The Blue House Cluster, named after the main building’s distinctive colour, once faced demolition and wholesale redevelopment but was saved after its original tenants, social workers and conservationists campaigned to preserve it. The Blue House, a four-storey tenement block located at 72-74A Stone Nullah Lane in Wan Chai is one of the few remaining examples of balcony-type tong lau in Hong Kong and has won UNESCO’s highest heritage conservation award for its excellent condition. The building was the original site of the first hospital 'Wah To Hospital' (aka "Wan Chai Kai Fong Hospital"), built in the 1870s in Wan Chai. The hospital, providing Chinese medical services to local Chinese, was possibly the first hospital in the district. After its closure in 1886 it was used as a temple for Wah To the revered Chinese physician from the Three Kingdoms period. Following its demolition in 1920, four-storey tenement blocks were built in 1922 and after the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong the building was used as a martial arts school and Dit Da clinic by Lam Cho, the adopted nephew of Lam Sai-wing.
The property was acquired by the government in the 1970s and in 1990 the outer walls were painted blue, thus earning it the name Blue House and it is now listed as a Grade I historic building comprising living accommodation, restaurants and outreach programmes. A private visit has been organized by RASHK member Janet Spence with a presentation in the Community Room by Kenneth Tse, Design Architect for the Blue House Cluster heritage conservation and revitalization project which took more than ten years from proposal preparation in 2007 to completion in 2018 and won a number of Awards in 2017 and 2018. Through old photographs and personal stories, and a look at some of the rooms, Kenneth will bring alive the significance of the project’s starting mission “Repairing architecture, repairing community” which inspired the transformation and strengthened the neighbourhood relationships and bonds.
Around 4 pm for those who wish, Janet Spence will lead a five-minute stroll up Stone Nullah Lane to view the Pak Tai Temple, built by local residents in 1863. The largest temple on Hong Kong island, it houses historical and cultural objects and is surrounded by wonderful trees and plants. Participants are then invited to Janet’s private sky garden just a few steps away for light refreshments until 5 p.m.
Janet, a keen gardener, has lived in Hong Kong since 1981 and in her Wanchai apartment since 1985 where the private roof space is now a mature garden and an oasis of calm high above the bustle of Kennedy Road.
Speaker
Kenneth Tse is the Director of Meta4 Design Forum Ltd.
He is the Design Architect for the Blue House Cluster Project. He had spent ten years' time on this community conservation project starting from the early stage of proposal preparation in 2007 until the project completion in 2018.
The starting mission for this project was “Retaining architecture, retaining people”.The final achievement became “Repairing architecture, repairing community”.
Time: Meet at 2:00pm, event starts at 2:15pm
Admission: RAS Members $100; Non-members $150
Programme Booking: Please email membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk in advance to reserve your place and pay at the door (maximum of 15 participants)