INDUSTRIALIZATION:
TSUEN WAN
荃灣 ARCH2058 Modern Architecture
ASSIGNMENT 3: GUIDEBOOK
| Fall 2021
Industrialization: Industrial Heritages in Tsuen Wan Zhou Yuying (3035772535) Liu Yichu (3035773072) Ho Ka Wai (3035796012)
Industrial heritages In the tour, we chose three industrial buildings in Tsuen Wan, starting from the Mills in Chai Wan Kok industrial area to Bonson industrial Building in Texaco area, and finally the Sheung Chui Court in Texaco area. The predecessor of the three buildings were two representative type of factories in the industrialization period (factory owned by one owner and flatted factory), and are currently used in three ways which cover most frequent situations how the old industrial site are used for the time being (commercial, residential and commercial combine with industrial). By taking this tour, we could get a genreal picture of Tsuen Wan’s industrial features, and its its history of industrialization and de-industrialization.
1 THE MILLS
Mill 6
Mill 5 Mill 4
Retail Shops Passages connecting different blocks added in the renovation Emergency Staircases
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The Mills is a landmark revitalization project located at 45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. The building consists of three cuboid volumes, connected with each other by corridors and staircases. The piece of architecture is simplistic in modern industrial style. The facade is in light grey concrete finish, with extensive use of steel frames and glass windows. In the interior, the dimension is spacious, with reinforced concrete and steel columns as the bearing structures. The building complex serves multiple programs including business incubator, experiential retail, and a non-profit cultural institution. The mills is considered as a cultural carrier of the industrial past of Tsuen Wan. The architecture is transformed from the fourth to sixth factory of Nan Fung Textile company, which witnessed the company’s growth, success, and decline as a cornerstone of the territory’s dominant textile industry since the 1950s.
2 Bonson Industrial Building The Bonsun Industrial Building built in 1973 is located on Sha Tsui Road in Tsuen Wan. It is a 20 storey flatted factory, first built for small factories. Now it is used in multiple ways: Office, Factory, Co-working Space, Commercial & Industrial Properties, etc. It is a cuboid with a small cuboid attached. The ground floor is for parking and commercial activities. Entering the big cuboid part, all the stories share the same shape on its plan. The initial plan has standardized rooms but partition walls can be added or demolished for different demands in multiple uses. This building is a typical example of flatted factories in its form and also in its usage today.
Main space: factory / storage / office...
Circulation
commercial along the street Scale: 1:1200
3 Sheung Chui Court The construction project of Sheung Chui Court was completed in 2017, and it was the Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate before. In the Past, around the 1950s, industrialisation started in Tsuen Wan as the operation cost of factories was relatively cheap. However, the facilities were too old and it is not cost-effective to repair them. Therefore, the vacancy of the industrial units increased. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government has to build more residential estate to solve the problem caused by housing shortage. It is suggested that Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate should be demolished and replaced with a Home Ownership Scheme. Eventually, Sheung Chui Court was built and it stated that the transformation of housing estate from industrial land is feasible in Hong Kong.
The Mills: an epitome of the industrialization and post-industrialization development in Tsuen Wan Yuying, Zhou
Tsuen Wan Industrial District originated before the 1930s, with famous factories including Texaco Oil Company, Mayar Silk Mills and South China Iron Works.1 The Japanese occupation during WW2 caused a great decline in the Hong Kong industry, but recovery started rapidly when the occupation ends. After the year 1946, due to the Chinese Civil War, a large population, as well as plenty of industrialists, migrated from the mainland to Hong Kong. Kowloon city, which is a devel-
