Introduction

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"Blue House", situated at 72 Stone Nullah Lane in Wanchai, is a pre-war building with more than seventy years of history that shows architectural characteristics of both Chinese and Western styles. Many of the internal structures like purlin, staircase, railing are still preserved in their authentic wooden fabric. There are still residents living inside and some of them have to share the kitchen. Since there is no flushing toilet facility inside the building, it still needs the service of "Tao Ye Heung" (somebody helps to remove the excrement from the building every night)!

Where does the name of "Blue House" come from?

"Blue House" is a four-storey building, which is named from the brilliant blue colour painted on its external walls. When we come closer to the building, it is not difficult to recognize that not all the external walls are coloured in blue! It was said that the workers of the Lands Department only got blue paint during the period of repairing work, so it was used to renovate the external wall at the time.

Reconstruction or preservation?

Wanchai is one of the districts with the earliest development in Hong Kong. Uptill now, there are still many old buildings and streets which sustain the nostalgic atmosphere in the district. "Blue House" that has a history of about eighty years, can be regarded as a symbol for these historic buildings! Since Wanchai is one of the important sites for urban renewal, what will be the fate of Blue House when facing large-scale redevelopment plan? How to attain a balance between economic development and urban conservation is a big issue that deserves our deep thoughts.

In fact, demolition is not the only fate for buildings with historic significance. Take the Tate Modern Art Gallery as an example, it was transformed from a beer factory to the world largest Art Village. Maybe the adaptive reuse of the historic buildings is one solution for conserving them. By transforming the function of the building, not only its existence and value can be assured, but a new life will also be granted to it.

The fate of "Blue House"

"Blue House" in Wanchai sustains many collective memories of Hong Kong People, it is likely to be turned into a museum that illustrates the lives of Hong Kong people in the past. The St. James Association has already submitted a proposal on how to implement this idea. Under its proposal, "Blue House" will be served as a museum that displays more the 400 pieces of old objects donated by residents living in the district. All display can be regarded as the witnesses on the traditional culture, history and community development for the district. It is suggested that docents of the museum will be composed of residents in the community who will give an introduction on "Blue House", Pak Tai Temple, Mallory Street as well as other cultural spots in Wanchai to youngsters and tourists.

As time changes, old buildings still survive in every city. In some miserable cases, however, the buildings have to be demolished or left abandoned. While others that are lucky enough will be renovated or reconstructed into museums or venues for creation and performances. It is hoped that the "Blue House" can also be turned into a living history museum, which illustrates the perplexing past of Wanchai to the future young generations.

Our reflections

Our project was completed in a rush. We had had the ideas of taking Lee Tung Street or Sun Yat-Sen Historical Trail as the theme of our project at first, but we finally chose "Blue House" because of its special appearance.

Cultural heritage is not only our treasure, but also helps to remind us many memories of the society. It is sometimes regretful that we pass some historic buildings without noticing them. In fact, many buildings of great historic and cultural significance are around us, they all worth our efforts to explore. Although this is not a thorough study, we have learned a lot through the field trip and have recognized the importance of heritage conservation afterwards.

Text Source : http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Monument/yfoh/en/bluehouse.php

By melody28874 from dchome :

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Interior designers want higher safety standards for renovations
8 June 2009
The Standard

The Hong Kong Interior Design Association is calling for a professional register to standardize quality on safety and health.

The association said some interior designers failed to submit plans to the Buildings Department when making changes to interior partitions, such as designing open kitchens, or adding French windows to upper floor cafes.

Vice chairman (local affairs) Horace Pan Hung-bing is worried the government will not be able to monitor renovations as there are too many in the territory.

``It's not just business and beauty but public health and safety,'' he said. Pan also said Hong Kong is lagging behind many countries where there are qualification examinations for interior designers.

The association will conduct a comprehensive consultation on the examination mode for the industry at the end of this year and will start lobbying the government after that. Implementation is expected in 2012 at the earliest, Pan said.

Participating in the revitalization program for the Blue House, Pan hoped the project will set a good example for the interior design industry on standardized designs.

The three-story Blue House, built in 1920 and located at Stone Nullah Street in Wan Chai, has wooden floors and rafters and a narrow wooden staircase.

The design follows the Guangdong and Lingnan tong lau style.

St James' Settlement plans to revitalize the Blue House as a home cooking restaurant or culinary college.

The first proposal will be submitted this month.

^^ Looks very western, and the color is awsome :lol:

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Source : http://www.pbase.com/liphotos

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Wan Chai Blue House among next on list for revitalisation
18 February 2009
South China Morning Post

The second phase will include various-sized buildings to accommodate the needs of different non-governmental organisations, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said.

