Conservation by whom and for whom : feasibility of developer driven conservation in Hong Kong : the case of the Mills

Abstract

In recent years, the Hong Kong Government has been attempting to adaptively reuse government-owned heritage buildings in collaboration with developers. The outcome was inevitably of a commercial or tourism nature, preserving the body while losing the heritage value of these heritage buildings. The issue addressed in this dissertation is that the “success” of most adaptive reuse projects in Hong Kong is quantified by short-term financial returns. There is a lack of comprehensive vision on the long-term benefits of such adaptive reuse projects from the perspective of the developer, and the community. As the first developer-driven adaptive reuse project in Hong Kong, The Nan Fung Textile Mills consisted of a complex of three 1960’s textile mill buildings. The project was initiated in response to the Chief Executive’s Policy Address regarding the issue of incentivising conservation by owners of privately owned heritage properties. In 2010, the Hong Kong Government launched the Revitalization Scheme for industrial buildings, which aimed to make use of vacant industrial buildings and diversify aged industrial districts to revitalize the community. This dissertation investigates the story of the adaptive reuse of the Nan Fung Textile Mills, the first and only example in Hong Kong to date. It aims to understand the long-term benefits of developer-driven adaptive reuse projects in Hong Kong. These benefits are not just limited to the owner or developer on a micro scale; they are also brought to the wider community on a macro level.