A.
Located at the junction of Johnston Road and Ship Street,
Wan Chai
5 historic buildings are preserved and revitalised including a row of 4 pre-war shophouses of Cantonese verandah-type located at No. 60-66 Johnston Road
(original location of the Woo Cheong Pawn) and one prewar commercial/residential building at No. 18 Ship Street
Site area: 1,970 square metres
Gross floor area (before redevelopment): 7,640 square metres
Affected no. of buildings: 21
Affected population: 333
Total GFA: 20,567 square metres
No. of flats: 381
Commercial GFA: 2,600 square metres
It was commenced in 2002 and was completed in August 2007
Joint venture partner: K. Wah International
Holdings Limited
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It is a redevelopment project with preservation elements. A row of 4 pre-war shophouses of Cantonese verandah-type and one pre-war building were preserved and revitalised.
After 6 years of planning, preservation and renovation, the 5 shophouses have now been restored as specialty restaurants, in harmony with neighbouring new developments. This project vividly demonstrates the co-existence of the old and the new in urban renewal and the balance between development and preservation.
C. Before Renewal
The project consisted of 21 dilapidated buildings with poor living conditions. It was one of the earliest projects commented by the URA. Details of the five historical buildings are as below:
1.
Building Information:
Location: No. 60-66 Johnston Road, Wanchai
No. of buildings: 4 four-storey shophouses of Cantonese verandah-type
Completion year: 1888 – 1900s
The 4 buildings lie on land reclaimed before 1887.
The ground floor was devoted to family business whereas upper levels were for residential purpose.
In 1966, the Yu Clan purchased the building at 64, Johnston Road and inscribed the Chinese name of The Hong
Kong Yu Clansmen Association. The ground floor premises were used for the retailing of items such as shoes and hats; later it became a shop selling birds.
Woo Cheong Pawn Shop at 66 Johnston Road was built in 1888. The Lo family acquired the building in 1947 and operated its pawnshop business until 2003. Today, Woo Cheong Pawn Shop continues its business in Tai Wong
Street East.
Occupied exclusively by Chinese, the unique Chinese-styled tenement houses are thus called “Tong Lau”. They were predominantly seen all over southern Chinese cities and towns in the nineteen centuries.
Tong Lau’s existence was a culmination of a series of historic events from economic development of Hong Kong,
World War II as well as the influx of Chinese migrants to Hong Kong.
The shophouses were a mixture of Chinese and Western architectural features. They were built in contiguous blocks in elongated layout and characterised by their narrow frontage. The shophouses had 4 storeys with verandahs facing
Johnston Road.
Every unit was about 450 - 700 square feet with high ceiling and French windows to the balconies. Light wells were located between the living space and the kitchen at the back.
The shophouses did not have toilets. The “nightsoil” from the pail latrine was collected by government scavengers at night.
Ground floor was devoted to family business whereas upper levels were for residential purpose.
Covered pedestrian arcade formed by the projected balconies and the columns on the ground floor provides a sheltered area.
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II.
18 Ship Street:
1. Building information
Location: No. 18 Ship Street, Wanchai (part of the Johnston Road redevelopment project)
No. of buildings: 1 four-storey pre-war tenement house
Completion year: 1930s
2. Historical linkage
The building lies on land reclaimed before 1887.
It was built in the late 1930s by the grandfather of the former owner and occupier. The same family had been living in the property for over 70 years.
The house was originally of timber construction but fell into disrepair during the years of World War II. After the war, the family rebuilt it.
The building was identified by Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) as Grade II historic building.
3.
Architectural attributes
Occupied exclusively by Chinese, the unique Chinese-styled tenement houses are thus called “Tong Lau”. They were predominantly seen all over southern Chinese cities and towns in the nineteen centuries.
Tong Lau’s existence was a culmination of a series of historic events from economic development of Hong Kong,
World War II as well as the influx of Chinese migrants to Hong Kong.
The shophouse was a mixture of Chinese and Western architectural features. It had 4 storeys with verandahs facing
Ship Street. The ground floor housed as office of the family’s construction company while the upper floors were used for living room and sleeping quarters.
Every unit was about 450 - 700 square feet with high ceiling and French windows to the balconies. Light wells were located between the living space and the kitchen at the back.
The moulding in the rendering of the shophouse was an important feature as they were typical of vernacular buildings during the post war period. It was a very personal and idiosyncratic clue to the identity of the designer.
The floor of the shophouse was covered with white mosaic tiles of the 1940s decorated with green and dark red tessera.
The balconies were decorated with attractive wrought cast iron balustrade and flowerbeds. The railings carried the designs of their 1940s style.
D.
After 6 years of planning, preservation and renovation, the 5 shophouses have now been restored as specialty restaurants, in harmony with neighbouring new developments.
It is a commercial/residential project. After redevelopment, a residential building, namely J Residence, with 381 flats is provided.
After restoration for adaptive reuse, the first and second floors of 60-66 Johnston Road are now restored as specialty
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restaurants.
The architectural concept of the project is to have the 5 pre-war buildings well integrated with the modern one.
Adopting the theme of merging old and new, the historic buildings were not only preserved to augment the nostalgic elements, they were also renovated as a dining complex. The project demonstrates Hong Kong’s “East meets West” mentality and a good balance between heritage preservation and business operation.
Following the renovation of No.18 Ship Street, the building was occupied by a new Chinese restaurant combining a trendy modern style with traditional local features. This “historical” restaurant attracts large numbers of customers.
The shophouses harmonise with the neighbouring new development.
E.
Apart from improving the living environment, urban renewal should embrace the concept of heritage preservation to strive for a balance between preservation and redevelopment.
It is a redevelopment cum preservation project. Being a flagship project of the URA, the project exemplifies vividly the possible co-existence of the old and the new in redevelopment.
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