The location gives a pretty good view of the enitre promenade. The interesting thing is there is a well next to the temple called "Thousand Year Well."
We went up the hill on the other side to the Kun Yam Temple instead.

Another fine mess they've got Stanley into
Tourists, retailers lament disruption of beautification project
9 September 2007
South China Morning Post

Years of noise and mess from construction work to build a tree-lined promenade along the Stanley waterfront are driving away visitors, restaurant owners say.

Many of the restaurants along Stanley Main Street are open-fronted and have street seating that overlooks the unsightly project.

Tourists visiting the market and waterfront restaurants highlighted in guidebooks as a perfect spot for shopping and dining said last week they were astonished to find the place a building site.

"It is a nice thing to go to Stanley Market, but I can only see the ugly containers along the waterfront now," German visitor Franz Forster said, as he spent the last day of his business trip in Stanley.

"It was known as a quiet place with a nice view to the beach, but all I can see is the ugly containers and noisy environment replacing the quiet and relaxing atmosphere.

"This is my last day in Hong Kong so I am very disappointed."

Rolf Schneider, owner of Main Street USA, a restaurant facing the water, said the project had forced out many of his customers because the road was half-blocked and unbearably noisy at lunchtime.

"It is terrible. For almost four years, the situation has remained the same," Mr Schneider said.

But construction work is stopped during the weekends, the area's busiest time.

A series of redevelopment projects has meant Stanley has been in a near constant state of renovation since the 1990s.

A Mrs Lam, who has run a newspaper stall for more than 20 years, said business had been down about 20 per cent since the project started.

The Town Planning Board approved the design in November 2005, with the beautification to cost HK$14 million. Under the plan, the waterfront along Stanley Main Street is getting a wooden walkway, with 100 semi-mature trees to provide shade.

An Architectural Services Department spokesman said the department had received no "formal complaints from the restaurant owners".

"However, we will endeavour to minimise the nuisance by carrying out the work in phases and will closely monitor the progress of the works to ensure timely completion," the spokesman said.

According to a Tourism Commissioner notice, the works include "general streetscape improvements, extension of the waterfront promenade outside Stanley Main Street, construction of a pier outside Murray House with the Old Blake Pier roof, clearance of the squatters surrounding Shui Sin Temple and beautification of the surrounding area, and improvements to the open space near Pat Kan Uk".

The project was expected to be completed this year but the date has been extended to April.

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20070422/IMG_2281.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20070422/IMG_2285.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20070422/IMG_2284.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20070422/IMG_2286.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20070422/IMG_2291.jpg

Too right - lets hope they complete it quickly and don't put anything tacky.

Too right - lets hope they complete it quickly and don't put anything tacky.

This problem at question is actually a very small project compared to what they've done on the other side of the waterfront. Space is very limited and it's just got enough space for a promenade. The big ones have already finished.

Considering Stanley is among the wealthiest areas in HK, the last thing the government should be doing is providing these people with playrooms, libraies, courtyards etc. How about giving these facilities to an area that needs them instead?

Why not? It is unfair for a wealthiest neighbourhood without facilities like libraries, courtyards and waterfront. Wealthy neighbourhoods without amenities are not sustainable.

Let us consider how Wan Chai went into decay in the 1920s, and how it gradually recovered during the 1990s. The reason for the decay was mainly due to the lack of amenities, while the reason for its recover was mainly due to ageing of the neighbourhood as well as the expansion of the urban core.