URBANIZATION:
WAN CHAI
灣仔
ARCH2058 Modern Architecture ASSIGNMENT 3: GUIDEBOOK
| Fall 2021
Urbanization: Reclamation in Wan Chai Yan Chun Ki (3035793620) Yim Yung Ching (3035792327) Leung Man Wah (3035793486)
Introduction
Lung Wo Road
HKCEC
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Gloucester Ro
163 Jaffe Road
Henessy Road
Woo Cheong Pawn Shop
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Johnston Ro
Queen’s Road
Pak Tai Temple
Wan Chai was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong. Villagers used to live on a thin plot around the Pak Tai Temple atnear present-day Queen’s Road East. The rapid economic development and population growth during British colonization demanded land for urban development. Due to the limitation of lack of flatland and poorly developed residential areas, reclamation hass been thea major strategy to create new land in Wan Chai since the 1870s. The reclaimed land at 3 different phases is boundeddivided by Queen’s Road, GloucesterJohnston Road, and Lung Wo Gloucester Road respectively. The tour stretchinged about 1.6 km in length, startsing from the Hong Kong Conventional Exchange Centre Phase 1 at the current harbourfront, followed by Jaffe Road 163 near the Gloucester Road, Woo Cheong the Pawn Shop along Queen’s Road, finally reaching the Pak Tai Temple at the original coastline. The selected buildings highlight the distinctive architectural character that reflects the modern urbanization strategy at different reclamation phases in Wan Chai. Walking from the coast to the inland, the tour guides you through the waterfront from the present to the past, revealing the reclamation history and the transformation of the cityscape in Wan Chai.
1
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Phase I Building
Year of establishment: 1988 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) Phase I building is a modernist architectural landmark in Wan Chai North. Designed by Dennis Lau and Ng Chun Man Architects and Engineers, it serves as a multi-functional building with versatile convention, exhibition and commercial facilities, alongside two hotels and an office building. Its iconic modernist architectural styles, functions and other features make it one of the most prominent buildings on Wan Chai North reclaimed land, and hence the skyscraper which is the most reflective of the present-day metropolitan and commercialised cityscape in the area. Since its establishment, HKCEC Phase I has been the site of numerous international trade exhibitions and events, helping strengthen Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s international exhibition capital and financial centre.
Exhibition Hall
Meeting Rooms
Washrooms Convention Hall
Convetion Foyer
Theatre Foyer
Mezzanine Floor
Washrooms
Theatre 1 Theatre 2
Exhibition Hall
HKCEC Phase I Level 1 Plan (1:2000)
2 No. 163 Jaffe Road Year of establishment: before 1945 The project is a 4 storey Tong Lou built on the newly reclaimed land in Praya East Reclamation scheme completed in 1931. The standardized structure of the building and streets reflected the colonial government’s effort in rationalizing and standardizing buildings in the Chinese community by urban planning and regulation. In fact, the major purpose of carrying out the reclamation scheme is to tackle the overcrowding problem caused by the large number of immigrants from the mainland. A sewage system is included in the plan, so the chosen site and other Tong Lou built under the Praya East Reclamation scheme have toilet and sewage facilities unlike older Tong Lou in Wan Chai. Through the engineering systems, the colonial government aimed to alleviate the hygiene issues in the community.
Balconies
Residential
Shop
Section 1:400
3 Woo Cheong Pawn Shop Year of establishment: 1888 The project is a 4 storey balcony type tenement building with 4 bays.The ground floor of the building is devoted to family business whereas the upper levels are for residential purposes, which was typical in early colonial period.The land it is located on is obtained by reclamation done by private stakeholders for their own economic interest. This reflects the dominant role of private parties in urbanization and the segregation strategy the colonial government adopted with urban planning modelled on European experiences in Central District but allowing the Chinese community to develop in a loose way. The densely packed bays and absence of toilet provisions reveal the poor hygiene conditions in Wan Chai.Shortage of land due to skyrocketing population, avaricious landlords’ indifference towards hygiene issues and lack of government monitoring were the 3 major factors leading to the hygiene problems.
Balconies
Residential
Shop
Section 1:400
4 Pak Tai Temple Year of establishment: 1863 Pak Tai Temple is a traditional Chinese temple dedicated to the Taoist deity “Pak Tai” (Emperor of the Northern Realm). It is the largest vernacular temple on Hong Kong Island and has four main worshipping halls, namely Sam Bo Hall, Yuk Hui Hall, Lung Mo Hall and Choi San Hall. Pak Tai Temple was initially a communal and spiritual hearth of the local Chinese communities that lived beside Wan Chai’s natural coastline. Despite the drastic changes of Wan Chai’s cityscape under the force of urbanisation and progressive large-scale reclamations through history, Pak Tai Temple has remained there witnessing the dynamic processes of Wan Chai’s substantial transformation from an inconspicuous fishing village to an urbanised area we see today. Listed as a Declared Monument of Hong Kong, Pak Tai Temple is now a heritage architecture telling the stories of the past.