Among the five buildings involved, the Blue House in Wan Chai has drawn interest from the community. The four-storey building in Stone Nullah Lane was built in the 1920s as working-class housing. It was also the site of the first hospital in Wan Chai, in 1867.

Lawrence Lam Kwok-wai of St James' Settlement said his group would look for partnerships, and proposed turning the site into a complex of art studios and exhibition venues that showcased Wan Chai history.

A disused courthouse in Fanling is also on the list. The ungraded building, built around 1960, consists of the main building, two staff quarters, a store, an annex and a secretariat office.

The Development Bureau said the main building's facade, with high vertical windows and a double canopy, was a simplified version of neo-classical architecture.

The other two sites picked for revitalisation are stone houses in Hau Wong Temple New Village in Kowloon City and the Old House in Wong Uk Garden in Sha Tin.

The two-storey stone houses are the only Chinese cottage buildings in Hau Wong Temple New Village in Junction Road in Kowloon City. They were built on the site of "The Ho Family Garden" from 1941 to 1945, after the Japanese army demolished the family garden during their invasion.

Several film studios operated in the village in the 1950s. In the 1970s, some stone houses were used as industrial workshops, including one used by tombstone company Nam Yan Kee. Stone tablets inscribed with the shop's name can still be found in the village.

The Old House is the only surviving Hakka residence in Wong Uk Garden, Sha Tin. It is a declared monument built in 1911 during the Qing dynasty. It features a two-hall, one-courtyard plan with three bays. Most of the old village houses in the area have been demolished, and the Old House is the only remnant of Yuen Chau Kok.

NGOs may get HK$2m more for historic sites
19 December 2007
South China Morning Post

The government may raise the cap on a one-off grant to revitalise historic buildings from HK$3 million to HK$5 million in response to public opinion.

The money will be granted under a pilot scheme to help non-profit organisations maintain and operate the buildings. The government also suggested a specific tenancy of at least three to six years to minimise uncertainties encountered by organisations that reused the buildings.

The proposals were made after the government consulted NGOs on the scheme last month. The idea of collaborating with NGOs was initiated in the October policy address as part of a conservation policy to revitalise government-owned historic buildings that will cost HK$100 million in its first five years.

Nine buildings will be available for application in February, including Dragon Garden in Tsing Lung Tau and the Blue House in Wan Chai.

The government had originally planned to grant the NGOs up to HK$3 million for the first two years.

But some organisations voiced concerns that HK$3 million might not be sufficient for social enterprises operating in larger buildings, the Development Bureau said in a paper submitted to the Legislative Council.

Some were worried that the tenancy would not be long enough to make the operation viable, it said.

The bureau then proposed raising the financial ceiling per building to HK$5 million to cater for large, structurally complex premises. To allay worries, the tenancy would generally last three to six years. The bureau said longer tenancies could be negotiated for good reason.

The enterprises would also get technical guidance on maintaining and repairing historic buildings, the paper said, particularly on architectural features of significance such as mosaic tiles on an internal wall.

NGOs welcomed the government response yesterday but called for more flexibility in approving the funding and tenancy. "It will be even better if the funding can be extended for operations in the first three years," Iman Fok Tin-man of the Society for Community Organisation said.

Blue House residents want say in revamp
Revitalisation project will for the first time keep its occupants as well as the structure
29 August 2009
South China Morning Post

Occupants of the historic Blue House cluster of buildings in Wan Chai want a say in selecting who will take over their properties.

The second phase of a heritage revitalisation scheme started taking applications from NGOs yesterday. Earlier this year six government-owned historic buildings were rented out as social enterprises.

The latest scheme covers the cluster and four other historic sites.

The Development Bureau has suggested the Blue House cluster in Stone Nullah Lane be an education or visitor centre, or recreation and welfare facility. The commissioner for heritage, Jack Chan Jick-chi, said it would be the first revitalisation project that kept its residents as well as the structure.

"The people are an important element of the history. We will require in the rental contract the NGO to charge a reasonable rent level to the tenants who stay," he said.

The successful NGO would initially have to freeze rents, Mr Chan said, but after operations had started adjustments could be made every two or three years according to the consumer price index. It would also have to arrange interim housing nearby.

Sixteen occupants of the Blue House cluster, in six flats and four shops, have opted to stay. They include a 40-year-old bone-setting shop. Rents range from HK$600 to HK$13,000 a month.

Eleven residents have still to decide whether to stay or move out. Others have received compensation and moved to public housing.

Mr Chan said residents would not vet applications, but the government had listened to their views during meetings and their needs would be considered by the vetting committee.

