Hong Kong Island: Tong Lau: Preserving Our City

Authors. LAI Zong Ming, LAM Pui Yan, LIM Kar Yee Shirley, MAK Yim Ting

As a city having a long history, many buildings in Hong Kong are very old. These buildings have lots of problems such as: narrow staircases, lack of lighting, and poor hygienic conditions. Having no lifts also brings inconvenience to residents, especially the elderly.

To further develop this city, people choose to demolish these old buildings to get more land. The historical buildings that can represent Hong Kong are now vanishing – such as the Tong Lau. Therefore our group proposes the idea of urban renewal. We think that old buildings are not redundant, and they can be transformed into other uses. They may not be suitable for residential use nowadays, however if they are transformed to host commercial or cultural uses, while maintaining the historical building style, a different and new image of the built environment in Hong Kong will be created.

We discovered that there are already such transformations in some districts like Causeway Bay and the Western District. There are stores above the street level like hair salons, cafés and bookstores. These buildings usually have an improved environment and stylish interior design. The staircases are repainted, more lighting has been installed along the stairs and corridor, and ventilation has been improved. Many of these buildings are in good hygienic condition, as they are regularly cleaned.

In our project, we think of ways that we can preserve and restore Hong Kong’s old buildings. The first is to solve the existing problems by improving lighting, ventilation and cleanliness. Then, the interior design can be addressed to make it attractive. We also think that each building can have its own theme. Shops of a similar nature may be put together, for example the hair styling and nail cosmetology could occupy a restored Tong Lau. This can create a new shopping landmark in Hong Kong.