Yuk Hui Hall
Lung Mo Hall
Pak Tai Temple Section (Yuk Hui and Lung Mo Halls)
The Effects of 1980s Wan Chai North Planning Strategies on the Present-day Architectural and Urban Features North of Gloucester Road Chun Ki, Yan
Introduction In the 1960s, the Hong Kong Government commenced the Wan Chai North reclamation, 1 which in 1972 had created 90.8 acres of land (i.e., “Wan Chai North”) northward from Gloucester Road, 2 the original waterfront upon the Praya East Reclamation Scheme’s completion. The development and planning concepts adopted on the newly reclaimed land have shaped Wan Chai North’s present-day architectural and urban characteristics. By analysing various features of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) Phase I building and its context based on a case study approach, this paper aims to illustrate the effects of the historical context of Wan Chai North’s planning strategies on the general functions, architectural styles, open space network, and circulation features that define Wan Chai’s cityscape north of Gloucester Road and the buildings in this area. Functions of Buildings and Land Uses The influence of the economic-transformation-oriented planning strategy adopted in 1980s is visible in the
general functions of buildings and land uses in Wan Chai North. Completed in 1988, the HKCEC Phase I is a comprehensive multi-functional building with spaces for commercial, civic, and cultural uses. While a quarter of its 400,000 sqm total floor area is attributed to exhibition facilities, the building also houses two luxury hotels and office spaces, providing versatile facilities. 3 Apart from HKCEC Phase I, Wan Chai North’s landuse zoning also demonstrates the same functionally diverse and tertiary-industry-oriented feature, as current and previous Wan Chai North Outline Zoning Plans (OZPs) show that the uses of land in the area encompass “Commercial”, “Other Specified Uses (For Exhibition)”, “Comprehensive Development Area”, and “Government, Institution and Community”, 4 hence defining Wan Chai North’s urban morphology as one planned for a diverse group of higher value-added and service-oriented tertiary industries (e.g., financial services, tourism, exhibition) as well as civic agencies. This pattern is reflected by the densely dispersed multifunctional office complexes (e.g., Central Plaza, Shui On Centre, Harbour Centre), civic buildings (e.g., District Court, Immigration Tower, Revenue Tower), and exhibition site (i.e., HKCEC) within the district. This urban condition in Wan Chai North is attributable to the government’s then planning outline in response to the context of Hong Kong’s economic
transformation. In the 1980s, due to China’s economic reforms, many manufacturing activities were relocated from Hong Kong to Guangdong, where labour costs were lower. Consequently, Hong Kong had to expand its service industries and promote itself as a trading and financial centre. 5 While the manufacturing industry’s decline was expected, business and service industries were being increasingly significant, with a 161% employment growth rate for finance and commerce in 1980s. 6 Demand for office spaces and exhibition sites for trade inevitably skyrocketed, especially in traditional business districts (e.g., Central, Wan Chai). This led to a shift in the government’s land planning focus from new towns’ housing and industrialisation development to comprehensive developments for main urban areas alongside Victoria Harbour, 7 as the 1980s Territorial Development Strategy’s Metroplan 8 outlined visions for developing more Metro area’s land to accommodate more comprehensive tertiaryindustry-oriented buildings including office buildings and exhibition sites, in face of Hong Kong’s industrial restructuring. The 1980s systematic planning for Wan Chai North reclaimed land manifested a clear direction of developing the area into an all-inclusive mixed-use area to meet Hong Kong’s new development needs. Thus, Wan Chai North’s present-day land-use zoning and the all-rounded functions of HKCEC Phase I and its surrounding buildings are influenced by the planning
strategy adopted under the 1980s socio-economic context. Architectural Styles The architectural styles of HKCEC Phase I and surrounding buildings were immensely influenced by the government’s planning target of constructing a modernist cosmopolitan image for the territory’s urban areas, especially along the harbourfront, emphasising both functionality and modernist aesthetic qualities of urban fabrics. HKCEC Phase I’s design demonstrates evident elements of International Style architecture. Designed by Dennis Lau and Ng Chun Man Architects and Engineers (DLN), it is characterised by simple forms, an unembellished facade, free plans, and clean lines. 9 Built with the largest glass curtain in the 1980s, the building’s massing overlooks the harbour on three sides. 10 The surrounding free-standing office and civic skyscrapers also demonstrate similar defining modernist architectural features, with flat glass curtains exteriors, repetitive modular forms, and open interior planning. In early 1980s, under the economic transformation context, the government began to be aware of the role of modernist architecture in enhancing Hong Kong’s new image as an international business hub. In its 1985 district-by-district territorial development preliminary