Lee Kwok-leung, who has lived in the Blue House for 35 years and is a member of the residents' liaison group, said while it was good news that rents would be frozen, residents wanted a say in vetting applications.

"We are concerned the project will become too commercialised. We definitely don't want the place to become an expensive restaurant like The Pawn," the 60-year-old said, referring to the former pawn shop in Johnston Road that was revitalised by the Urban Renewal Authority.

One idea is to set up an organic vegetable garden on the rooftop. Mr Lee said he would be happy to help out there and also share his stories of old Wan Chai with visitors.

Mr Lee said residents did not like the blue colour that had made the building famous because it reminded them of Chinese funerals. "We want a lighter blue."

The buildings have deteriorated and need strengthening. They were built in the 1920s and are typical of tenements that housed the lower class Chinese community in the early 20th century. The Blue House also accommodated an English school before the second world war.

St James' Settlement, the most active service organisation in the area, would make an application, said service-in-charge officer Lawrence Lam Kwok-wai. The buildings would continue to accommodate a folk gallery and a second-hand goods shop that the society is running. There might also be some small restaurants or shops, he said. "All in all we want the place to be a window to introduce tourists to Wan Chai."

His society would invite tenants to take part by sharing their anecdotes and serving as guides on Wan Chai history. The organisation is seeking partnerships with the business and arts community.

Mr Lam's proposal also involves keeping some vacated flats as exhibition rooms for visitors.

NGOs will have four months to prepare applications. Information will be provided to applicants detailing the structure of the building to cut down on the cost of hiring surveyors.

Is there really a need to have a whole thread just for this single historical building? :dunno:


It's nice, but well... Rather merge it with the general thread about HK heritage.
This gets confusing in here.

Is there really a need to have a whole thread just for this single historical building? :dunno:


It's nice, but well... Rather merge it with the general thread about HK heritage.
This gets confusing in here.
This is actually a key landmark preservation initiative in the Wan Chai area, and subject to much attention among the locals. It's actually a preservation of 3 buildings - the blue one is the most famous, while there is also an orange one nearby and the other I'm not sure the colour. Due to the local importance, I kept this separate from the historic preservation thread, which would be used for other less pronounce projects.

This is actually a key landmark preservation initiative in the Wan Chai area, and subject to much attention among the locals. It's actually a preservation of 3 buildings - the blue one is the most famous, while there is also an orange one nearby and the other I'm not sure the colour. Due to the local importance, I kept this separate from the historic preservation thread, which would be used for other less pronounce projects.

The Blue colour was once used to distinct property ownership amongst the three buildings.

All three buildings used to be gray (natural colour of concrete).
When the government took over the ownership of the current blue house, it was painted in blue to identify it's an government buildings, where the other two privately owned were left as gray.

When the government took over the ownerships for the remainder two buildings, the government painted them in orange and green to beautify the two buildings.
The different colours has since then become just for better looking rather than the original ownership identification.

Whatever. I just don't see any need for having an own thread for this.

If you want one in the HK forum, sure, but why here? :dunno:
I suggest merging it with the historic preservation one.

Whatever. I just don't see any need for having an own thread for this.

If you want one in the HK forum, sure, but why here? :dunno:
I suggest merging it with the historic preservation one.

I think so.you are right^^

anyway,thanks for sharing.

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I don't agree all projects should be generically placed in a massive theme thread in the international section if it is a major project with unique characteristics that can sustain its own thread. In fact, this type of differentiation should be a major consideration for other project threads in this section already.

For example, would we have a land reclamation theme thread for Dubai and merge the Palm Jumeirah and The World threads into one, among others?

Would we also have a recreational facilities development thread for Busan, and not have individual project threads? I think it's far more useful to have an MGM thread separate from a Cinema Centre thread.

For smaller cities, do we ban multiple threads and force everything into 1 single city thread?

The key underlying rationale is usefulness of information and whether it can be more organized to convey a key message that is reflective of the local environment. Blue House is definitely a key project that is very different from the others, and the level of scrutiny here in Hong Kong is far higher than other similar projects because of it. As such, it deserves its own thread, while other less key projects can remain in a generic theme thread. This is an ongoing assessment, and at this time I do not see interest in this project waning to a point where it has to go back into the generic thread.

At this point I don't see any argument from anyone noting this thread needs to be consolidated through assessing what this project is about.

I still think the HK Historic Preservation thread would do this building enough justice.
But let's drop it, I won't argue with you mate ;) Keep the thread.


You're doing really good work around SSC informing about things going on and posting urban impressions :applause:

I wonder how much the "Tao Ye Heung" dude get paid...
Interesting thread nonetheless as we know old buildings can get a demolition easily there...