oped district at the time, was saturated by the population, therefore people moved to the New territory for settlement.1,2,3 To the administrators, it became necessary to develop new towns to accommodate the new population, as well as to provide new jobs to support the livelihood of inhabitants. According to David Roland Holmes, who was the civil affairs commissioner of the New Territory, “We must expect the potential development of the new district, and develop the industry to provide job opportunity and satellite city to provide accommodation.” He suggested that new factories should be built in the districts where sea and land accesses are convenient, among which Tsuen Wan was an ideal site.4 Therefore, Tsuen Wan was designated to be a new industrial satellite town in the development plan. Multiple manufacturing industries were developed, among which the textile industry is the dominant one. Nan Fung Cotton Mills was established in 1954 in Pak Tin Pa Street Industrial Zone
at the dawn of industrialization in Tsuen Wan. The first factory yielded outstandingly, with the record of producing 30 million pounds of cotton yarn per year at its peak.5 Then, the company expanded its business and purchased 5 more factory sites. According to the historical photos (fig.1), the Nan Fung Cotton Mills has the characteristics of a modern industrial factory building. The building was the combination of several cuboid volumes, each with different proportions and scales, depending on the program each accommodated. The tallest block is six-story-high above ground. The facades consisted of simple repetitions of columns and windows. Some pipelines and staircases were attached to exterior walls. These exterior features demonstrate the functionalist aesthetics and design approach of the Mills. The interior also reveals the modern architectural characteristic of Nan Fung Mills. Telling from the photo of office space (fig.2), large
glass windows with a height over 3 meters were applied indoor as partitions, which is also the feature of western industrial modernism. The height of the story was more than 4 meters, along with the transparency of the glass, which created a spacious experience. The horizontal span of the inner space of the workshop (fig.3) was also ample, achieved by the structural columns arrayed in grids and the horizontal beams. The large inner space greatly facilitates the operation of large industrial machinery. It is an early example of how the reinforced concrete structure was applied in industrial architecture to achieve a larger span of space and more efficient use of the land during the industrialization process of Hong Kong. The Mills contrasted with the factory of the South China Iron Works (fig.4), which was also a Chinese-owned company, established and built before the 1930s. The factory consists of an array of long bungalows in the vernacular style. Each roof had a main
Fig. 1 Nan Fung Textile Company Building (source: Nan Fung Textile Limited)
Fig. 3 Workshop in Nan Fung Textile Company (source: Nan Fung Textile Limited)
Fig. 2 Office in the Nan Fung Factory (source: Nan Fung Textile Limited)
Fig. 4 South China Iron Works Factory (source: HKU Digital Repository)
ridge and raised sloping ridges on the gable walls with two slopes facing front and back, which resembles the Hard Hill Roofs ( 硬山頂) of traditional Chinese vernaculars. The vernacular type of construction restricted the horizontal and vertical space for use, and could not adapt to the increasing need for massive industrial production. The progress and success of the Nan Fung textile factories are a miniature of the rapid industrialization of the Tsuen Wan district from the 1950s to the 1970s. In terms of official development plannings, in the 1950s, Tsuen Wan was planned by the government to be developed into an industrial satellite town, aiming at a self-contained and balanced development. In 1961, the government issued the development plan of Tsuen Wan as one of the 9 new towns of Hong Kong. In 1973, the implementation of the development plan started.1,4,7,8 The industrialization process in Tsuen gained great success. In 1971, Tsuen Wan has become the largest industrial dis-
trict in Hong Kong, accommodating about 20% of all industrial productions. The textile industry is the major sector of industrial production in Tsuen Wan and in Hong Kong. The district had the title of “Little Manchester” as an analogy to Manchester which is the Western center of the textile industry. Along with the process of industrial development comes the urbanization of Tsuen Wan. Infrastructures including transportation, public housing, as well as electricity and water supply are upgraded.1,4,7,8,9,10 Public facilities regarding education, medical facilities, and public and leisure activities are established to satisfy the need of citizens. Sea reclamation was planned and implemented to the south of Castle Peak Road to reserve more land for housing and industrial development. These changes are reflected in the urban texture of Tsuen Wan. The photo (fig.5) shot in 1966 shows the part of Tsuen Wan including the Nan Fung Textile mills. Around the mills, there are industrial buildings and factories adjacent to each other, many of which had exceeded 10 stories.
