Wanchai Police Station - Hong Kong - 1932
Gloucester Rd, Wanchai.
Built to replace an earlier police station in Wanchai, this building (also known as 'No.2 Police Station') had previously faced the harbour. The waterfront is now many metres away after successive reclamation projects in land-hungry Honkers.
Reflecting the emerging Modernism in the 1930s, the rather austere style of architecture is known as "Stripped Classicism" where Classical or Neo-Classical architectural designs were reduced to their structural elements. In this building, for example, whilst its symmetry is impeccable, the central pediment bears only sparse ornamentation; the columns are neither Corinthian nor Ionic, moreover they are neither rounded nor fluted; the arcade is rectangular and functional with no detailing save the occassional rusticated column. Popular in the 1930s, this style of architecture was especially popular in public and institutional buildings in Britain and the US. The style, however, was to attain notoriety as the preferred architecture of the vainglorious and troublesome Messrs Hitler and Mussolini.
The building's use as a police station came to an end in late 2010. It will be put up for open tender at some point in the future. Although demolition is unlikely, given the Hong Kong's Government's pathetic record on "historic preservation", I shudder to think that it ends up to be a mish-mash of foreign luxury shopping and brand goods outlets (like we need more!), expensive restaurants and de-luxe hotel-style interiors (marble, mirrors etc). Yawn.
Wanchai Police Station - Hong Kong - 1932
Gloucester Rd, Wanchai.
Built to replace an earlier police station in Wanchai, this building (also known as 'No.2 Police Station') had previously faced the harbour. The waterfront is now many metres away after successive reclamation projects in land-hungry Honkers.
Reflecting the emerging Modernism in the 1930s, the rather austere style of architecture is known as "Stripped Classicism" where Classical or Neo-Classical architectural designs were reduced to their structural elements. In this building, for example, whilst its symmetry is impeccable, the central pediment bears only sparse ornamentation; the columns are neither Corinthian nor Ionic, moreover they are neither rounded nor fluted; the arcade is rectangular and functional with no detailing save the occassional rusticated column. Popular in the 1930s, this style of architecture was especially popular in public and institutional buildings in Britain and the US. The style, however, was to attain notoriety as the preferred architecture of the vainglorious and troublesome Messrs Hitler and Mussolini.
The building's use as a police station came to an end in late 2010. It will be put up for open tender at some point in the future. Although demolition is unlikely, given the Hong Kong's Government's pathetic record on "historic preservation", I shudder to think that it ends up to be a mish-mash of foreign luxury shopping and brand goods outlets (like we need more!), expensive restaurants and de-luxe hotel-style interiors (marble, mirrors etc). Yawn.