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Developer's NGO in running to revitalise Wan Chai Blue House
23 September 2009
South China Morning Post

An NGO set up by a developer may make a second foray into heritage revitalisation after enjoying success earlier this year.

Representatives of the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation, established by Sino Land executive director Daryl Ng Win-kong, were among 26 NGOs who made a site visit to the Blue House in Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, yesterday.

It is one of five government-owned heritage sites that will be offered to NGOs to run as social enterprises on short leases. The first stage of the scheme offered seven sites.

Earlier this year the foundation won control of the old Tai O Police Station with its plan to turn it into a boutique hotel. This caused controversy, with critics saying the government was focused more on finance than a track record of social service. The foundation stressed it was administratively and financially independent of Sino Land.

This time, the foundation will compete with St James' Settlement, which is the most active organisation in the Blue House neighbourhood and has a team of social workers who keep in close contact with residents.

Lawrence Lam Kwok-wai, of St James, said they could only do their best with the application in the face of competition. His group proposes to keep the folk gallery and second-hand goods shop it already runs there, and add some small restaurants or shops. Residents would be invited to take part by sharing anecdotes and serving as tour guides.

Dr Lee Ho-yin, a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board and director of the University of Hong Kong's architectural conservation programme, said it did not matter which organisation took over the site as long as its plan did not commercialise it.

"The Blue House is different from the old Tai O Police Station. It was all right that the police station became a hotel as its social function was already lost," Lee said. "But in the Blue House, people are still living there. It may not be a good idea to put, say, a hotel, inside it."

The Development Bureau, which is overseeing the revitalisation scheme, has suggested the Blue, Yellow and Orange Houses be used as an education or visitor centre, or a recreation and welfare facility. The site will be the first heritage project with residents staying inside.

Sixteen occupants of the cluster, in six flats and four shops, have opted to stay. They include a 40-year-old bone-setting shop. Eleven residents have still to decide whether to stay or move out. Others have moved to public housing with compensation.

The successful NGO will have to freeze rents, which range from HK$600 to HK$13,000 a month, in the first few years. The balconies of the Blue House are formed by cantilevered concrete slabs and make an impressive facade. They are now banned in new buildings but will have to be preserved, together with the patterned floor tiles, wooden staircases, floor plates and doors.

Separately, Wong Tai Sin district councillors took turns to utter objections when meeting heritage officials yesterday about the downgrading of two historic structures - a stone house that used to be the home of actor Qiao Hong, and a second world war pillbox in Diamond Hill.

The structures are on a site that the MTR Corporation plans to cover with a railway depot and the government had indicated they would have to be relocated or removed to make way for the development.

Changing its plans to pass a motion, the council decided to write to the Antiquities and Monuments Office to voice its objections. Heritage Commissioner Jack Chan Jick-chi said he was aware the councillors had strong feelings about the items and would consider their views.

Wan Chai trail steps back in time
28 September 2009
The Standard

A heritage route connecting various historic buildings in Wan Chai has been launched by the Urban Renewal Authority as part of a program to preserve them during the course of redevelopment.

Speaking at the launch ceremony yesterday, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the Wan Chai model will be extended to cover the rest of Hong Kong.

``Wan Chai's Heritage Trail'' takes in historic buildings from grades one through to three, such as the Blue House on Stone Nullah Lane, built early this century and which now hosts the Lam Chun Hin Osteopathy Clinic, the famous Green Houses in Mau Lo Street, Wan Chai Market and restored shophouses with verandahs on Johnston Road, known now for the restaurants which lay claim to the space.

The Cross Street/Tai Yuen Street Open Market and the Hung Shing Temple on Queen's Road East are now designated as must-see sights on the trail, both with strong roots in the district's history.

The heritage trail is part of a government- backed conservation project endorsed by Urban Renewal Authority chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen.

Visitors to the area will be able to find touch-screen computers at the various landmarks along the trail to view details and get information.

Cheung said the trail is part of the realization of the chief executive's 2007 policy address, which called for cultural preservation.

The project is still a work in progress as the authority continues to liaise with building owners in Wan Chai to renovate or restore their treasures.

Cheung said the cost of the project is not substantial.

The Development Bureau, Wan Chai District Council, Urban Renewal Authority, Wan Chai District Office, St James' Settlement and MTR Corp are all partners.

An Old Wan Chai Revitalisation Initiatives Special Committee was also established to specifically oversee the projects.

Wan Chai District Council vice chairman Stephen Ng Kam-chun said he hopes architectural peculiarities in the area will be preserved thanks to the trail.

Safety issues spark rows between government and conservationists
28 October 2009
South China Morning Post

Safety issues have triggered a tussle over two historic buildings, pitting government officials against conservationists and residents.

