published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

Hong Kong has long been establishing as a multicultural society, where people of different nationalities sharing diverse beliefs gather to pursue their dreams. As a utopian society is yet an ideal, when one uncovers the veil of this ever developing city, the neglect of religious minorities and their culture is still a common phenomenon. Being one of the religious minorities that are overlooked in Hong Kong, Muslims occupy merely about 1.3% of Hong Kong’s population in 2007. Besides Chinese, they include Indians, Indonesians, Malaysians, Pakistanis as well as Muslims from Middle Eastern and African countries. Their presence can best be reflected by the existence of mosques on both the Hong Kong Island and in the Kowloon Peninsula. The majority of Hong Kong people, who are non-Muslims, pay so little or even no attention to the mosques, Muslims’ central focus of religious and social lives, in spite of some of their existence for over half a century. Five mosques can be found in Hong Kong. Besides the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre situated in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, four other mosques are all located on the Hong Kong Island, including Jamia Mosque in Central, Masjid Ammar & Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre in Wan Chai, Cape Collinson Masjid in Chai Wan and Stanley Mosque in Stanley. In this dissertation, Stanley Mosque is particularly selected for study as it is unique in ways which deserves a comprehensive understanding. Not merely is it the only mosque situated inside a prison in Hong Kong which implies a worth knowing story behind, rarity of records about the Mosque also signifies the necessity of an immediate study so as to discover and retain valuable information, especially the primary sources. The recent designation of Stanley Mosque as a proposed Grade I historic building in Hong Kong by the Antiquities Advisory Board on 19th March 2009 constitutes another strong reason for a comprehensive study as the designation indicates a potential change on the community’s attitude towards the recognition of this Islamic built heritage. Focus of this dissertation is on the cultural significance of Stanley Mosque, in which all its cultural heritage values are identified. While traditional approach mainly focuses on historical and architectural aspects of mosques in analysis, value-centred management approach is adopted in this dissertation to remedy this inadequacy and cover as well social aspects of Stanley Mosque, since it is a cultural identity for the Muslim community in Hong Kong. In addition to the traditional values including historical and aesthetic / architectural values, contemporary values comprising social, symbolic, spiritual and identity values are also derived from the analysis of Stanley Mosque adopting the value-centred management approach. More important, statement of significance of the Mosque is laid to explain in precise its cultural heritage values and character-defining elements (CDEs). As one of the historic buildings in Hong Kong, Stanley Mosque cannot be detached from the ongoing related policies and measures. Based on the cultural significance as identified, a territory level assessment of Stanley Mosque through the current historic buildings assessment and grading system in Hong Kong is carried out, aiming at a review on the assessment criteria of historic buildings. In addition to the current challenges, future of the Mosque are as well mentioned in the end, since this dissertation is not merely a documentation of the Mosque, but also a way forward, providing guidance for parties to be involved in any future intervention of the Mosque. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

 Having been a colony of the British, a country with Anglicanism as the national religion, Hong Kong had opened her door to the missionaries. It was believed that the fusion of Chinese tradition and Christianity facilitated the local Chinese to accept this imported system of religion. Some churches in Hong Kong were built with Chinese traditional elements, a blend of Chinese and Western cultures, in order to attract the local Chinese and break the ice between East and West. The architectural design of the church buildings echoed the Chinese indigenous church movement in the 1920s. These buildings in Hong Kong were distinctive. In this study, we look into the historical background of Holy Trinity Church at Kowloon City, Hong Kong, try to know more about the relationship between her and the development of Christianity in Hong Kong and China that may influence the concept of using Chinese traditional elements in her church building. By reading the selected symbols in the Church, cloud motif, red colour, scroll, bamboo, we study the dialogue between Christianity and the Chinese culture. The intention of using Chinese traditional elements in an Anglican church demonstrates an open mind to start the conversation between cultures. The use of Chinese traditional elements in Holy Trinity Church, that is, the fusion of meaning of symbol, is one of the presentations of the influence of the Indigenization to the Church. Studying the symbols is the reading of the dialogue between cultures. The symbols in Holy Trinity Church are not only the bridge between God and the world, but also the bridge between Christianity and Chinese culture. It is expected that this study, at the first stage of a conservation plan – understand the site, forms the basis for establishing the cultural heritage values of Holy Trinity Church. The Church demonstrates the folk wisdom of Hong Kong local Chinese. This is a more adoptive approach to Chinese culture, a successful marriage of Chinese tradition and Christianity, an achievement of the local Christians. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

