Page 13 - R&KT Flipping Book - Issue 5, Dec 2016

Trending research

Increasing Heritage Awareness through Issue FIve

Hong Kong’s Early Architects

“This research aims at rigorously re-examining modern architecture,
Chinese culture and tradition, and colonial Hong Kong in architectural
design of the early twentieth century,”

Dr Prudence Lau Leung-kwok, Assistant Professor,
Department of Cultural and Creative Arts

“With the first group of overseas-educated Chinese architects
Research and discussion on the distinctive returning to colonial Hong Kong in the 1920s-30s and establishing
features of Hong Kong’s early architecture have themselves as the pioneers of designing the modern city, this period
been relatively neglected. witnessed the first signs of urban modernisation in Hong Kong,”
said Dr Lau.

Dr Lau will collect data including drawings and photographs from
To give architecture of our city its rightful place, Dr Prudence Lau periodicals, historical collections plus architectural firms’ archives
Leung-kwok, Assistant Professor at the Department of Cultural to ascertain the background of the architectural firms, their patrons,
and Creative Arts, will research the early Hong Kong and Chinese and the historical value of the architecture. Dr Lau and her team
architects whose work influenced the urban landscape of Hong will then conduct interviews with the descendants of some of these
Kong. architects, including the Kwan’s, to add to information about their
architectural designs and buildings. She will also conduct a holistic
In her two-year project, “Building a Modern City: First-generation
study of the selected buildings and their urban impact.
Chinese Architects in colonial Hong Kong, 1920s-1950s”, Dr Lau will
document architects of the modern era and those of the demolished Conserving Heritage for Future Generations
and surviving buildings from that period. “This research aims at Dr Lau’s goal is to lay the foundations for public education on
rigorously re-examining modern architecture, Chinese culture and heritage conservation. She will organise public workshops,
tradition, and colonial Hong Kong in architectural design of the seminars and a website on these unsung Hong Kong architects who
early twentieth century,” said Dr Lau. contributed to the city’s urban modernisation. She also hopes to
“review current heritage policies in Hong Kong and compare with
Building a Network
international cases, ultimately enhancing and improving policies for
Noting that there is an increase of heritage awareness in Hong Kong
local heritage from this research.”
in recent years, Dr Lau aims to build up a network with other urban
and architectural historians to research the descendants of the first-
generation Chinese architects, one of whom was the father of Nancy
Kwan, the leading actress in the Hollywood film The World of Suzie
Wong. Dr Lau will also create a list of buildings, both demolished
and surviving, designed by those architects.

Dr Lau also hopes to “review current
heritage policies in Hong Kong and compare
with international cases, ultimately
enhancing and improving policies for local
heritage from this research… to combine
in an innovative way, heritage policy with
education."

“This research aims at rigorously re-examining modern architecture,
Chinese culture and tradition, and colonial Hong Kong in architectural
design of the early twentieth century,” said Dr Lau.

R & KT News 13