An order by the Buildings Department to modify a staircase at the North Kowloon Magistracy building in Tai Po Road, Sham Shui Po, has led to efforts by its new tenant, an arts college, to save the original design.

In another dispute, Wan Chai residents are upset that some of the boards of the decades-old wooden staircases at the Blue House have been replaced.

The North Kowloon Magistracy staircase flouted building regulations because the space between the balustrades was "slightly wider" than the standard 10cm set to prevent children accidentally getting their heads trapped, said Eric Lee Chung-ming, an architect consulting with the building's tenant, the Savannah College of Art and Design. The balustrade was also about 18cm short of the standard 1.1 metres, he said.

In its application for an exemption to the order, the college argued that any modification would ruin the staircase's distinctive appearance.

Lee said: "It is undesirable to make any changes to the existing ironwork balustrades. We hope we can keep it as it is to preserve its wonderful appearance."

The Antiquities Advisory Board backs the stance. Board members who met yesterday to hear the impact assessment of plans for two heritage sites - the magistracy, a proposed grade two building, and the Lai Chi Kok Hospital - called on the Antiquities and Monuments Office to press for the exemption.

Lee said the college, which was due to open next September, would ensure the staircase was used only during special functions to minimise any danger.

If its application failed, he said, the college would install a temporary rail or glass barrier on the balustrade, and remove them when regulations were relaxed in the future.

Over the weekend at the Blue House, government contractors replaced most of the wooden boards on the staircase linking the ground and first floors, and half of those on the staircase to the second floor.

Residents said the staircases, which have been in use for nearly 80 years, were features protected under the government revitalisation scheme.

Commissioner for Heritage Jack Chan Jick-chi said yesterday the boards that had been removed were damaged by termite infestation and posed a danger. He said staff from the Antiquities and Monuments Office had examined the stairs carefully before work began.

He said the stripped-out boards had not been disposed of and would be checked by the antiquities office to see whether they could be reused.

Tom Ming Kay-chuen, the antiquities office's executive secretary, said the three boards inscribed with marks definitely would be kept.

The Blue House, in Stone Nullah Lane, is a government-owned site and will be offered to non-government organisations on short leases.

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SCS visits Wan Chai District
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Government Press Release

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Miss Denise Yue, this afternoon (January 28) visited Wan Chai District to see the hustle and bustle of the vibrant district.

Accompanied by the District Officer (Wan Chai), Miss Angela Luk, Miss Yue first visited Queen's College, the oldest government school with a history of more than 140 years in the territory. She chatted with the principals and student representatives on the school's initiatives to enrich students' school life. While touring the campus with the student representatives, she also took a closer look at the school's various facilities.

She then proceeded to the "Blue House", where the Wan Chai Livelihood Place is located. This is Hong Kong's first livelihood museum set up by the St James' Settlement and a group of enthusiastic inhabitants in 2007 to preserve and publicise the cultural inheritance of Wan Chai.

During the visit, Miss Yue expressed interest in an exhibition, "The Magic Box", which displayed television sets and exhibits on local TV programmes produced over the years. The exhibition revealed how television had integrated into the lives of Hong Kong people of different generations.

Miss Yue said she was also impressed by the enthusiasm of the organisers and their efforts to preserve the district's culture. She was pleased to learn that the museum had built a sense of belonging and cultural identification among residents. The place has been well received by members of the public since its opening and attracted around 2,000 visitors a month.

Miss Yue's next stop was the Counselling and Integrated Employment Service Centre operated by the Methodist Centre. She was briefed on the wide-ranging vocational training programmes and the free employment referral service offered to young people and job seekers. Miss Yue also took the opportunity to visit some of the training classes in progress, including the classes on hotel reception and customer service and hair and beauty specialist.

Before concluding her visit, Miss Yue met some Wan Chai District Council members for an exchange of views on various district issues.

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Tear-down mentality falls out of fashion
12 April 2010
Vancouver Sun

When my family and I lived here in the 1990s one of our paths down into Wanchai district below our aerie on Kennedy Road was past the extraordinary "Blue House" on Stone Nullah Road.

Not that there was anything particularly extraordinary about the house itself apart from its brilliant, eye-catching blue paintwork.

It is representative of thousands of Hong Kong city buildings from 70 or so years ago between the wars. It has shops on the ground floor and three floors of apartments above, each with the characteristic laundry-festooned balcony.

Architects say the Blue House is special because it is better preserved and has not been altered as much as most buildings of its vintage.

Indeed, it has no flush toilets. It is one of the few residences left in Hong Kong that still requires the daily attentions of "Tao Ye Heun," the night soil merchant.