studies, the government outlined the vision to use modern buildings to create a modern atmosphere at the harbour Metro area including the “Extension of Wanchai Reclamation”, 11 aiming to transform Hong Kong’s cityscape seen from the harbour by covering the more dated composite shophouses south of Gloucester Road with metropolitan modernist skyscrapers. Under this planning context, Buildings Office adopted modernist design proposals for all the commercial, civic and cultural buildings there, believing modernist architecture’s ability in possessing both commence-oriented functionalism and aesthetic values. The designs of surrounding Wan Chai North’s buildings are also in line with the then architectural planning strategies directed at urban areas alongside the harbour. Open Space Network The focus on providing public space in urban areas in the 1980s-1990s planning strategies for Wan Chai North reclamation land also shaped the present cityscape with a comprehensive network of open space between buildings in the district. For HKCEC Phase I, the built site is surrounded by large pieces of public areas, including the public outdoor garden west of the HKCEC and Harbour Road Garden. This spatial feature is also evident in HKCEC Phase I’s surrounding commercial and civic buildings, especially Wanchai
Tower, Harbour Centre and Central Plaza, which all have their ground floor areas opened to the surrounding network of public parks, squares, and sitting-out areas for the community. As shown in Wan Chai North OZPs, areas zoned as “Other Specified Uses (For Exhibition)” and “Commercial” are mostly adjacent to areas zoned as “Open Space”, which is “intended primarily for the provision of open-air public areas for recreational uses serving the general public”.12 This urban environment marked by a coherent open space network between buildings in Wan Chai North is attributable to the government’s post-war planning blueprints which put increasing emphasis on providing open space in urban districts. In his report on Hong Kong’s urban conditions, Patrick Abercrombie, a British town planning consultant hired by Hong Kong Government, outlined his suggested blueprints for more open spaces between buildings in traditional urban areas on Hong Kong Island North, including Wan Chai, Central and Causeway Bay.13 Causeway Bay’s Victoria Park and Wan Chai North’s open space system that was constructed at a later stage following Abercrombie’s blueprints are the major outcomes of this planning vision. 14 Thus, it is the government’s postwar urban planning visions that have created the Wan Chai North’s modern urban environment with more enhanced open space system than the traditional Wan
Chai settlements south of Gloucester Road. Connections between Buildings Another noteworthy urban feature in present-day Wan Chai North is the circulation connections between buildings. According to Cheung Kwok-wing, the DLN director involved in HKCEC Phase I’s design, the building includes elevated walkways that act as a system connecting the HKCEC to the surrounding Central Plaza, Shui On Centre, Great Eagle Centre, etc., hence facilitating a traffic pattern of pedestrian and vehicular separation. 15 In this case, the pedestrian footbridges serve as the major connections between buildings’ lobbies and open spaces, with inter-building circulations mainly taking place above the ground level. While vehicle-pedestrian separation has long been an important part of Hong Kong’s urban planning strategies,16 another notable planning background that specifically influenced the traffic pattern in Wan Chai North is the Cross-Harbour Tunnel’s construction. To extend road connections from Cross-Harbour Tunnel to the hinterland, a considerable part of Wan Chai North’s land was reclaimed for the connecting flyovers and highways. 17 Annual reports by Public Works Department also mentioned the necessity to meet the reclamation construction programme for the tunnel.
Thus, Wan Chai North reclaimed land’s important role as a traffic gateway between the tunnel and the city was already confirmed in the planning stage. Thus, the road system planning in Wan Chai North was essentially designed to facilitate smooth, fast, and efficient automobile movements exiting from the Cross-Harbour Tunnel to Wan Chai and other parts of Hong Kong Island. This explains why Wan Chai North’s road network is generally comprised of major trunk routes (e.g., Central-Wanchai Bypass) and wide roads/ flyovers with at least four lanes. 19 Thus, for establishing a rationally organised traffic pattern in the area, it was necessary to separate pedestrian and vehicular flows vertically to minimise pedestrian-car intersections and hence facilitate unobstructed movements. 18
Conclusion By examining the influence of Wan Chai North reclamation land’s planning strategies on the HKCEC Phase I building and its surrounding cityscape, this discussion about Wan Chai North’s urbanisation planning has highlighted the close relationships between wider urban planning context and architectures. How and what planning decisions should be made on reclaimed land to yield optimum implications on the resulted architectures will remain a much-continued discussion among different built environment professionals.