All of them show simple and pragmatic industrial characteristics. The high density of the industrial buildings also indicates aggregation of industrial production. Modern housing estates are planned and built within convenient reach from the factories, showing that Tsuen Wan is not only growing into an industrial district, but also a self-sufficient new town. However, In the 1980s, Hong Kong started to decline in terms of manufacturing industry. Other Asian districts, especially Taiwan and Southeast Asia countries, stepped into industrialization. Meanwhile, Mainland China was carrying out the Economic Reform. Facing the competitiveness of cheap labor in those districts and the increasing cost of material, labor, and rent within Hong Kong, Hong Kong underwent an industrial transformation and upgrading.4,7,8 The third industry became the dominant industry in Hong Kong, and decline is inevitable for manufacturing operations. Some of the industrial lands changed land use for commercial buildings,
Fig. 5 Tsuen Wan in 1966 (source: HKU Digital Repository)
Fig. 6 Land Usage of Tsuen Wan in 2010 (source: Environmental Protection Department)
housing, and shopping malls.7,8,11 Under the hardship of the textile industry, Nan Fung company changed its emphasis from industrial production to real estate.10 The first to third factories of Nan Fung Cotton Mills was left vacant since the 1990s and were demolished after being used for the fire scene in the film Lifeline. The site was then reclaimed for housing development, which is now the housing estate Summit Terrace. The fourth to the sixth factory also stopped production in 2008 and was transformed into warehouses.5 Tsuen Wan continues rapid development with industrial transformation and Land replacement. As can be seen in the survey done in 2010 (fig.6), industrial area only accounts for a minority in Tsuen Wan, far exceeded by residential uses. Commercial or residential buildings replaced the former factories.11 The third industry strives with multiple shopping centers including Tsuen Wan Plaza, Discovery Park, City Walk Plaza, Tsuen Wan Centre Shopping Mall, etc., most of which are connected
by the Tsuen Wan Town Footbridge Network. Accompanying the rise of the cultural and creative industry and more attention paid to the conservation and revitalization of historical heritages, The Nan Fung Cotton mills started its revitalization project. In 2014, Nan Fung Group submitted a plan for the revitalization of two existing factory sites, aiming to create a new landmark of the district. The renovated Nan Fung Cotton Mills opened to the public in the year 2018, with the new name The Mills. The Mills consists of the fourth to sixth factory blocks, which are separated originally but now connected with each other by new corridors and staircases. In the renovation, most of the original structure is maintained, and new steel structures are applied for reinforcement. To introduce more natural light, part of the walls and ceiling are transformed into glass. The steel structural frames and skylight in Mill 6 become a popular destination for their industrial aesthetics. The renovation project also pays close attention to the details. Many of the
columns, stairs, and walls are kept as original with the characteristic green paint. Two main gates of the original factories were moved and preserved inside the building as two partition walls. Even the benches are made from wood recycled from old timber doors in the factories. All these serve to preserve the human touch and past memory of the factory.12 The mills accommodates tourism, service, cultural and communal activity. Most of the shops inside are individual set-ups of Hong Kong origin. To serve its role as a cultural landmark, exhibitions and activities are held to introduce the history to the public. Telling from its public reputation, the mills is a successful revitalization both commercially and culturally.12 The success of the Mills indicates how an industrial town could continue its vitality in the post-industrial development, and serve as a role model for future development of Tsuen Wan district. Currently, the old industrial heritages are still in flux, with many abandoned or
claimed for demolishment. It’s important for both developers and citizens to think about the sustainable way to both develop economically and keep the history and cultural identity.
Notes
1. 蔡思行, 戰後新界發展史(初版), (香港: 中華書局, 2016). 2. 麥秀霞., 莫冰子., 麥秀霞, 莫冰子, and 時代 新聞社, 新界指南, (香港: 時代新聞社, 1951). 3. Hong kong tourism board, Tsuen Wan: Hong kong tourism board, Discover Hong Kong, h t t p s : / / w w w. d i s c o v e r h o n g k o n g . c o m / e n g / explore/neighbourhoods/tsuen-wan.html 4. Ho, Pui-yin. “High-density development planning (1945–1979)”. In Making Hong Kong A History of its Urban Development, (Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018). 5. “南豐紗廠“, Wikipedia. Retrieved December 22, 2021, https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8 D%97%E8%B1%90%E7%B4%97%E5%BB%A0 6. Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office, Tsuen Wan - Planning for Livable New Towns. (Hong Kong: Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office, 2019). 7. “荃灣區”, Wikipedia, Retrieved December 22, 2021, https://zh.wikipedia.org/wik i/%E8%8D%83%E7%81%A3%E5%8D%80 8. 歷史 荃葵青, 港文化18區, Retrieved December 22, 2021, https://had18.huluhk.org/art i c l e - h i s t o r y. p h p ? r e g i o n = 2 1 & a m p ; l a n g = t c 9. “荃灣紡織史 六廠尋回憶 走訪上世紀「小曼徹斯特」”, 香港商報, Retrieved December 22, 2021, https://www. hkcd.com/content/2017-09/07/content_1064012.html. 10. “香港工業的黃金年代 - 紡織業”, WeShare, Retrieved December 22, 2021, https://www.
