Adaptive re-use of urban industrial heritage buildings for cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong

Abstract

Since 1997, Hong Kong as an international financial center has experienced several financial storms. Whenever it was in the storm, the Government found reliance on finance and real estate unreliable and sought the need to diversify its economic mode. However, as soon as the storm was over, the Government forgot the need and continues to focus on financial development.

In 2009, in view of the international financial crisis, the Chief Executive (CE) identified 6 priority industries as the new growth drives to propel Hong Kong towards a knowledge-based economy. In parallel, the Policy Address 2009 endorsed the Government would take “appropriate policies to remove obstacles to their development” (para.21) and “examine whether the existing use of resources can support the new economic structure, and to prevent the factors of production from being tied up by outdated policies and economic structure.” (para.22) Subsequently, CE suggested that diversified development should be a strategic move to achieve sustainable economic growth.

To utilize the land resources for the 6 industries? development, the Government launches 4 measures to release the potential of 1000 industrial buildings. Its intention is good. Yet, the result will be much better if there are cohesive policy and measures to synchronize the needs and the strengths of the industries. Among the 6 priority industries to utilize the industrial land, this dissertation targets primarily on cultural and creative industries (CCI) which may collaborate with other industries, such as education and tourism to develop cultural tourism and an education center with a view to forming a CCI park in a post-industrial area.

This dissertation divides itself into three. The first part evaluates CCI, urban industrial heritage buildings and their combination; the second examines 4 local case studies, Cattle Depot, JCCAC, Fotan and LoftStage as well as 6 Shanghai ones. The third and final part devises a preliminary but innovative model of how to develop a post-industrial area into a sustainable CCI park with various potentials and resources concerted in Hong Kong.