But in the last few years the Blue House -- along with many other iconic buildings, especially in surrounding Wan Chai -- has become a symbol of a new and highly vocal conservation movement in Hong Kong.

This movement is much more than a desire to preserve monuments of Hong Kong's past, something that has been an object of almost flagrant disregard until now.

It speaks to a new relationship between this place and the people who live here, especially those born in the 1980s who have come to awareness since Hong Kong's future was settled in 1997 with the handover of sovereignty from Britain to China.

It is instructive that one of the most popular temples here is Wang Tai Sin over on the Kowloon side, which is dedicated to the god of refugees. For 200 years Hong Kong has been a place of refuge for people seeking sanctuary from war, chaos and upheaval in China. Very often Hong Kong has only been a resting place before onward passage to somewhere else such as Canada, the United States, Australia or Britain.

No wonder then that the bonds of identity between people and place have been frail at best.

That is changing as Hong Kong grows comfortable in its new persona.

Lee Ho-yin, program director of the architectural conservation program at the University of Hong Kong, said when the city was in survival mode all the emphasis was on development and money-making. But, he said, those born in the 1980s, who became socially and politically active since the handover, are demanding a more sympathetic attitude toward conservation and the spiritual and idealistic aspects of communal life.

These emergent sensitivities became apparent 10 years ago with public opposition to further landfill in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour to create building sites.

The government got the message, but seemed quite unprepared at the end of 2006 when a decision was made to demolish the old Star Ferry terminal on the Hong Kong side. Although there was nothing architecturally special about the terminal, it featured in so many Hong Kong movies and postcards that it defined the city for millions of people. The riots around the Star Ferry demolition "took the government by surprise," Lee said. "This was the first time I have seen people chain themselves to a heritage building in Hong Kong."

The government caught the public's mood and in his 2007 policy address, chief executive Donald Tsang -- Hong Kong's governor -- announced a major restructuring of how antiquities, ancient monuments and buildings of historical importance would be dealt with by the government. Instead of being a powerless orphan dependent on the charity of many departments as in the past, heritage policy has been unified in the Development Department and given a budget equivalent to about $250 million a year.

But there remains a conflict, which Lee and his colleague, Canadian Lynne DiStefano, one of the world experts on heritage buildings, say revolves around the use of preserved buildings.

DiStefano said there is a mindset which predisposes government to make preserved buildings into museums, often with a massive real estate development attached. That, for example, is the outlined fate for Hong Kong's magnificent old central police station complex bordering the trendy tapas bar and fusion restaurant district of Hollywood Road and Lan Kwai Fong in Central.

But for many Hong Kongers preserving the culture and ways of daily life associated with old buildings has become as important as saving the structures themselves.

The gentrification of Wan Chai, made internationally famous by the 1957 book and 1960 movie, The World of Suzie Wong, about the red light district on Lockhart Road, is a matter of widespread concern. Lockhart Road and its current Suzies still offer solace to unappetizing male tourists and the new generations of sailors from around the world who tie up at Fenwick Pier by the Fleet Arcade, but there's more to Wan Chai than that.

Already Wedding Card Street, whose name tells it all, has disappeared, though developers promise the new stores will retain a wedding theme. Yuk.

Wan Chai's wonderful wet market for flapping fresh fish and meat on the corner of Queen's Road East is behind hoardings as it becomes the ground floor of a new tower block.

My favourite treasure house rabbit warren of a stationery shop, Sunlight Office Appliances, is, thankfully, still there on Johnston Road as is the Hung Shing Temple on Queens Road East, though sadly the mangy old tribe of temple dogs that lived on the sidewalk has vanished.

The throbbing street market in Wan Chai Road, Cross Street and the interwoven laneways continue to flourish, but there is a disturbing invasion of chi-chi furniture stores and restaurants taking over such establishments as the very old and distinguished pawn shops on Johnston Road.

The Blue House was destined for a similar fate. It was part of a $14-million plan by the Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority to preserve nine Wan Chai buildings from the 1920s.

The Blue House, it was mused, could become a museum dealing with traditional Chinese medicine. But in the face of a public outcry that this would not preserve the lifestyle and culture that the Blue House represents, the authorities have relented.

The Blue House is host to only a small museum of memorabilia of old Wan Chai and the building's residents are allowed to stay. But they must, of course, resign themselves to continuing to live without flush toilets.

New life beckons for tenants as heritage scheme kicks in
The Standard
Thursday, September 16, 2010

Twenty-one residents of Wan Chai's historic Blue House will be allowed to stay put even as the building is being revitalized.

In addition to revitalizing the cluster of buildings of which Blue House is a part, the government has also decided to save the old Tai Po police station and the Stone Houses in Kowloon City.