Notes 1. Department of Public Works, Hong Kong. “Summary of Major Land Formation Projects”. In Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works (1964-1965). Hong Kong: Government Printer, 1965. 2. Department of Public Works, Hong Kong. “Summary of Major Land Formation Projects”. In Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works (1971-1972). Hong Kong: Government Printer, 1972. 3. Hong Kong Trade Development Council. “Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Propels Hong Kong into Asia’s Top Trade Fair Destination”. Accessed 19th December 2021 https://portal.hktdc.com/ires/ en/s/HongKongConventionAndExhibitionCentre 4. Town Planning Board, Hong Kong. Hong Kong Planning Area No. 25 Approved Wan Chai North Outline Zoning Plan No. S/H25/4. Hong Kong: Town Planning Board, 2014. 5. Planning Department, Hong Kong. “Working Paper No.1 Hong Kong’s Third Economic Transformation and the Development of Innovation and Technology”. Government Working Papers, Planning Department. Hong Kong. https:// w w w. p l a n d . g o v. h k / p l a n d _ e n / p _ s t u d y / c o m p _ s / hk2030/eng/wpapers/pdf/workingPaper_01.pdf 6. Ho, Pui-yin. “Approaching the Handover (1979 – 1997)”. In Making Hong Kong: A History of its Urban Development. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018. 7. Wilson, David. Hong Kong Policy Address 1987. 8. Hong Kong Lands and Works Branch. Metroplan:
The Aims. Hong Kong: Government Printer, 1988. 9. Siu, Kin Wai & Huang, Yi Hua. “Everyday life under modernist planning: A study of an ever-transforming urban 10. ---, “Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre”. Now Shenzhen. 2021. Accessed 20th December 2021 https:// www.nowshenzhen.com/places/cultural-attractions/ hong-kong-convention-exhibition-centre-hkcec/ 11. He, Peiran. “Territory-wide Development Strategy”. In Challenges for an Evolving City. Hong Kong: Commercial Press, 2004. p.202. 12. Town Planning Board, Hong Kong. Hong Kong Planning Area No. 25 Approved Wan Chai North Outline Zoning Plan No. S/H25/4. Hong Kong: Town Planning Board, 2014. 13. ‘Plan to Illustrate Sir Patrick Abercrombie’s Report on Hong Kong’ (map). In The Shape of Things to Come: An Overview of the Role of Harbour Reclamations in the Future Development of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Planning, Environment and Lands Branch, 1995. 14. Ho, Pui-yin. “High-density development planning (1945 – 1979)”. In Making Hong Kong: A History of its Urban Development. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018. 15. Hong Kong Trade Development Council. “Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Propels Hong Kong into Asia’s Top Trade Fair Destination”. Accessed 20th December 2021 https://portal.hktdc.com/ires/ en/s/HongKongConventionAndExhibitionCentre 16. Siu, Kin Wai & Huang, Yi Hua. “Everyday life under modernist planning: A study of an ever-transforming urban area in Hong Kong”. Urban Design International. Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1357–5317. 2015 17. Lumb, Peter. “Land Reclamation in Hong
Kong”. Residential Workshop on Materials and Methods for Low-Cost Road, Rail and Reclamation Works. Leura, Australia: s.n., 1976. 18. Department of Public Works, Hong Kong. “Summary of Major Land Formation Projects”. In Hong Kong Annual Departmental Report by the Director of Public Works (1966-1967). Hong Kong: Government Printer, 1967. 19. Transport Department, Hong Kong. “Expressways and Trunk Roads”. 18th June 2021. Accessed 20th December 2021 https://www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/road_users_ code/index/chapter_5_for_all_drivers/expressways_ and_trunk_road_/#:~:text=Trunk%20roads%20are%20 busy%20roads,traffic%20at%20a%20higher%20speed
Case study of No.163 Jaffe Road: effects on buildings on reclaimed land due to planning strategy adopted in Praya East Reclamation Scheme Yung Ching, Yim
The Praya East Reclamation Scheme completed in 1931 is the first government lead large-scale reclamation in Wan Chai which was formerly inhabited by the Chinese. The Scheme marked a policy shift from a “segregation strategy” to a more unified and modern urbanization strategy across Hong Kong. To examine the implications of the Praya East Reclamation Scheme on the community, No.163 Jaffe Road, which is a Chinese tenement house built shortly after the completion of the reclamation project, is selected as the subject of this case study. The investigation seeks to uncover the relationship between the historical background, the modernist strategy adopted, and the physical characteristics inhabited by the site. To begin with, the physical characteristics of the selected site, No.163 Jaffe Road, are investigated. The project is a 4-storey high shophouse fully constructed of reinforced concrete, including the floor slabs and the flat roof deck. It also takes the typical rectangular form with narrow frontage, but great depth adopted by most Tong Lau. In the case of No.163 Jaffe Road,
