Conservation of Historic Buildings in Hong Kong

LAM Sair-ling, Senior Property Services Manager, Architectural Services Department, HKSAR

INTRODUCTION

Building conservation requires particular expertise and care because historic

monuments are significant and invaluable heritage of our culture that once lost or
damaged cannot be replaced.

Conservation of historic buildings and cultural properties is about authenticity and the
principles governing conservation have taken centuries of philosophical, aesthetic and
technical progress to articulate.

EVOLUTION OF CONSERVATION

In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, conservation was assigned to artists whose
job, was to see objects were kept in good repairs. Unfortunately, good repairs at that
time meant good looks according to the taste of the period and damage to objects
resulted from alteration.

Viollet-Le-Duc (1817 – 1879) was a pioneer who undertook most of

the early restoration of historic monuments in France. ‘Unite de style’
was the main principle of restoration and each building was to be
restored ‘in the style which would be propel to it’1. Restoration of a
building was ‘to be re-establish it to a completed state even which may
Viollet-Le-Duc
never have existed at any particular time.’2

Opposition to the French concept of restoration and unity of style began in England.
In 1848, John Ruskin (1818 – 1900) criticized against restoration as ‘the most total
destruction which a building can suffer.’3 The steps to ‘restoration’ he saw were to
dash the original old work to pieces and ‘to put up the cheapest and basest imitation
which can escape detection with conjectural supplements.’4

William Morris (1834 – 1896), the founder of the Society for the Protection of
Ancient Buildings, was among the first individuals to develop many of the essential
philosophies and principles of modern conservation. Concerned over the losses of
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Conservation of Historic Buildings in Hong Kong
LAM Sair-ling, Senior Property Services Manager, Architectural Services Department, HKSAR

English artistic patrimony suffering from ‘stylistic’ restorations, he suggested the

concept of ‘conservative repair’.

With the increasing consciousness of the unity of human values in heritage

conservation and the common responsibility to safeguard historic monuments for the
future generations, major principles laid down on an international basis guarding
conservation are: -

Year Charter (International Council on Monuments and Sites)

(ICOMOS)
1931 Athens Charter
1964 Venice Charter
1979 Burra Charter, Australia ICOMOS
1987 Washington Charter on Conservation of Historic Towns and
Urban Areas
2002 Principles for the Conservation of Heritage Sties in China, China
ICOMOS

GENERAL PRINICPLES OF CONSERVATION

The concept of an historic monument is defined to embrace

‘not only the single architectural work but also the urban or
rural setting in which is found the evidence of a particular
civilization, a significant development or an historic
event.’5 The aim of conservation is to retain and safeguard Legislative Council, Central, Hong
Kong
the cultural significance of a place with unswerving respect
of the existing fabric: the aesthetic, historical and physical integrity of the cultural
property.

The essential principles and aims of conservation are that historic building has a
special message from its creator and thus, its original structure and appearance must
not be altered or falsified. The great buildings of the past ‘do not belong to us only,
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Conservation of Historic Buildings in Hong Kong
LAM Sair-ling, Senior Property Services Manager, Architectural Services Department, HKSAR

they have belonged to our forefathers and will belong to our descendants unless we
play them false. They are not in any sense our property, to do as we like with. We are
only trustees for those who come after us.’6

Level of Intervention

High Intervention
(High negative impact on heritage character)

Replica

MORE CULTURAL
Relocate

INTERVENTION
LESS CULTURAL

SIGNIFICANCE
INTERVENTION
SIGNIFICANCE

DECREASING
INCREASING

Partially Retention

Restore

Replace

Repair

Consolidate

Do Nothing

Low Intervention
(Low negative impact on heritage character)

The approach of ‘conservative repair’ respects the additions and alterations that have
been made to old buildings over time and oppose speculative restoration to an earlier
form. It encourages the repair rather than the replacement of original fabric. Age adds
its own qualities which the repairs should not try to eliminate and old buildings should
have the patina of age and not a modern replica.

The condition of the building before any intervention and all methods and materials
used during treatment must be carefully documented. Any intervention must be the
minimum necessary and reversible if technically possible. ‘The valid contributions of
all periods to the building of a monument must be respected
and unity of style is not the aim of conservation.’7
‘Replacements of missing parts must integrate
harmoniously with the whole, but the same time must be
distinguishable from the original so that restoration does not
Replacement of deteriorated
8 timber structure in Kun Ting
falsify the artistic or historic evidence.’ Study Hall

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Conservation of Historic Buildings in Hong Kong
LAM Sair-ling, Senior Property Services Manager, Architectural Services Department, HKSAR

CONSERVATION PLAN AND PROCESS

Conservation is about the care and continuing development of a place in such a way
that its significance is retained or revealed and its future is made secure.

To enable that the significance of a historic place is to be retained, the process and
approach to conservation projects according to Mr. J.S. Kerr is summarized in the
following diagram: -

Process on Conservation9
Stage I – Understanding the place

Gathering evidence (documentary and physical)

Co-ordinating and analysis evidence

Assessing and stating significance

Stage II – Conservation policy and its implementation

Gathering information for the development of conservation

Requirements for Physical condition External Client’s requirements

retention of requirements or feasible uses
significance

Developing a conservation policy

Stating conservation policy and evolving strategies and options for its implementation

EXAMPLES OF CONSERVATION WORKS IN HONG KONG

These principles have generally been adopted to serve as

guidelines applying within the framework of the local culture
and traditions. Conservation works at Tai Fu Tai and Kun Ting
Study Hall are illustrative examples of the application of these
principles. Front elevation of Kun Ting Study
Hall, Ping Shan Heritage Trail

During the course of the conservation works, the historic

structures were firstly stabilized to prevent further collapse and
deterioration. The historic integrity of the buildings was
respected and decisions had to be made on which part of the
Temporary structural supporting
and working platform falsework
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Conservation of Historic Buildings in Hong Kong
LAM Sair-ling, Senior Property Services Manager, Architectural Services Department, HKSAR

later additions or alterations were valid contributions and ought to be preserved.

As much as salvaged material was used in the conservation

works to provide authenticity and the original method of
construction was employed. Deteriorated greenish grey
brickworks were carefully cut out and piece in with second
Salvaged timber components
hand bricks of matching size. Existing timber and door screens from roof structure of Kun
Ting
were repaired. Missing panels were put back on the traditional
timber sockets complete with decorations traced from the existing historic building.

Repainting to timber carvings and eaves boards etc. were

carried out based on the scraping of existing painting coats and
old photographs. Extreme care was put on the retention of all
the original wall paintings and Chinese calligraphy. Paintworks on timber - Kun
Ting Study Hall (Left), Tai
Fu Tai (Right)

Minor adaptations and improvements regarding safety, lightings and provision of

caretakers office, etc. to enable the building to be opened to the public were carefully
designed without compromising the buildings’ historic value.

Bibliography:
1 Viollet-Let-Duc, Eugene-Emanuel, Dictionnaire raisonne de l’architecture
francaise (Paris 1854 – 68) vol. VIII, 1866, P. 24.
2 Ibid, P. 24
3 Ruskin, John, The Lamp of Memory, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, 1848,
Aphorism 31.
4 Ibid.
5 2nd International Congress of the Architects and Technicians of Historic
Monuments, Venice, 1964, Article 1.
6 Morris, William, Manifesto, Society for Protection of Ancient Building, 1875
7 Ibid, Article 11.
8 Ibid, Article 12.
9 Kerr, James Semple, The Conservation Plan

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