weshare.hk/oceandeep3000/articles/756951 11. “登陸荃灣：衛星城市上的故事”, Cultural Journalism Campus, Retrieved December 22, 2021, https://culturaljournalismcampus.org/2016/08/21/%E7%99%BB%E9%99%B8%E8%8D%83%E7%81%A3%EF%BC%9 A%E8%A1%9B%E6%98%9F%E5%9F%8E%E5%B8%82 %E4%B8%8A%E7%9A%84%E6%95%85%E4%BA%8B/ 12. “Revitalization & Heritage | the mills 南豐紗 廠”, Retrieved December 22, 2021, https://www. themills.com.hk/en/about-the-mills/heritage/
Space in an Industrial City: How industrialization has an impact on the formation of Tsuen Wan’s spatial features. Yichu, Liu
Tsuen Wan, who owns the name “ Little Manchester” of Hong Kong, was one of the most important industrial towns in Hong Kong during its industrialization period. As Tsuen Wan’s urban development paralleled the industrialization process, the spatial organization was highly influenced by industrialization, whether in urban scale or in building scale. Currently in the context of de-industrialization, it is important to analyze
the spatial feature for taking advantage of it and create the post-industrial Tsuen Wan. 1.Development of urban space under the influence of industrialization The industrialization in Tsuen Wan started at a fast pace after 1945, at which time Hong Kong started to recover from the severe impact of Japanese occupation. A large number of factories were built because of the cheap land and geographical location of Tsuen Wan, which is especially suitable for textile entrepreneurs.1 By 1950, Tsuen Wan had become the center of Hong Kong’s textile industry. 1.1 Concentrate in central Industries that were on a large scale and with rich capital were mostly situated in the west. Besides, there were plenty of tiny factories, mostly situated in flimsy structures in the old central villages (Sam Tung Uk etc.) forming several “small industrial” units. The center became overcrowded. The population grew without enough residential places. More than
half of the workers lived in tenants in the village at the centre which was disordered. Then urban space expanded freely without planning. In response to the rapid increase in population coming for industry, Tai Wo Hau Estate was built at the east edge of Tsuen Wan as the first resettlement area (which belonged to Tsuen Wan at that time) in 1961. The following were Fok Loi Estate, Bo Shek Mansion, Moon Lok Mansion as rented dwellings, which were spatially spiraling towards central. However, old central villages is still disorderly, containing most of the small-scale industries. From 1957 to 1967, the population of Hoyba Island doubled, and the per capita living area was less than 0.0025. Some tiny factories scattered on the rice field of Sam Tung Uk. At west, near Muk Min Ha, the first flatted factory with high ceilings for silk weaving was built by a government-developed factory, 2 which later became one of the most common forms of Tsuen Wan factories.
source : Googlemap
source: https://www.facebook.com/HongKongHeritageExploration/photos/pcb.529822520690496/529820480690700
1.2 Decentralization and separation The government decided to develop Tsuen Wan New Town in 1961 and begin Gin Drinker’s Bay reclamation. With the awareness of the government in urban planning, infrastructure based on industry features such as Kwai Chung Road and the container port. This kind of infrastructure has promoted the development of surrounding areas, and to a certain extent, promoted the decentralization. In the middle of 1977, the British Hong Kong government formally approved the construction of Tsuen Wan Line as part of the railway transportation system. To adapt Tsuen Wan Line, Tsuen Wan was planned to have a big change involving four to five villages as well as more than 1000 factories. The terminus was settled at the center of Tsuen Wan near Sam Tung Uk and the central Tianhou Temple. This forced the relocation of the old central villages. The village and its ancestral hall moved from the center to the edge. New residential buildings were built near the terminus and also the reclamation site.3 For the
industrial units, more and more flatted factory buildings were built at Chai Wan Kok, which became the Chai Wan Kok industrial area. After the establishment of Tsuen Wan terminal, the spatial arrangement of Tsuen wan district is under planned. The spaces around the terminal were newly developed by residential and commercial buildings. Industrial activities gathered into two main areas. Taking the line from the terminus drawn vertically to the coastline as an axis, the Chai Wan Kok is at the north-west, of which the main industry is the textile industry including Nan Fung Cotton Mills (today’s the Mills), Central Cotton Mills, South Textile Manufacturing company (around today’s Belvedere Garden). Another large industrial area is Texaco industrial area, famous for and taken name from Texaco Fuel Company’s oil depot ( at today’s Riviera Gardens).4 Both areas were mostly used for industry with a great number of flattened factories raised up for tiny industry without many commercial and residential buildings.