As a city that has played an important part in the industrialization process of the country, Wuxi owns many abandoned and dilapidated industrial plants in the inner city. The successful conservation cases of Shanghai’s industrial heritages really enlightened the Wuxi Municipal Government, which was also searching for ways to push forward economic restructuring while facing a land shortage in the city. Founded in 1919 by the well-known Chinese entrepreneurs the Rong brothers, the original No.3 Shenxin Factory used to be the biggest spinnery manufacturer in Wuxi. Then, in 2005, as the factory was transferred to industrial estate in suburban area, the original site became abandoned. Two years later, the original factory site was listed as industrial heritage of Wuxi and leased to the Hong Kong developer SPGland at the same time. The urban redevelopment project of Xi Shui Dong Factory (former No.3 Shenxin Factory) started in 2008. Kokaistudios was appointed by SPGland to lead the architectural conservation part. As a typical property developer-led conservation project in the heart of a redevelopment area including a number of high density residential towers and commercial centres, the Xi Shui Dong Factory project offers a challenge to the designers. The problem is which approach of conservation they should take and how they should deal with the relationship between the old buildings and the newly built ones. The dissertation focuses on the detailed study of a factory complex in the site and tries to analyze issues concerning the conservation of the factory complex in the context of the urban regeneration. At the same time it also brings to light the relative merits between property developer-led and culture-led conservation efforts. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

In recent years, the general public and the government are becoming more aware about heritage conservation, not only the built heritage, but also its intangible cultural aspects after the controversies of the demolition of Lee Tung Street (Wedding Street) in Wan Chai, Star Ferry and Queen’s Pier in Central. People realize that the understanding of a place of heritage value should not be confined to the tangible built or physical elements, but should also include the community life, unique living habit, the emotional attachment to the place, or in short the intangible social significance, which cannot be easily qualified. “Dai Pai Dong” as a local culture forming part of the urban fabric. With only 28 numbers left in Hong Kong, “Dai Pai Dong” is a form of collective attachment of the community, however, its social value, which is abstract, non-physical, difficult to explain and few people can understand, has hardly been assessed or recorded systematically. This research aims to find out what the relevant data is and how to qualify and assess the people’s perception for the social significance of “Dai Pai Dong” in an urban development context, using the Dai Pai Dongs at Stanley Street as case study. The relevant data collected in the research forms a base and can be further used to provide references for cultural resources management, conservation management plan, and policy or decision making, which are brought out for readers’ further thinking. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

“The historic environment is part of everyday life. It is accessible to everyone. It is around us every time we travel to work, drive to the supermarket or go to school. Studying it, being able to read and interpret it, enriches people’s lives as much as literature, music, or history. Access creates interest, interest stimulates understanding, understanding brings enjoyment, enjoyment leads to commitment. All contribute to the quality of life.” Alison Hems (Blockley 2006: 5) What Alison said above is really the author’s passion to study the Architectural Conservation Programme (ACP) and the aspiration for writing this dissertation. The Pak Tai Temple in Wan Chai is a heritage place in urban area where it is accessible to every one. However, many people live in Wan Chai do not know the Temple. As a novice of architectural conservation, the author attempts to explore the tangibles as well as intangibles on a fundamental basis to collect all available data and information for this research. As far as possible, the author collects the primary information from the temple keeper, the local residents, worshippers and other stakeholders. At the same time, the author searches archival documents from public library websites as well as historic records from the Hong Kong Public Records Office. The author hopes that this dissertation would not be an inventory record of the Pak Tai Temple on architecture. He wants it to be a collection of real life stories about the activities occurred in the Temple and its neighbouring community. It is the stories about the people and the changing social life here composite the heritage of the Temple. Of course, the essential tangible items for heritage conservation have been recorded in details. The author regrets that he is not a graduate of architecture, so this dissertation will not provide too much technical information. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