its frontage is about 6m wide with 11m depth. Its rectangular and geometric form exhibited the influence of Art Deco style, which was a dominant architectural style in the 1930s. Although the building does not feature any balcony, the street-facing side of the upper levels retreats to create semi-outdoor spaces and let in light. Another important and groundbreaking feature the project inherits compared to other Tong Lau at that time is its toilet facilities and back lawns. Taking all the above features into account, No.163 Jaffe Road would fall into the category of third-generation Tong Lau, namely the pre-war reinforced concrete shophouse, according to the classification method proposed by Lee Ho Yin and Lynne DiStefano. However, No.163 Jaffe Road should not be understood just as an independent free-standing project. It was a basic module of a larger system. Aerial photo of Wan Chai in the 1940s reveals that the land obtained from Praya East Reclamation Scheme was occupied mainly with low-rise monotonous Tong Lou sharing the same building code as No.163 Jaffe Road with a few communal buildings, such as No.2 Police station (present old Wan Chai Police Station) and Southorn Playground, as exceptions. Despite the uniform building code cannot be seen anymore in the present days as most Tong Lou built in that period were redeveloped into taller and more massive buildings,
the street system and sewage system included in the Praya East Reclamation Scheme which is still explicit today are helpful in understanding and reconstructing the old Wan Chai. The orderly street system that roughly forms a grid aligned to the waterfront in the 1940s (approximately present Gloucester Road) that is followed straightly by all the buildings was evidence that the project was part of an urban plan. Furthermore, a sewage system with a total of 22250 feet (approximately 6780m) of sewers was built on the reclaimed land to part with toilet facilities in the Tong Lau could be another example demonstrating the relationship between physical features of No.163 Jaffe Road and the reclamation scheme. The standardized building code, systematic street system, and sewage system are results of the planning strategy the colonial government imposed through the Praya East Reclamation Scheme. Therefore, to continue the investigation, the Praya East Reclamation Scheme was studied. The scheme involved reclaiming over 32 acres (approximately 13hectares) of land and pushing the former waterfront (approximately present Hennessy Road and Johnston Road) 260 feet (approximately 80m) into the sea on average using soil from Morrison Hill. In 1897, the administration has already commenced planning for the Praya East Reclamation Scheme, but it was not proceeded to
implementation until 1921 due to the Royal Navy’s opposition. One major objective of the scheme was to improve the living standard of the Chinese community in Wan Chai. Since the occupation of Hong Kong Island in 1841, the population in the City of Victoria (present Kennedy Town, Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, Central, and Wan Chai) skyrocketed from 800 in 1841 to 312,388 in 1921. The population growth was mainly caused by the tremendous number of immigrants fleeing to Hong Kong from the mainland who influx to the Chinese living area. By the early 20th century, the number of inhabitants in the Chinese living area has immensely exceeded the area’s carrying capacity. The overcrowding situation soon spawned hygiene issues that became menaces to public health. The colonial government’s former dual urban planning strategy of establishing an urban plan in the European living quarters while allowing the Chinese community to develop in a loose way was proved to be insufficient. The urge for urban expansion was great, but development was restricted by natural resource shortages and a poor natural environment. In response, the government had to make use of new policies, construction techniques, and infrastructure. Under this context, the Praya East Reclamation Scheme was formulated. As a result, the scheme can be understood as an urban engineering project aiming to tackle urgent social problems in a modern manner.
