Contemporary Hong Kong Architecture

Question 1

What was the purpose of the 1st Praya Reclamation?

Answer 1

To address overcrowding in the City of Victoria.

Question 2

What was the outcome of the 1st Praya Reclamation?

Answer 2

Set the commercial and administrative foundation for Hong Kong’s future reclamation projects and urban growth.

Question 3

What was the focus of early colonial development?

Answer 3

Establishing essential infrastructure for governance and administration.

Question 4

What was the purpose of the Supreme Court constructed in 1844?

Answer 4

For judicial administration.

Question 5

What is Flagstaff House and when was it built?

Answer 5

Residence of the Commander of the British forces, built in 1846.

Question 6

What does St. John’s Cathedral represent and when was it built?

Answer 6

Reflects the importance of religion in colonial society, built in 1849.

Question 7

What were the functions of Government House and Government Office built in 1855?

Answer 7

Residence of the Governor and administrative center.

Question 8

What was the purpose of the Central Police Station and Victoria Prison?

Answer 8

For law enforcement and security, operational from 1864 to 1925.

Question 9

What was the significance of the Central Post Office built in 1976?

Answer 9

To connect the colony with the world.

Question 10

Purposes of 2nd Praya Reclamation

Answer 10

To accommodate growing trade and population, provide better transportation, and create new urban spaces

Question 11

Outcome of the 2nd Praya Reclamation

Answer 11

Expanded Central and Sheung Wan j to thriving commercial districts, while setting the stage for new colonial architecture

Enhanced city planning: Grid layouts, wide streets, and public squares. Served as a model for future urban planning and reclamation projects in HK

Many structures remain preserved as part of HK’s heritage

Question 12

Purpose of Post-WW II Reclamation, Central (1950s-1990s)

Answer 12

Addressed land shortages for commercial, transport, and civic facilities

Enabled HK’s transformation into a modern financial hub

Question 13

Outcome of Post-WW II Reclamation

Answer 13

Significantly expanded the urban footprint of HK island
Continued eastward expansion in Wan Chai with the Praya East Reclamation (since 1919)

Question 14

Key development of Post WW II

Answer 14

Added Connaught Road Central to the urban grid

Facilitated construction of iconic buildings such as the Jardin House and Exchange Square

Opened new space for Statue Square Expansion and transportation hubs

Question 15

Urban Impact of Post WWII Reclamation

Answer 15

Established Central as the business and financial heart of HK

Enhanced connectivity through ferry piers, bus terminals, and later MTR access

Question 16

The Beginning of Public Housing
1940s & 1950s

Answer 16

• the Chinese Civil War (1945) broke out on the mainland.

• Migrants from the mainland built wooden and iron-sheet huts on
the hillsides, forming squatter areas.

Question 17

The beginning of public housing
1953

Answer 17

• These cramped dwellings were in poor conditions, and fires happed
frequently.
• In 1953, an unprecedented fire broke out in Shek Kip Mei, Shan Shui
Po (深⽔埗⽯硤尾).
• A total of 2,580 huts were affected.
• About 48,000 people were left homeless by the disaster.

Question 18

Resettlement Housing:
After the Squatter Fire in Shek Kip Mei

Answer 18

• Bowring Bungalows (包寧平房) were constructed as temporary housing
for the displaced residents,
• The Resettlement Office (徙置事務處) was also established to manage the
relocation efforts, marking the beginning of Hong Kong’s public housing
policy.

Question 19

Resettlement Housing: 1954

Answer 19

• The first resettlement area in Hong Kong (eight six-story H-shaped
buildings were first constructed, followed by the addition of nine seven-
story buildings).
• In the following years, the Resettlement Office constructed similar
resettlement estates in areas such as Wong Tai Sin (⿈⼤仙), and Kwun
Tong (觀塘).

• The above 16 buildings in Shek Kip Mei were demolished in 2007.
• With only one building is remained – Mei Ho Building (美荷樓), converted
to youth hostel as a Grade 2 Historic Building.
• The resettlement estates primarily consisted of H-shaped buildings, with
some ground-floor units used as small shops and the rooftops serving as
schools.
• Designed to accommodate up to five people in a 160-square-foot unit,
with no separate kitchen or bathroom.
• Residents had to cook in the corridors and often left their doors open for
ventilation.

