A Cultural Icon for Hong Kong Essay

The Central Police Station Compound has one been the center of law and justice in Hong Kong for more than a hundred years. Consists of the Headquarters Block, Barrack Block, Sanitary Block, Stable Block, Former Central Magistracy and twelve other blocks, it has once accommodated policeman and prisoners until its close down in year 2006. This declared historical monument has been left alone since then. 
Even though its uniqueness, historical and cultural value has been recognized, it seems that it is not going to be just another museum where citizens would only visit once every two or three years, like the Hong Kong Police Museum on the Peak. The Hong Kong Jockey Club thinks that it definitely has the potential to be redeveloped and revitalized into a multi-purpose building complex, where arts, culture and entertainment are beautifully blended into its historical heritage site.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has proposed a HK$1.8 billion project to revitalize the current Central Police Station Compound. The Club funds the project and it is now under public consultation, which ends in April. According to the proposal, there are three main principles in this project. First, the site is considered to be very valuable and should be revitalized in a meticulous way, so as to transform it into a vibrant part of the local community. Secondly, during revitalization, public interest should always be in mind and the project should be financially sustainable without public subsidy. Lastly, the project should gain global recognition as an urban regeneration and adaptive re-use of a heritage site.

The heritage site contains four “Type A” and several “Type B” according to the classification from the Antiques and Monuments Office (AMO). “Type A” buildings are those that must be conserved both internally and externally, while only the external parts are to be conserved in the case of “Type B” buildings. This is a great challenge to the project design team, namely Herzog de...