The cluster comprises the Grade 1 Blue House, the Grade 3 Yellow House and the ungraded Orange House, all of which will be converted into a multifunctional services complex.

St James' Settlement, which will run the project, will organize a residential scheme for existing and new tenants, cultural and educational programs, run heritage tours, and operate a dessert house and a vegetarian restaurant.

Cocklofts will be conserved to show living conditions in the past.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expressed confidence all the projects will preserve the historic buildings and serve the local community.

But she said the regeneration of the Blue Houses Cluster will be a challenge because of its current occupants.

"The challenge is ensure they are able to remain there comfortably. It is a 1920s building that does not even have basic hygiene facilities and access," she said.

The Blue House project is expected to cost about HK$56.9 million, with a further HK$4.1 million to subsidize operations of the "social enterprise" by St James' Settlement, a non-profit organization.

The former Tai Po police station, a Grade 1 historic building, will be converted by Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden into a hub for sustainable living, complete with educational programs, training camps, a heritage museum and trails.

The Grade 3 Stone Houses will be turned into a cafeteria-cum-visitor information center by Wing Kwong So-Care Company to illustrate the area's history and heritage sites.

About HK$127 million will be spent on renovating the three sites and HK$8.3 million for initial running expenses.

It expects the projects to create about 180 jobs during renovations, and about 62 full-time and part-time jobs when work is completed in 2013.

Blue House resident Lee Kwok-leung welcomed the proposal and said he will consider taking jobs within the cluster.

Opinion : Blue House a worthy project
28 September 2010
SCMP

Often the government implements schemes to generate more income. But with the Blue House project in Wan Chai its priority is revitalisation of an important heritage building. Residents will benefit from the project, as they will have lifts and all the flats will have modern kitchens and toilets.

Also, it will be in tune with traditional tong laus [Chinese-style tenements] with diverse uses, such as a dessert shop, vegetarian restaurant and second-hand goods shop.

The existing folk gallery will stay in the building.

This will help to save the collective memories of the past generation, and educate the next generation about old Hong Kong culture.

I am sure that the renovated Blue House will prove to be popular with tourists.

I appreciate that the renovation work will be expensive, almost HK$57 million. But this should not discourage officials from going ahead with the project.

Hong Kong citizens, who have lost a lot of confidence in the administration, will support its efforts with regard to the Blue House.

Li Chun-lok, Fanling

Central sites expose patchy heritage regime
Mixed reviews for government performance on landmark conservation projects
4 October 2010
South China Morning Post

A year after Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced his Conserving Central package to revitalise the area's historic sites, the government is getting a passing grade - but only just.

Some of the projects highlighted in the chief executive's 2009 policy address are getting the thumbs-up from district councillors and heritage activists for the transparent way in which public consultation has been conducted. But others have proved disappointing. As lack of consultation has led to public rejection, some projects are being held up or sent back to the drawing board, causing delays and potential rises in costs.

At the top of the class is the Central Market, for which the Urban Renewal Authority is conducting a thorough consultation, assisted by a committee comprising four district councillors and including a historian and conservation architects.

The one receiving the most criticism is the Central Police Station project, which was awarded to the Jockey Club without prior consultation and has gone back to the drawing board after the public objected to an obtrusive observation tower.

The selection process for the former police married quarters in Hollywood Road - where three of the four applicants declined an invitation to spell out their plans at a public forum, leading to its cancellation - has also been criticised. So has a proposal for an office tower on part of the present government headquarters site in Central. There appears to be no real standard by which a revitalisation project should proceed to meet public demands for transparency.

Central and Western district councillor Cheng Lai-king said that of the seven Conserving Central projects, the best approach so far was that for the Central Market. The consultation has involved a questionnaire covering more than 6,000 Hongkongers and tourists on possible uses, and workshops with residents and professionals.

The committee, of which Cheng is a member, will go on to discuss the business model and select operators for the project, with meeting records uploaded to its website.

Cheng said the most undesirable approach was the one for the Central Police Station, a historic complex of law-enforcement buildings including the former Victoria Prison.

The government announced in 2007 that it would lease the site to the Jockey Club to run an arts and commercial complex. The subsequent six-month consultation resulted in the club bowing to public pressure and scrapping the observation deck designed by renowned Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron. It is due to announce the revised plan soon.

Activists are also unhappy about what they see as secretiveness by applicants for the police quarters site.

The forum proposed by Cheng and the Central and Western Concern Group was aborted on September 25 because only one of the four applicants accepted the invitation to introduce their proposals to develop creative industries on the site.

"People have in the past complained about noisy rock concerts organised inside the [disused] police quarters. It is important the operators hear what neighbours think," Katty Law Ngar-ning, convenor of the concern group said.