1.3 Breaking the boundary After the announcement of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Hong Kong’s industrial activity began to transfer back to the Mainland. The deindustrialization caused the emptiness of Hong Kong. Tsuen Wan’s residential population and economy need more land. In order to reuse abandoned area,5 residential and commercial activity entered the industrial area, and some factories were rebuilt or demolished. An area at north-east inside industrial space was selected to develop residential buildings. The government announced a series of measures to facilitate the reconstruction of old industrial buildings in 2009. In 2018, a new plan for revitalizing the flatted factory was announced.6 The industrial area has its boundaries broken and gradually merges with other areas. 2.Individual building scale: Flatted factory and its spatial organization 2.1 . Flatted Factory: a special industrial building
According to Rosman C. C. Wai, Flatted factory appeared first in Hong Kong. They are highrise multi-story buildings which take a similar form to Hong Kong’s public resettlement houses. They followed the principle of functionalism, and its form is simple and flexible, so as to meet the changed demand. In most cases, each layer has the same shape, but it has flexible division and function.7 Tiny factories can have different kinds of combinations due to their scale, capital and production activities. The Bonsun Industrial Building8 in Tsuen Wan Texaco Industrial area, built in 1973, takes a rectangular shape. The one-way corridor is at the middle, staircase case and elevator lift two ends of long side ends. The main space is at the two sides of the corridor, each with different sizes. The building serves multiple functions today, both industrial and commercial. Some floors demolish the partitions to make the whole floor a continuous space, which is always used for mini industry or storage. Some are divided into separate spaces to settle down several factories with less
spatial demands. Some floors are owned by commercial institutions today, dividing space into fragmented space by keeping or adding partitions, which prove flexibility in the building’s design. These kinds of industrial buildings organize the industries in a highly ordered way which promotes spatial utilization. add partition walls
Another example is the first block of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate,9 which took a “H-shape” similar to Mark 1. Main circulation and serving space is reversed compared to the Bonsun Industrial Building. Each floor has a balcony corridor surrounding the exterior wall of the building. The main usspace is two separate room units back to back. Each has one entrance, which can be transferred into a whole room with two accesses. 2.2. Why Tsuen Wan need flatted factory Flatted factory buildings are developed to adapt Tsuen Wan’s special features of industry. Tsuen Wan had great amounts of tiny industries which are operated by people less
demolish partion walls
Main space: factory / storage / office...
Circulation
commercial along the street Scale: 1:1200
By Yichu, Liu
than 50 or even in family units. From 1961 to 1977, the establishment of small industry accounted for more than 80% and in 1977 it was 92.1% in Hong Kong.10 As Tsuen Wan had its majority in light industry and due to the developing mode, the percentage would be even higher. Flatted factories, similar to public housing, take the typical Hong Kong method of dealing with high density issues.11 It can increase the usage rate of limited spaces, which is adaptable to Tsuen Wan’s industrial development. Besides, because of its spatial organizing strategy and highly adaptable features, it can also create a linkage between small industries and other urban activities.12 3. Future developments: As the demand for commercial and residential spaces keeps increasing, the industrial area has been opened with commercial and residential activity centers and will be further merged with the current city life. How to use spatial features in future development would be considered.
3.1 Selecting factories with collective memory and worth being protected. For example, the Maykong Godown, which has beautiful red bricks and a lot of graffiti inside,13 can be transformed into an art and commercial site, such as theaters, museums or galleries. Taking advantage of the cluster characteristics of Tsuen Wan Industrial Zone, many transformed factories can echo each other in space, forming a unique industrial art zone and further promote the development of commerce and tourism. 3.2 Consider using the spatial feature of a flatted factory to combine the resident’s daily urban life with industrial and commercial activities and create more economical value. Flatted factory at a key position (ex. At the intersection of residential area and industrial area) could be taken to redesign, using the ground floor, changing its form to be more open and exploring its potential.
4. Conclusion In urban scale, factories mixed with domestic life settling in the center in the beginning. With urban space planned, industry decentralized and gathered. With the deindustrialization, the industrial space opened to merge with other urban activities. At the architecture scale, flatted factories provide a spatial organizing strategy for settling a large number of small factories. For future development, new decisions could take advantage of the current spatial features in building the post-industrial Tsuen Wan.
