Going Places

I am sure many of you who live in Hong Kong are very well aware of Tai Kwun, a restoration project of former Hong Kong Central Police Station Compound that was declared as monuments by the Hong Kong government back in year 1995. In case you haven’t, this 8-years mega-restoration exercise that comes with a price of HK$3.8 billion has opened its door to the general public in late May 2018 after all the previous delays. (Original opening date: Oct 2016)

The site was where the Central Police Station, Victoria Prison and Central Magistracy located.

In Hong Kong, you can find many word’s top commercial galleries but has always lacked a non-profit art space for members of the public. This is where Tai Kwun comes in and play a significant role in bridging the gap.

The architect

Herzog de Meuron worked with conservation architects Purcell Miller Tritton on proposing a series of overall site interventions with the primary objective being to create and preserve open public space that would essentially encourage public access site-wide, activating and revitalising the historic site.

You could see the buildings within Tai Kwun linked by elegant walkways and concrete staircases, a seamless crossover of old and new elements.

Did you know?

Tai Kwun in Chinese means “big station”. It is a colloquial name used by police officers and the general public when they referred to this law enforcement complex.

Tai Kwun Contemporary

Headed by Tobias Berger, this 1,500 sqm space launched with featuring 20 artists’ contemporary works, including Lee Kit, Chinese painter Qiu Shihua, American composer Alvin Lucier and others.

This space aims to host six to eight exhibitions all year long, which will eventually become one of the key contemporary art hub in Asia.

Gastronomical experience

Food and beverage always play an important part in complementing a public space like this. Tai Kwun is not solely an art space. The cultural showcase does not limit to exhibitions but the precinct also hosts numerous Instagram worthy restaurants such as Old Bailey – China’s Jiangnan cuisine by Jia Group, who also runs Duddell’s in Hong Kong and London, Behind Bar by Angus Wong and Jia Group’s Yenn Wong, Cafe Claudel – a French cafe that is inspired and named after the celebrated French poet and playwright Paul Claudel, Madame Fu – a lounge, bar cum private dining area designed by Christian Rhomberg, The Chinese Library, Statement, and The Dispensary by Aqua group, and of course the ever famous Dragonfly by Ashley Sutton, who also opened Iron Fairies, Ophelia and Dear Lily.

From the locals

Retired police officer Eddie Chung Sui-cheong, 68, who served at Tai Kwun in the past, said he held fond memories as he returned for a walk down memory lane on Monday for the first time in years.

Transformation