Question 20

Public Rental Housing Estate: 1958

Answer 20

• The First Public Rental Housing Estate.
• Designed by famous architect Eric Cumine (⽢洺).
• To mitigate monotonous appearance of the long buildings, the architect
divided the layout into three large courtyards facing the sea, adorned with
colorful balconies.
• In 2003, it was demolished and replaced with luxury residential buildings
developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties.
• It was three times more expensive than the later developments. The
government decided to use lower standard in the constructions ahead.

Question 21

Public Rental Housing Estate: 1961

Answer 21

• To provide rental housing of better quality than the resettlement estates.
• These estates included Upper Wong Tai Sin Estate (⿈⼤仙上邨), Cheung
Sha Wan Estate (⻑沙灣邨), and Upper Ngau Tau Kok Estate (⽜頭⻆上
邨),etc.

Question 22

The Fourth Type Resettlement Buildings: 1965

Answer 22

• Resettlement buildings began to develop vertically, with facilities gradually
improving.
• Elevators were introduced to the estates (stops every three floors), and
units were equipped with separate bathrooms and balconies.

Question 23

Public Hiusing in the 1960s-1970s: 1958-1960

Answer 23

• A typical example of public housing in the early 1960s, planned by Eric
Cumine (⽢洺).
• Buildings designed by various architects: Luke Him Sau (陸謙受), Chau &
Lee (周李建築師事務所), Szeto Wai (司徒惠) and Leigh & Orange (李柯
倫治).

Question 24

Public Housing in the 60s-70s: 1963

Answer 24

• Eight 21-story slab buildings (about 60 meters long) arranged in a grid
layout. Seven-story slab buildings are interspersed within the high-rise
buildings, creating a series of turns and changes in the layout.
• The ground floors of the low-rise residential buildings are entirely
occupied by small shops for daily shopping by residents.
• Two primary schools and two secondary schools are located in the middle of the site

Question 25

Public Housing in the 1960s-1970s: 1969

Answer 25

• The first public housing adopting pre-fabric components.

Question 26

Public Housing in the 1960s-1970s: 1967-1972

Answer 26

• The first public housing estate planned as a self-contained community.
• It features a mix of linear, zigzag, and L-shaped slab buildings arranged to
create varied spaces.
• The slab blocks and point towers cooperate to create an intimate public
housing community.
• Separation of people and vehicle.
• Provision of retails and schools in close distance.

Question 27

Public Housing in the 1960s-1970s: 1975

Answer 27

• Twin-tower buildings were introduced alongside slab buildings.
• Rooms have outward-facing windows and a central corridor around the
building.
• Elevator lobbies at the junctions of the two rings.
• Central light wells for ventilation and natural light on each floor.
• Circumferential corridors serve as communal spaces, promoting
neighborly support.

Challenges:
• Noise and visual disturbances from neighbors.
• Dimly lit corridors may contribute to a sense of depression.

Question 28

Further Public Housing Promotions after the 1970s: 1972

Answer 28

• In 1972, the government announced the Ten-Year Housing Plan (十年建屋計劃), which aimed to provide
housing with independent facilities for 1.8 million people between 1973 and 1982.

Question 29

Further Public Housing Promotions after the 1970s:1973

Answer 29

In 1973, the Resettlement Department and the Buildings and Development Authority merged to form the new
Housing Authority. The redevelopment of the First Type and Second Type resettlement buildings began with
Shek Kip Mei Estate.

Question 30

Further Public Housing Promotions after the 1970s: 1976

Answer 30

In 1976, the government decided to implement the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) (居者有其屋計劃) to help
middle- and low-income families, as well as public rental housing tenants, become homeowners.

Question 31

Further Public Housing Promotions after the 1970s: 1978

Answer 31

• In 1978, the government launched the first phase of the Home Ownership Scheme, selling units in six estates.

Question 32

Further Public Housing Promotions after the 1970s: 1998

Answer 32

By 1998, the Tenant Purchase Scheme (租者置其屋計劃) was introduced, allowing tenants to purchase their
public housing units at affordable prices.

Question 33

Consequences of the establishment of the Housing Authority in the 1970s?

Answer 33

Public housing were developed with the concept of community living incorporating facilities such as schools, shopping malls, bus terminals, parks and community centres within the estates

Housing estates have elvolved from providing merely a place to live into offering a variety of facilities, enhancing the quality of life for residents and helping to foster a sense of belonging