Notes
1. Leung, Maggi WH, and Dietrich Soyez. “Industrial heritage: Valorising the spatial–temporal dynamics of another Hong Kong story.” International Journal of Heritage Studies 15, no. 1 (2009): 57-75. 2. Johnson, Elizabeth Lominska, and Graham E. Johnson. “The Japanese Occupation, Recovery, and Transformation: 1941–1970.” In A Chinese Melting Pot: Original People and Immigrants in Hong Kong’s First ‘New Town,’ 1st ed., 72–83. Hong Kong University Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvs1g8gp.11. 3. Johnson, Elizabeth Lominska, and Graham E. Johnson. “Tsuen Wan’s New Face: Transition to a Post-Industrial City.” In A Chinese Melting Pot: Original People and Immigrants in Hong Kong’s First ‘New Town,’ 1st ed., 155–72. Hong Kong University Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvs1g8gp.15. 4. Hong Kong. Tsuen Wan District Board. “Tsuen Wan.” Digital Repository. the Board. Accessed December 22, 2021. https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/ catalog/t435hf60t#?c=&m=&s=&c v=&xywh=-1143%2C-142%2C3481%2C1920. 5. Johnson, Elizabeth Lominska, and Graham E. Johnson. “Tsuen Wan’s New Face: Transition to a Post-Industrial City.” In A Chinese Melting Pot: Original People and Immigrants in Hong Kong’s First ‘New Town,’ 1st ed., 155–72. Hong Kong University Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvs1g8gp.15. 6. Planning for Livable New Towns. Hong Kong: Planning Department. Accessed December 22,
Notes 2021. https://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/outreach/
educational/NTpamphlets/2019/pdf/nt_twk_tc.pdf. 7. 丘 瑞欣. “為何政府工廠大廈都似公屋？建築學者解 構分層分戶工廈的設計思維：同類設計是香港發展 出來先.” 明周文化. 明周文化, November 18, 2021. https://www.mpweekly.com/culture/%E8%A1%9 E%E7%BF%A0%E8%8A%B7-%E7%9F%B3%E7% A1%A4%E5%B0%BE%E5%A4%A7%E7%81%AB%E4%BD%99%E5%AE%B6%E8%81%B2-193216. 8. Bonson Industrial Building, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong Office, Factory, Co-working Space, Commercial & Industrial Properties. Address : 3 6 4 Sha Tsui Road, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. Building Age : 48 Year(s) (1973), No. of Storeys: 20 9. Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate. Old location: Sha Tsui Road Tsuen Wan. Three blocks built in November 1961, November 1962 and April 1966. Demolished in 2009. It is now the site of Sheung Chui Court. 10. Victor F. S. Sit. “Dynamism in Small Industries -The Case of Hong Kong.” Asian Survey 22, no. 4 (1982): 399–409. https://doi.org/10.2307/2643842. 11. Leung, Maggi WH, and Dietrich Soyez. “Industrial heritage: Valorising the spatial–temporal dynamics of another Hong Kong story.” International Journal of Heritage Studies 15, no. 1 (2009): 57-75. 12. Victor F. S. Sit. “Hong Kong’s ‘Transferred’ Industrialization and Industrial Geography.” Asian Survey 38, no. 9 (1998): 880–904. https://doi.org/10.2307/2645624. 13. Reference:https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=VtvHTE2NCY8
“Getting Housing Needs” in Industrial Transformation Ka Wai, Ho
Tsuen Wan, located in the western part of New Territories, is a place that has collected many historical stories. In the 1950s, numerous industries were intensively built in Tsuen Wan. At that time, the market of China was finally opened to the world, many capitalists from China came to Tsuen Wan for investment. Due to its coastal area with rich water resources and the cheap labor cost, they set up their factories, especially garment industries, in Tsuen Wan.1 However, after 1976, the reclamation was completed and the operation cost started to rapidly increase. The industries were gradually moved out and the Hong Kong government has changed those industrial land use into commercial ones.2 Nowadays, the bridge has connected Tsuen Wan
Station, Tsuen Wan West station, and different shopping malls3. A rising number of citizens planned to settle in Tsuen Wan and this caused a huge burden on the housing supply. Disappointedly, current housing development in Hong Kong cannot meet the demand totally4. To solve the housing shortage, the government decided to transform the industrial land into residential use, which was on the Sha Tsui Road, and Sheung Chui Court is one of the successful transitions in that area. With the support of previous experiences, new construction of private housing in Tsuen Wan was proposed in the industrial region in Tsuen Wan as well. Aiming to increase housing supply, some public factory estates were demolished and replaced by the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), which was introduced by the Hong Kong government. As the region around the industrial estate already had some basic infrastructure, such as a mass transportation system and the stores selling daily necessities, it is suitable for people to live. Therefore, the
Hong Kong government believes that transiting industrial land to residential use is cost-effective and one of the feasible ways to relieve the burden of the housing shortage. It planned to introduce the Home Ownership Scheme in those areas. For instance, the Sheung Chui Court was built after the shutdown of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate on Sha Tsui Road in Tsuen Wan5. When Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate still existed, there were 4 industrial buildings in total and each had supplied around 300 units. Different factories, such as clothing and metal, were operated there due to its convenient location for transportation. Yet, over 45 years, the internal facilities of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate were too obsolete and there were no lifts installed for portage. Most of the units became vacant yet the maintenance cost charged a lot. Consequently, the transformation of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate was suggested by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and the public stood for this proposal. In 2005, the Housing Department approved its clearance6 and the land use has not been de-
