Redefining heritage buildings through new design : destruction or rejuvenation?

Abstract

Adding new design to heritage building is commonly found in the adaptive reuse projects in Hong Kong. However, polarized opinions are observed regarding these new designs, and it raises up continuous debates in the society. To address this issue, this dissertation aims to investigate into the necessity, criteria and impact of new design in built heritage adaptive reuse project, so that to provide more insights in taking initiatives to ensure better integration of old and new elements in future conservation projects. In order to analyze the necessity, criteria and impact of new design in heritage adaptive reuse, a case study approach is adopted by using Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts as the major study point. Both primary and secondary data are used. For primary data, the views of conservation experts from social group, academic and architectural fields are collected through in-depth interviews. While for secondary data, news articles, reports and publications are used mainly to build up the theoretical frameworks in this thesis. Through the research, different views, both for and against, can be overserved among the interviewees and secondary data regarding the necessity and impacts of new design in heritage conservation. Some of them are supportive thinking that the new design can sustain the new uses and construct a new identity, while some other think that it may ruin the heritage significance by dominating the site. Despite the diverse views above, the data collected comes up with a similar thought about the importance of having a sensitive design approach in fulfilling the design criteria including form, colour and texture etc. in articulating the heritage contexts. New design addition is necessity in heritage adaptive reuse project given that it is carried out in a careful and sensitive design approach, and followed a set of objective criteria as extracted from different international standards and principles. Both negative and positive impacts are possibly resulted from the new design addition, but it is more important that these impacts can make a fruitful contribution to the community, as well as making both local and international recognition on developing architectural practice and guideline for new design in future heritage conservation.