Tai Kwun Police Headquarters Block 201806

Tai Kwun, or the Former Central Police Station Compound (CPS Compound) includes three declared monuments in Central, Hong Kong: the former Central Police Station, the

Former Central Magistracy The former Central Magistracy is located at 1 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Victoria, Hong Kong The City of Victoria, (, or ) often called Victoria City or simply Victoria (), was the ''de facto'' capital of Hong Kong during British Hong ...

, and the

Victoria Prison Victoria Prison was the first and longest-running prison to date in Hong Kong. It is located on Old Bailey Street in Central, Hong Kong, Central, Hong Kong Island. Named in honour of Queen Victoria, it was originally known as Victoria Gaol ...

. Surrounded by

Hollywood Road Hollywood Road ( Chinese: 荷李活道) is a street in Central and Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The street runs between Central and Sheung Wan, with Wyndham Street, Arbuthnot Road, Ladder Street, Upper Lascar Row, and Old Bai ...

Arbuthnot Road Arbuthnot Road (Chinese: 亞畢諾道) is a road in Central, Hong Kong. The road begins at the Former Central Magistracy, a declared monument of Hong Kong. The road ends at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. History Most of th ...

, Chancery Lane, and Old Bailey Street, the compound underwent a heritage revitalisation and reopened to the public on 29 May 2018 as Tai Kwun (), a centre for heritage and arts.

History

The Former Central Police Station Compound (FCPSC), built between 1841 and 1925, comprises 16 historic buildings grouped under the former Central Police Station, the

, and the

. Most of the city's historic colonial architecture had been bulldozed for development before the British government handed the territory back to China in 1997. The first building in the FCPSC is the Magistrate's House, with jail blocks, which were built in 1841. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed

(or Victoria Gaol). The site underwent numerous expansions and reconstructions over the next century. In 1862, the number of prisoners increased to 650, and the government decided to develop the land nearby. The series of compounds hence formed Tai Kwun. Victoria Prison was decommissioned in 2006. In 2008, the

government of Hong Kong The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government) is the executive authorities of Hong Kong. It was established on 1 July 1997, following the handover of Hong Kong. ...

partnered with the

Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) was founded in 1884 and is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. In 1960, it was granted a royal charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name in 19 ...

to conserve and revitalise the complex, which turned into one of the most significant and expensive revitalisation projects in the territory, costing HK$1.8 billion; work began in 2011. The conversion was completed in phases. Work faced a setback when a wall and roof collapsed in 2016. The

Buildings Department The Buildings Department (BD) is a department of the Hong Kong Government responsible for building codes, building safety, and inspection. It was founded in 1993 and is now subordinate to the Development Bureau The Development Bureau (DE ...

prosecuted a subcontractor it deemed responsible for the accident, which was reportedly triggered by the failure of a brick pier that had been structurally undermined. Tai Kwun partially reopened to the public in May 2018.

Tai Kwun

A FCPSC revitalisation project was established to conserve and renovate the heritage site. Operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, it took eight years and cost HK$3.8 billion, or about US$480M in 2018. Tai Kwun, named after the historical colloquial name of the compound, is a mix of heritage and contemporary architecture, with 16 heritage buildings having been restored. An additional two new buildings were constructed, featuring designs inspired by the site's historic brickwork. The remodelled compound was opened to the public in three phases, beginning with the inaugural "100 Faces of Tai Kwun" exhibition, on 29 May 2018. In 2018, ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine induced Tai Kwun in its "World's Greatest Places 2018" list. In 2019, Tai Kwun received an award of excellence from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Gallery

Tai Kwun Duplex Studio 201806.jpg, Tai Kwun duplex studio Tai Kwun Police Headquarters GF Corridor 2018.jpg, Police headquarters corridor Tai Kwun JC Contemporary 201806.jpg, Exterior of JC Contemporary JC Cube Laundry Steps 2018.jpg, JC Cube laundry steps Tai Kwun B Hall 201806.jpg, B Hall, Victoria Prison

Awards

References

External links