cided yet, so it was temporarily used as a car park. Since the 1990s, due to advanced medical technology, life expectancy has greatly extended, and so does the Hong Kong population. More and more citizens wanted to move and settle there, because the government has allocated a large amount of money for the urbanization of Tsuen Wan, including the implementation of Tsuen Wan West station and renovation of Tsuen Wan Plaza7. Due to the mature development, the housing demand enormously increased, so the construction of Sheung Chui Court, which is in the Home Ownership Scheme, was firstly launched in Tsuen Wan8. Eventually, in 2017, the building project was completed . There were 3 towers and 962 units were provided for Hong Kong citizens. The scheme is for low-income families and Sheung Chui Court became the First Home Ownership Scheme in Tsuen Wan. The successful transformation of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate to Sheung Chui Court not only supplied extra residential lands, but also a feasible way for future housing development.
Apart from the Home Ownership Scheme, the construction projects of private housing estates were introduced. In order to solve the problems brought by the increasing vacancy of industries and the heavy housing demand in Tsuen Wan, the Hong Kong government has decided to switch the industrial area in Sha Tsui Road to a comprehensive development area in 20109 . The Sheung Chui Court is a symbol to prove to the public that the Hong Kong government supports residential land use in the comprehensive development area. After the completed transition of land use and the Sheung Chui Court has provided many units in Home Ownership Scheme, the property developers started planning to swap the land use and build private housing estate for profit. After getting the land ownership and the approval of the plans from the government, they can work on their private housing proposals. Sun Hung Kai Properties is one of the examples. In the comprehensive development area, there are 4 industries, including Wong’s Factory Building, Bonsun Industrial Building, Asia Tone i-Centre,
and Edward Wong Industrial Centre, which have to be demolished. Most of them have been there since the 1980s and above 30 years. Sun Hung Kai Properties believes that the main facilities can barely function and the maintenance cost is too expensive. Therefore, it introduced its construction project of the private housing estate in 2015 10 and it was approved by the Town Planning Board in 201711. Sun Hung Kai Properties swapped to a comprehensive development area and has become a residential area at last12. planned to construct 5 towers and 1330 units will be built in total . The industrial use has Besides residential land use, some industrial lands were changed for commercial purposes. In the late 1950s, Tsuen Wan was a place full of raw materials and had a relatively lower labor cost. Many industries, especially clothing ones, operated and started their business in Tsuen Wan. This greatly boosted local productivity and Tsuen Wan underwent industrialization. However, due to the rapid development, the rent increased yet the la-
bor resources decreased. Thus, the operation cost increased and many owners decided to move their factories to other countries, such as India and China. Those industries gradually became vacant. Meanwhile, since the number of residents increased, larger demand for community facilities was required to support their daily life. Consequently, the Hong Kong government suggested building some shopping malls and recreational facilities around the residential area. The land provided was collected from the transformation of the industrial area. For instance, the popular commercial center, The Mills, was Nan Fung Cotton Mills previously. It was born in the 1950s, and because of its complete management system13, it had the highest productivity among the clothing industries . Yet, due to the urbanization in Tsuen Wan, the Nan Fung Cotton Mills became empty and it was used as the warehouse. In 2014, it was announced that The Mills would be reactivated as a commercial 14. center After 4-year construc-
tion work, The Mills included different stores and restaurants and provided a space for people to relax on the weekend. Therefore, many Hong Kong citizens spend their leisure time going shopping and learning the history of Tsuen Wan. Moreover, The Mills is famous for tourists who would like to have local cultural experiences and understand the transformation of industrial land. Tsuen Wan was a small district full of industries a few decades earlier. The Hong Kong government enjoyed the economic and social benefits brought by industrialization, and this also boosted the urbanization of Tsuen Wan. The advanced technology has pushed the development of Hong Kong and so the cost of operating industries was not as cheap as before. The owners of industries had to keep allocating more financial resources, so the industries can continuously function. By considering the cost-effectiveness and maximizing their profits, most owners moved their factories to less developed countries. Therefore, the vacancy problem of the in-
dustries became more serious. At the same time, to supply more housing estate and set up more community facilities for citizens to live, it is necessary to change the land use for getting more usable land. The complete transformation of the Sheung Chui Court and the approved construction project by Sun Hung Kai Properties has successfully utilized the abandoned factory estates and become residential housing. Thus, the problem of lack of housing can be relieved. Additionally, the Nan Fung Cotton Mills turned into The Mills, which became a famous shopping center today. The transformation of industrial land showed the change from industrialization to urbanization in Tsuen Wan.