Modernism was pursued as a social project in the scheme. The way of seeing the city as a machine is explicit through rationalizing and standardizing the city in an attempt to better monitor it. On an urban scale, the colonial government established a street system according to a grid aligned to the waterfront instead of extending existing chaotic streets formed a strong gesture showing their belief that the city could be constructed and managed through rational systems like machines. The same attitude was also exhibited in the strategy of zoning the whole reclaimed area into residential land use. The colonial government’s belief that governing and functioning of the city could be enhanced through rationalization was modern. On a building scale, many features of the building code were the result of standardization through legislation to cope with the defective hygiene conditions. For example, a scavenging lane, or service back lane was introduced to all the Tong Lau built on the land reclaimed under the Praya East Reclamation Scheme according to the requirement of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance 1903 in order to facilitate ventilation and alleviate solid waste disposal problems. Similar examples also include restrictions on building height, building depth, and other sanitary facilities such as toilets and sewers. Therefore, the faith the government has in the modern machinery-minded management
strategy of rationalizing and standardizing were shown consistently in different scale of the project. The unified building code adopted at the site echoed Hermann Muthesius’s argument of extensive standardization as a means to improve quality under economic constraints. Standardization, to be understood as the result of a beneficial concentration will alone make possible the development of a universally valid, unfailing good taste. Despite making a specific design for every user could potentially provide architectures that better suit the users’ needs, the idea is too idealist and not cost-effective. In light of the urgency of the detrimental overcrowding situation and limited budget, focusing resources on establishing a standardized type, in which universal needs were addressed, and replicating it to construct a community would be a more practical strategy. Apart from saving resources needed for designing, standardization can also reduce construction costs and construction time. Duplication of the type involved the use of a large amount of identical standardized compartments such as pipe segments, door panels, and handrails. Mass production of these components facilitates the division of labor and the use of machinery to increase efficiency and lower the cost of the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the division of labor can also be used in on-site construction. The replication of
standardized units in a rational and ordered manner allowed one bay of the tenement houses to be seen as a basic unit separated from the rest of the construction. The construction team can split into multiple groups each specialized into one or two construction procedures and work on different parts of the building simultaneously. Time waiting for the concrete to dry could be utilized as the workers could move on to work on other units. The quality of construction could also be enhanced as each worker could repeatedly perform the same technique. This strategy of splitting up the construction into small tasks and each worker being responsible and specialized into one task also echoed with the machinery-like management strategy. Through investigation on the relationship between physical characteristics of No.163 Jaffe Road and modern planning strategies adopted in the Praya East Reclamation Scheme; it is discovered that physical characteristics inherited by No.163 Jaffe Road were the result of standardized building code while modernism was mainly pursued as a response to social problems including overcrowding and unsanitary environment. The implications of modern urban plans on an individual architecture project were better understood. Although the strategies used in the Praya East reclamation Scheme might seem outdated or simple-minded nowadays due to the technological
advancement and social changes since 1931, the dialogue between No.163 Jaffe Road and Praya East Reclamation Scheme are still inspiring to professions in the built professions.
Notes 1. Anderson, A. “Final Report Praya East Reclamation Scheme.” Hong Kong Government Reports Online. HKSAR Government. Accessed December 22, 2021. https://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/s1931/2384.pdf. 2. Hermann Muthesius, Theses, Werkbund Exhibition, Cologne, June 1914. 3. Ho, Pui. Making Hong Kong: A History of Its Urban Development. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018. 4. Ho, Pui-yin. Challenges for an Evolving City: 160 Years of Port and Land Development in Hong Kong. 1st ed. Hong Kong: Commercial Press, 2004. 5. King, Mary Ann Pui Wai, and Ada Ying-kay Wong. “Wan Chai Coastline.” Accessed December 22, 2021. http://gumgum.hk/coastline%20book.pdf. 6. Lee, Ho Yin., and Hong Kong . Antiquities Monuments Office. Pre-war Tong Lau : A Hong Kong Shophouse Typology. Rev. & Updated Version. ed. Hong Kong: Faculty of Architecture, University of Hong Kong], 2010. 7. Stewart, Frederick. “Legislative Council, No. 8.” Legco. Accessed December 22, 2021. h t t p s : / / l e g c o . g o v. h k / 1 8 8 9 / h 8 9 0 3 2 2 . p d f . 8. van de Velde, “Antitheses,” Werkbund Exhibition, Cologne, June 1914. 9. Xue, Charlie Q.L, Han Zou, Baihao Li, and Ka Chuen Hui. “The Shaping of Early Hong Kong: Transplantation and Adaptation by the British Professionals, 18411941.” Planning Perspectives 27, no. 4 (2012): 549-68.