Law said the approach adopted for the Blue House tenement in Wan Chai, where residents were included in the process, was good and should also be adopted for the quarters site.

The Development Bureau has given an advisory committee on revitalisation of historic buildings, comprising professionals and government officials, the task of choosing an operator for the police quarters site.

Applicants include an NGO set up by Sino Land, a charity set up by a newspaper proprietor and a group of artists and designers.

Cheng said she felt annoyed that the applicants did not attend the forum. "We want to know what they will do with the heritage site and how much they will open the space to the public. The government has the responsibility to engage the public in the selection process," she said.

A bureau spokeswoman said it had conducted a three-month public engagement exercise in May 2008 before launching the tender.

Advisory committee chairman Bernard Chan said it was up to the government to decide how much consultation should be conducted.

"It is actually not bad to hear more views. In the Blue House project, we initially thought it would be difficult to make a judgment together with residents but it turned out to be the opposite," he said.

The recent announcement of the redevelopment plan for the government headquarters, which involves knocking down the west wing for a new office tower and mall, is also likely to run into opposition during the consultation, which continues until the end of next month.

Activists such as Law and lawmaker Tanya Chan are asking why the symbol and landscape of political power have to be commercialised.

Antiquities Advisory Board member Dr Ng Cho-nam said the landmark buildings in the heart of Central would inevitably draw attention and it would be wise to heed public views. "It's natural people are concerned to whom the government will hand over these key development sites. Without active consultation it's easy to think that the decision is made at officials' will," Ng said.

Ada Wong Ying-kay, a member of the only applicant for the Hollywood Road project that accepted the invitation to the forum, said the approaches to the sites were inconsistent and a mechanism to govern heritage revitalisation was lacking.

"It's all up to officials to decide which buildings are put up for revitalisation and who will take them. There should be a heritage policy that goes through the list of all heritage buildings and categorises them to identify which should be opened up to community discussion," Wong said.

Colors from past offer hues of vitality
19 January 2011
The Standard

Most people know about the Blue House, the 1920s-era tenement on Stone Nullah Lane in Wan Chai. But not so many people realize it is part of a cluster that includes a Yellow House and an Orange House.

Part of the Yellow House, just around the corner on Hing Wan Street, is from the same era as its blue neighbor, but an earlier section (with numbers 2-4) is believed to date from 1903 or even earlier.

Both parts share a similar Western style, with big windows but no balconies overlooking the narrow street. Wooden staircases are among the features.

The Orange House, on King Sing Street, was built more recently _ in the 1950s _ and unlike the other two it is not yet graded. It is a four-story concrete and steel tenement, lacking the decorative features found in the earlier structures.

Like the other two buildings, the Orange House was designed to house shops below and residential accommodation above.

This cluster of old buildings occupying much of one block may have ended up being redeveloped, but thanks to new thinking about our heritage it is now recognized as worth preserving.

However, this is not as easy as it sounds _ especially as the government has promised to allow existing residents to remain. The Blue and Yellow houses do not have indoor toilets, for example.

After a couple of years of work, however, this cluster will house restaurants and cultural and community facilities, and another important piece of our past will have been given new life.

Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, sees culture from all perspectives.

New life beckons for tenants as heritage scheme kicks in
The Standard
Thursday, September 16, 2010

Twenty-one residents of Wan Chai's historic Blue House will be allowed to stay put even as the building is being revitalized.


TV news video of the revitalization plan (in Cantonese) :
http://cablenews.i-cable.com/webapps/news_video/index.php?news_id=342225

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Ins and outs of heritage protection
The Standard
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Public awareness of heritage issues has risen a great deal in the past 10 years or so, and the government and other concerned bodies have also started to take the issue more seriously.

Those who care about conservation may be interested in a small example of how we are seeing a more active and professional approach: the guidelines academics drew up on how the famous 1922 Blue House in Wan Chai can be adapted for future use.

The guidelines call for minimum intervention to preserve as much of the exterior as possible, and to restore it where necessary to its original appearance. Any new additions that are necessary should be reversible without causing any damage to the original structure.

Some of the changes made to the exterior in the past can be kept. (This last point is interesting: a 1950s addition may be as valuable a part of our heritage as the original structure - a building is a living thing.)

The interior guidelines are crucial, because the plan is to revitalize the Blue House and the adjoining old structures. The interiors may be altered where necessary to install modern building services, and also, if appropriate, to allow for new usages. However, any changes like this should not affect the external appearance, or the structural integrity.

This is a brief summary, but I think it shows a sensitive and practical approach, and a good example for use in similar heritage situations.

Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, sees culture from all perspectives.