1881 Heritage Hong Kong Historical Site and Tourism Board

1881 Heritage, an adaptive re-use project owned and developed by Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited (“Cheung Kong”), recently won three awards at the prestigious Asia Pacific Property Awards 2010. The annual property industry competition has a geographic footprint of 19 regions in the Asia-Pacific area. 1881 Heritage is the first private sector adaptive re-use project of its kind in Hong Kong. With its unique architectural features and historical background, the development has been transformed into a new cultural and shopping landmark in Hong Kong, and is now being recognized by the international property community.

“Cheung Kong is honoured to receive three awards at this prestigious international property competition,” said Ms Grace Woo, Executive Director of Cheung Kong. “The objective of this revitalization project was to preserve the historic site while adding functionality to reintegrate the development into the urban fabric of the surrounding area. Today, we are very pleased to see local citizens as well as overseas visitors coming to 1881 Heritage to learn about local history and to enjoy the shopping and leisure facilities it offers. The recognition of the international property community is a great encouragement to us.”

1881 Heritage

Mr James Tien Pei-Chun, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, congratulated 1881 Heritage on winning the awards: “The Hong Kong Tourism Board recognizes the importance of culture and heritage as a tourist attraction. As such, we have always worked hard to promote cultural sites with unique local characteristics to enhance the experiences of overseas visitors and to showcase Hong Kong’s cultural diversity. As one of Hong Kong’s most significant historical sites, 1881 Heritage reflects the city’s unique history and heritage. We will continue to promote this tourist attraction to visitors to enable them to have a better, more enriching tourism experience.”

The original site of 1881 Heritage was the Hong Kong Marine Police Headquarters of which construction commenced in 1881. Cheung Kong was awarded the redevelopment tender in 2003 and spent over HK$1 billion on the project. The revitalization project, which took over six years to complete, was carried out in accordance with world conservation standards. The overriding objective of the revitalization was to preserve the original look and features while adding new functionalities to suit modern needs. An example of this was the making use of an old bomb shelter to build a passageway leading to the new Heritage Hall.

The original buildings on site including the Main Building, the Stable Block and the Time Ball Tower, all of which were declared historical monuments, were preserved. Furthermore, new additions in Victorian architectural style were constructed. After winning the Asia Pacific Best Redevelopment Award, 1881 Heritage will now run against the five-star winners in the same category in other regions of the world for the title of “World’s Best Redevelopment”. The accolade reflects the recognition of Cheung Kong’s conservation and revitalization efforts by the regional and international property industry.

1881 Heritage

At the same award ceremony, 1881 Heritage also received the five-star Best Mixed Use Development Award for its balanced usage of the site in conservation, commerce, leisure and education. A Heritage Hall has been set up in 1881 Heritage to display a collection of relics which are representative of the history of the place. Free guided tours of the site are also conducted regularly. At the same time, 1881 Heritage offers 13,000 sq. ft. of luxury boutiques, fine dining establishments and a heritage hotel. The shopping amenities include many of the leading international brands in jewellery, watches, designer fashion and giftware. A number of these prestigious brands have chosen 1881 Heritage as the address for their flagship shops. The boutique hotel, Hullett House, boasts luxury themed suites, and five restaurants and bars, all of which pay tribute to the rich legacy and colourful past of Hong Kong.

Cheung Kong’s revitalization work has successfully given the historical compound back to society and allows Hong Kong people as well as overseas visitors to get acquainted with Hong Kong’s history while enjoying the shopping and leisure facilities.

Apart from the restoration project of 1881 Heritage, Cheung Kong has introduced a host of new design concepts for residential properties, office buildings, shopping centres, industrial properties and hotels. These concepts involve the layout of developments, the arrangement of units and the selection of interior materials. Examples can be seen in Celestial Heights at Ho Man Tin, The Capitol at LOHAS Park and The Legend at Jardine’s Lookout.

Celestial Heights at Ho Man Tin – To accentuate the upmarket positioning of the development, all residential towers in Celestial Heights are connected by a private road named Celestial Avenue. The development features a European-style garden of about 100,000 sq. ft., a banquet hall inspired by the Louvre in France, a 55-metre swimming pool with fountains and a clubhouse decorated with crystal chandeliers and marble.

The Capitol at LOHAS Park – LOHAS Park is the largest green community in the urban area of Hong Kong. The planning of the development promotes the concepts of environmental protection and healthy lifestyle. The arrangement of the residential towers is similar to that of organ pipes, which lets in natural light and ensures adequate ventilation. The residential units are divided into left and right wings in five different towers with three elevators serving four units per floor to increase the privacy enjoyed by the residents.

The Legend at Jardine’s Lookout – The Legend is the first residential development that adopts fibre optics in its design, utilizing over 19,000 metres of optical fibres. The roof of the development is reminiscent of an eagle spreading its wings. The project is a landmark in the traditional luxury residential area of eastern Mid-levels.