Can Hong Kong preserve its historic buildings before it’s too late? From Nan Fung Group’s The Mills to New World Development’s State Theatre, the race is on – but not all projects are tastefully done

The 68-year-old State Theatre in North Point is just the latest historic Hong Kong building fated for a facelift. The Grade I listed building, a former cinema and local landmark, is being revamped by New World Development into what it calls a “new cultural performing arts landmark”. It comes hot on the heels of several successful recent conversion projects such as PMQ and Tai Kwun in Central, and The Mills in Tsuen Wan.

First announced in 2020, the conservation project will include a captivating parabolic exoskeleton structure on the rooftop, known as “flying trusses”. The developer also hosted an immersive Discover the State Theatre In All of Us event in 2021 to inform the public of the building’s history.

“The State Theatre has a lot to do with public nostalgia. For the developer, proper investment in conservation can at least create a good image,” said Peter Lee, a researcher on Hong Kong’s history at Lingnan University.

Another building that has morphed in similar fashion is Kong Ha Wai, a Grade III historic Hakka building in Yuen Long that was preserved, renovated and repurposed by Hong Kong’s Henderson Land Development into an educational space for exhibitions.

Over the years, both the government and private developers have taken the lead in such projects.

“PMQ and Tai Kwun are projects led by the government, which has rolled out certain revitalisation schemes since 2008,” said Peter Wong, CEO of Pete & Dave’s Cultural Heritage Consultancy Ltd, which specialises in archaeology and cultural management. The government, with the help of NGOs and professionals, also evaluates various buildings and determines their listing grade.

According to Wong, there are fewer revitalisation efforts by the private sector, with The Mills being the biggest project he can recall. It was undertaken by Nan Fung Group and completed in late 2018. Formerly the Nan Fung Textiles factory, the location now consists of a museum, event spaces, dining venues and cultural creation stores.

Preserving historic buildings that are privately owned is not always easy, as owners may have the right to apply for demolition and reconstruction, regardless of the type of building.

“Even if the building is of the highest Grade I, which proves the building has tremendous value, the owner still has the right to [demolish it]. And the government would usually avoid conflicts such as litigation with those owners,” Wong said.