This dissertation addresses the characteristics and material properties of clay statues of Guardian Gods in Hong Kong temples. Guardian God statues in Hong Kong temples are usually represented as a pair, flanking the main deity and are usually the approximate height of a person. The statues under study in this dissertation may be categorized as Hong Kong’s vernacular temple sculpture of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and The Republic of China Period (1911-1949), as most of the statues are approximately 50 to 150 years old. This dissertation documents general information about the statutes and includes an inventory of specific statues in Hong Kong SAR, in combination with a detailed case study of a particular statue currently deposited in the Conservation Section of Hong Kong Heritage Museum. By describing and documenting the damages of the statues and discussing the physical properties of the encountered materials, theories for the reasons of the damages are made. The research about the characteristics, materials and techniques and damages to the statues serves in preparation to find an appropriate conservation concept for the case study statue, and aims to provide information for possible future conservation concepts for similar statues. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Just prior to the Japanese invasion, the Hong Kong Government embarked on an extensive program of building public shelters by tunneling into hillsides to protect the civilian population against bombing raids. Those air raid precaution tunnels that survive World War II have become part of the very few remaining physical witnesses to the history of Hong Kong in preparation of civil defence against Japanese attack. Tucked away inconspicuously in the bustling parts of the city, the disused shelter tunnels are the 'outsiders' of societal interaction, rarely catching the attention of the people of Hong Kong. Bored deep into the hills leaving only the portals exposed to air, this 'hidden' heritage continues to be lost or damaged without drawing public attention. Ironically, the damage is not from the ravages of war but from redevelopment projects above ground, geotechnical strengthening works and road improvement works, all of which have been carried out post-war, resulting in tunnels being partially or wholly filled in, dug up or forgotten and neglected. As little wartime architecture purposely built for preparation of World War II remains in Hong Kong, there is a need to preserve/ conserve this wartime heritage that once helped shape the city’s history. It is hoped that through this dissertation, both heritage and contemporary values of this forgotten example of wartime architecture be recognized and that a consensus be agreed upon conservation of this World War II heritage, in order to prevent further losses and damages that may only be fully appreciated when it is too late. The dissertation will examine the issues related to the conservation of air raid tunnels through answering the following questions: 1. Where were/ are the tunnels, what purpose did they serve and what are the stories behind them? 2. Are the tunnels a significant heritage, and if so, what are their heritage values? 3. Are the tunnels adequately protected as a heritage in terms of current legislation and policies? 4. What are the threats against the conservation of the tunnels? 5. What are the opportunities for the conservation of the tunnels? / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Traditionally, architectural and construction development in Hong Kong relies on load bearing bricks for structural support. In the modern age after World War II, the common application of reinforced concrete structure in high-rise construction has seen a change in the use of brick as an infill material for reinforced concrete frame construction. Because load bearing brick cannot meet the structural requirement of high-rise buildings, it is no longer common used in construction, and brick buildings that have been built are gradually demolished for redevelopment. For surviving brick buildings in Hong Kong, the ones built with red facing bricks are generally Western style buildings mostly located in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. For buildings built of Chinese grey brick, they are usually Chinese vernacular buildings, such as ancestral halls and temples, located in New Territories. However, with the common availability of modern paint for redecoration as well as weather protection, some brick heritage buildings have been plastered with rendering and painted. The reason for this is that a smooth painted surface gives a neater appearance and the impression of being easier to maintain and clean. Of course, there are also some traditional Chinese vernacular brick buildings, particularly Hakka houses (客家屋), which have a tradition of having brick surfaces painted with white wash covered with lime plaster (Tsang Tai Uk at Shatin and Poon Uk at Yuen Long are examples). With heritage conservation becoming more important, there are now more and more restoration work carried out on historical brick buildings. These projects are usually led by the Antiquities and Monuments Office and executed by the Architectural Services Department. One of the restoration problems faced in these projects is the removal of paint so that the original brick surface will be revealed. This dissertation aims to concentrate on the common methods used in Hong Kong to restore painted brick surfaces and to evaluate these paint removal methods through case studies that involves buildings of red engineering facing brick and Chinese grey brick. Through this dissertation, it will be demonstrated that restoring a brick surface is not straight forward technical work, but a process that must have a systematic conservation approach and planning. The dissertation will examine case studies of conservation projects involving paint removal work, and use the lesson learned to establish guidelines for paint removal in a planned and systematic way. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Kuling, a hill station community located within the Lushan Mountains in Jiangxi Province in the mid-eastern part of China was founded by English missionary Edward Selby Little in 1895. Designed by and for western missionaries and their families and children living in China, Kuling offered cool weather and clean air away from heat and disease in the plains below. Between 1896 and the 1930s, hundreds of residential bungalows were constructed in the planned community of Kuling, along with churches, hospitals, schools, a library, hotels, commercial areas, and leisure and recreation areas such as parks, swimming pools and tennis courts. The bungalow residences in Kuling can be viewed as an historical record representative of and for its associations with the lives of many western Christian missionaries living in China at this time who summered or vacationed in Kuling. Later, as a response to a change in the social and political environment, wealthy Chinese and government officials occupied the residences, and Kuling became a summer capital for the Chinese government. Mt. Lushan (including the bungalows) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Today Lushan is a large and vital community that attracts many tourists and visitors; the bungalows in Kuling are fragile and currently face man-made and natural challenges to their sustainable protection. Currently there are no conservation guidelines for the maintenance, repair or alterations to the buildings within this UNESCO World Heritage site. This dissertation will outline the history and creation of Kuling as a hill station, identify its architecture and landscape feature attributes, specific heritage values and character-defining features, and the spirit of the place. The research will answer the question how the Kuling bungalows can best be conserved, and provide a statement of significance, conservation approach, and conservation rationale. The objective of this dissertation is to provide conservation guidelines for the bungalows in Kuling, in order to ensure their proper long-term maintenance and conservation so that they maintain their significance and authenticity as a UNESCO World Heritage site. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation