Discover defining Hong Kong architecture, from the ultra-modern to colonial relics
Hong Kong is a city torn between East and West, the future and the past, as reflected in its notable architecture
Wander around Hong Kong and you will see “Taoist temples and Edwardian edifices nestled between skyscrapers”, the city’s Tourism Board says.
Hong Kong is filled with both the old and the new, but for years, poor preservation of the former has been a worry for the local community.
From the Old Hong Kong Club Building to Queen’s Pier, structures of the past have been demolished to make way for modern glass offices and residential tower blocks.
“We have a whole range of buildings which practically tell people about the whole development of architecture in the city’s history,” says Dr Lee Ho-yin, associate professor of architectural conservation at the University of Hong Kong.
The older buildings, of different heights, create a more varied picture, rather than buildings that are “taller, denser and more expensive”, he says.
“By tearing them down we are really undermining ourselves ... by not having an environment that is diversified to make it more interesting and sustainable.”