Notes 1. Ng, Sing 2.
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Ning. 2017. “Reactivation Project of the Mills Will Open next Year, Will the Rent in Tsuen Wan Increase?” HK01. 2017. https:// w w w. h k 0 1 . c o m / 社 區 專 題 / 7 7 0 1 1 / 望 成 時 尚 地 標-南豐紗廠活化項目下年開幕-荃灣租金會升嗎. Man, Sen. 2018. “After the Reclamation of Lantau Island East, It Will Become the Biggest New Town.” Wen Wei Po, 2018. http:// pdf.wenweipo.com/2018/10/11/a01-1011.pdf. Lui, Ka Li. 2017. “Why the Number of Bridge in Tsuen Wan Keep Increasing?” HK01, 2017. https://www.hk01.com/社區專題 /85997/天橋之 城一-為何荃灣行人天橋愈建愈多-天橋真係會震. Reiko. 2015. “A Study on Housing Problem and Environmental Improvement in Public Rental Housing by Hong Kong Housing Authority.” AIJ Journal of Technology and Design 21 (48): 719–24. hket. 2016. “Challenge Founded in Transformation of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate.” Hket, 2016. https://ps.hket.com/ article/1576559/大窩口工業區%20轉型住宅遇挑戰. News.gov.hk. n.d. “Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate Recovered.” News.gov.hk. Accessed December 20, 2021. https://www.news.gov.hk/isd/ ebulletin/en/category/healthandcommunity/html/8687b93b-da9f-425f-996e-f7df081deeb3.htm. Li, Sandy. 2013. “New Territories Malls Allocate More Space to Attract Global Brands.” South China Morning Post, 2013. https://www.scmp.com/ property/hong-kong-china/article/1296422/new-ter-
ritories-malls-allocate-more-space-attract-global. 8. Hong Kong Housing Authority. 2017. “Sale of HOS Flats 2017.” Hong Kong Housing Authority. 2017. https://hos.housingauthorit y. g o v. h k / m i n i - s i t e / h o s 2 0 1 7 / e n / n o t i c e . h t m l . 9. hket. 2016. “Challenge Founded in Transformation of Tai Wo Hau Factory Estate.” Hket, 2016. https://ps.hket.com/ article/1576559/大窩口工業區%20轉型住宅遇挑戰. 10. Ming Pao. 2021. “Application of Changing the Floor Plan by Sun Hung Kai Properties, Increased 283 Units.” Ming Pao, 2021. https://m. mingpao.com/pns/經濟/article/20210703/ s00004/1625250266822/新地橫窩仔街申改則-增283伙. 11. Press Release. 2017. “Draft Tsuen Wan Outline Zoning Plan Approved.” Press Release. 2017. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201704/28/P2017042800433.htm?fontSize=1. 12. Ming Pao. 2021. “Application of Changing the Floor Plan by Sun Hung Kai Properties, Increased 283 Units.” Ming Pao, 2021. https://m. mingpao.com/pns/經濟/article/20210703/ s00004/1625250266822/新地橫窩仔街申改則-增283伙. 13. The Mills. n.d. “About the Mills.” The Mills. Accessed December 22, 2021. https://www.themills.com.hk/en/about-the-mills/history-heritage/. 14. Chan, Ka Pik. 2018. “Reconstruction of Tsuen Wan the Mills Will Cost 700M, and Finish before End of the Year.” HK01, 2018. https://www.hk01.com/地產樓 市/207141/荃灣南豐紗廠重建耗資7億-料年底前啟用.
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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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