Discuss the reasons why some old buildings are preserved in face of the large-scale modernist urban expansion by reclamation in Wan Chai Man Wah, Leung
Most of the Wan Chai is built on reclaimed land extending
1000m from the natural coastline1. Throughout the century, reclaimed development carried out in the Harbour reflects the urgent land demand to support urbanization. Northern Wan Chai presents a systematic layout under modernist planning2. However, southern Wan Chai still retains essential heritage characteristics, such as traditional temples and Tong Lau that preserves distinct character. Through a historic review of the Pak Tai Temple and the Woo Cheong Pawn Shop located at the old waterfronts, the essay discusses the role of reclamation in heritage preservation and the modernist approach towards heritage conservation in the course of urbanization in Wan Chai. The Pak Tai Temple was built by the locals of Wan Chai in 1863 for worshipping the Pak Tai, a deity of the sea to protect sea trades and local merchants. It serves as an important communal venue for the community and a historic landmark portraying the early development of Wan Chai. The structure stood for more than a
century and was finally under the legal protection of declared monuments in 20193. Until then, the temple is preserved due to its communal and political purposes to the native Chinese community and the segregated city planning. The modernist urban planning of “desegregated sortings”5, where land is organised in clusters of land use, is applied in the Praya East Reclamation Scheme and reclamation on Gloucester Road onwards6. However, the essence of segregated planning is also observed in the early reclamation. From the map, the belt urban configuration of Wan Chai formed through progressive reclamation shows the categorisation of land into layers of land use2. The inland area of Wan Chai was dominated by Chinese villagers and built with traditional houses and simple city facilities. However, the Government was looking for more developed residential buildings as well as port facilities for the merchants to trade. In the light of this, they had a grand plan of reclamation along northern Hong Kong Island, in which the government separates the hillside and newly reclaimed land into monofunctional urban areas, and segregates activities in accordance with land use for the ease of management. Reclamation became a more feasible choice for the Government to apply systematic planning to the colony. Therefore, rather than redeveloping land on the hillside, where
the Temple is located, the Colonial Government urges landowners to reclaim new land along the coast for the sake of the modern development of Victoria City. Regarding the functional aspect of Pak Tai Temple, the structure was able to adapt to various uses serving the community. The temple was once the centre of the Wan Chai community around Stone Nullah Lane looking after the public affairs and trading activities4. The temple includes a communal hall, which provides a venue to the Chinese community for religious and communal activities, later housed the St. James’ Settlement Boys’ and Girls’ Club in the 1950s. An annexe attached to the main building was formerly a school for the villagers3. Various communal functions of the temple evidenced its profound existence to the Wan Chai society. In the 1860s, beginning of the colonial era, the society was unstable due to recession and security problems like burglary, triad, and piracy4. The British Colonial Government granted the land for free for the establishment of the temple4, believing this could help to cohere the community, thus, legitimizing and strengthening the political power of the colonial regime. From the British colonial history in other places such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, the Colonial Government also strengthened its control
over colonies by centralizing government offices7. As the temple was in line with the colonial government’s centralization strategy, the precious plot of land was not sold through the auction for the development of residential buildings. Another example of heritage is the Woo Cheong Pawn Shop located at Johnston Road, the boundary of the first reclamation in Wan Chai. It was built in 1888, soon after the reclamation work, and originally owned by the Lo family, a well-known local pawnshop trader. The shophouses incorporated the traditional style of Tong Lau shophouse; and Western architectural features of a high ceiling, French windows and light wells. The building was revitalised in 2003 by the Urban Renewal Authority. Due to land ownership and adaptive use of the building, it managed to remain in Wan Chai till now. The Colonial government had a hard time dealing with land ownership and winning consent for urban development in the mid-nineteenth century due to losing management and inadequate urban planning7. The first reclamation was carried out in 1851, but then the Wan Chai reclamation work was shelved till 1875 because of land ownership disputes between the marine force, private lot owners and the government7. The land was finally reclaimed by existing Marine lot
owners who could also claim the owner of the newly reclaimed plot. Property rights in Wan Chai in the early twentieth century were mostly private ownership. The delay in Wan Chai reclamation reveals the difficulties in getting consent between landowners to plan large-scale urban redevelopment. After the first reclamation, the government established a clearer definition of marine land ownership. Thus reclamation as the alternative land supply option was prioritised. The Wan Chai existing district, including the Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, avoided demolition in large-scale urban redevelopment. Therefore, reclamation as a land supply alternative helped preserve the colonial architecture of Woo Cheong Pawn Shop. Regarding the adaptive use of the Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, the 4 blocks mixed-use tenants accommodating both residential and commercial functions facilitated the flexibility of the building program. The Tong Lau style was characterised by the spacious layout due to minimal partitions and extra space provided by the veranda, mainly serving as living quarters predominantly for Chinese residents9. While the pedestrian arcade formed by the overhanging balconies at the ground level hosted shops adjacent to Queen’s Road. Although the building was named by the Lo family’s pawn shop due to its longest run among the shops, other units were occupied by bird shops,
beauty salons, boutiques, and various small family businesses shops checking in and out throughout the decades9. In 2003, the building was revitalised with up-to-date building facilities to accommodate modern high-end shops to generate income10. The multi-use Tong Lau building was utilised as a frame to house short-term shops like a machine with interchangeable parts. It transformed from a residential-commercial building during the early twentieth century Wan Chai to a solely commercial building fitting to the present CBD Wan Chai. As such, the flexible architectural frame accommodating the modern machine ideology plays a significant role in adapting to the ever-changing city. Although reclamation in the Victoria Harbour was blamed for destroying the cultural heritage such as narrowing the Harbour or relocating coastal infrastructure. The reclamation schemes in the twentieth century prioritized urban expansion over marine land than settlements on the original plot of land. This phenomenon is evidenced by the low-rise buildings and Tong Lau clusters in the southern Wan Chai. Thus, considering that urban expansion is inevitable for city development, reclamation as an alternative for urbanization contributed to the preservation of colonial heritage in the inland Wan Chai. Moreover, the adaptive feature of the old structures reveals the modernist machine ideology adopted in the building
design. Flexible space responding to community or commercial needs resists the time challenges of the transforming city. Therefore, old buildings in Wan Chai could avoid obsolescence in the face of large-scale urban expansion in Wan Chai.
Notes 1. Yu, Jacky.消失中的海岸線：灣仔. 香舊照片, last modified August 23, 2013. https://oldhkphoto.com/lostwanchai/ 2. Lands Department. GeoInfo Map, Last modified at December 14, 2021. https://www.map.gov.hk/gm/ 3. Antique and Monument Office. Declared Monuments in Hong Kong - Hong Kong Island. Declared Monuments in Hong Kong, last modified September 23, 2020. https://www.amo.gov.hk/en/monuments_122.php 4. 余忠傑, and University of Hong Kong. The Palace of Pak Tai [electronic Resource] : A Study of the History and Architecture of Pak Tai Temple in Wan Chai. 2011. 5. Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York, NY: Vintage Books. 1993. 6. Siu, Kin Wai Michael, and Yi Hua Huang. 2015. Everyday Life under Modernist Planning: A Study of an Ever-transforming Urban Area in Hong Kong. Urban Design International (London, England) 20, no. 4 : 293-309. 7. Ho, Pui-yin. Challenges for an Evolving City : 160 Years of Port and Land Development in Hong Kong. 1st ed. Hong Kong: Commercial Press, 2004.Xue, Charlie Q.L, Han Zou, Baihao Li, and Ka Chuen Hui. 2012. The Shaping of Early Hong Kong: Transplantation and Adaptation by the British Professionals, 1841-1941. Planning Perspectives 27, no. 4 : 549-68. 8. Ngai, Beverly. Hidden Hong Kong: A history of Woo Cheong Pawn Shop. Localiiz, last modified December 14, 2021. https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-history-woo-cheong-pawn-shop-hong-kong 9. Home Affairs Department. Woo Cheong Pawn
Shop. Hong Kong Fun in 18 Districts, last modified August 25, 2020. https://www.gohk.gov. hk/eng/welcome/wc_spots.html?spots=18 10. Ho, Pui-Yin. Making Hong Kong. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: Edward Elgar Publishing. 2018.
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Typology. Rev. & Updated Version. ed. Hong Kong: Faculty of Architecture, University of Hong Kong], 2010. 10. Xue, Charlie Q.L, Han Zou, Baihao Li, and Ka Chuen Hui. “The Shaping of Early Hong Kong: Transplantation and Adaptation by the British Professionals, 18411941.” Planning Perspectives 27, no. 4 (2012): 549-68.
The Modern Architecture Guidebook Hong Kong’s built environment represents a unique site of inquiry in the global history of the Modern Movement. The Modern Architecture guidebook series draw from an inter-disciplinary toolkit of knowledge, references, and field studies to understand the processes at work in the built environment. Each walking tour in the series begins with one of the 98 MTR stations in Hong Kong as the meeting point. First opened in 1979, this modernist infrastructure has produced a city rationalized around transportoriented development. Organized around key themes (industrialization, colonization, environment, internationalization, migration, decolonization, counterculture, and globalization), the guidebooks present a critical yet open perspective towards the implications of large-scale modernist schemes on the environment and community.
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