Tai Kwun: Breathing New Life into Hong Kong’s Colonial Core
In the dense heart of Hong Kong’s Central District, where gleaming skyscrapers protrude the sky's edge, where traffic runs, and facades filled with large glass panels – stands a complex covered by red brick walls, pitched roofs and old colonial courtyards. For over a century, the Central Police Station compound, the Central Magistracy and Victoria prison sat here as a symbol of discipline, law and colonial control. Closed off from the public until 2006, its fate became a question of debate, should it be preserved or should it be demolished for new buildings?
The answer came in the form of Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, one of the city’s most ambitious adaptive reuse projects to date. Led by Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with Purcell and Rocco Design Architects, the project transformed a site of exclusion into one of cultural openness. The renovation wasn’t about preservation alone, but about transformation, turning architecture into a place for community, art and memory.
A Site Steeped in History
Built between 1864 and 1925, the compound was the center of the colonial judicial system. . For locals, it was both a symbol of British order and oppression. The police barracks, courtrooms, and prison cells bore witness to generations of stories—some heroic, many painful. By the 20th century, the compound fell into disuse: it made no sense to have a prison in the center of the city, and by 2006 the government closed it down, and the site sat neglected. Citizens called for something to be done with the site, developers wanted it to be removed for more land. Finally, the Hong Kong Jockey Club took on the challenge of transforming it. In partnership with the government, it launched the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project—a HK$3.8 billion endeavor that would span more than a decade, turning it into the Tai Kwun we know today.
Architectural Vision and Philosophy
Herzog & de Meuron approached the site with a similar approach to Tate Modern, and saw a parallel opportunity in Hong Kong to strengthen historical narratives through contrast. Rather than erase or mimic the old, they added to it, parting with two new buildings: JC Contemporary (a gallery) and JC Cube (a theater). The buildings designed in aluminium brick casts rise just slightly above the old compound walls, with the brick patterns in reference to old masonry textures. Yet the bold design only serves as a counterpoint towards the old colonial architecture, with much of it remained untouched.
Herzog & de Meuron described their intent as creating “a dialogue between the monumental and the ephemeral,” turning a site of confinement into a porous, living space. The design language, quiet, tactile, deliberate, allows history and modernity to coexist without one overpowering the other.
The conservation architects at Purcell emphasized an approach of minimal intervention and maximum authenticity. Rather than polishing away the building’s scars, they preserved them, keeping old worn brickwork, weathered stone lintels, and the austere geometry of prison cells. “Our conservation strategy combined restoration with carefully considered interventions,” Purcell noted. “Traditional techniques and materials were used wherever possible, maintaining the integrity of the original fabric.”
Equally crucial was public integration. Tai Kwun’s designers knew that conservation meant little if the site remained closed off. They opened new entrances along Hollywood Road and Old Bailey Street, and created a footbridge to the Mid-Levels Escalator system.
How They Did It
1. Surveying and Stabilization:
Engineers from Arup conducted extensive material analysis—scanning walls, timber trusses, and vaults to assess integrity. Many of the older brick vaults, particularly in the D Hall, were structurally fragile. Instead of replacing them, engineers inserted discreet steel arches beneath the brickwork, strengthening them while keeping the original geometry visible.
2. Foundations and Vibration Control:
For the two new buildings, engineers faced another challenge: the need for deep foundations adjacent to delicate historic structures. They developed an innovative shaft-grouted friction H-pile system, using micropiles to minimize ground movement and vibration.
3. New Forms in Old Fabric:
The new aluminum-brick façades were designed and tested through parametric modeling and full-scale mock-ups. Each brick, casted from recycled alloy wheels, was unique, collectively forming a breathable lattice that regulates light and heat. Inside, the new galleries use steel trusses and concrete cores to achieve column-free exhibition spaces up to seven meters high.
4. Conservation and Craft:
Over 200 local craftspeople participated in restoring the heritage buildings, using traditional joinery, lime plaster, and masonry repair techniques. Their work reactivated Hong Kong’s nearly forgotten construction trades.
Impact and Legacy
Since its opening in 2018, Tai Kwun has redefined what adaptive reuse means in Asia. It has welcomed millions of visitors, hosted exhibitions by both local and international artists, and provided rare open-air space in one of the densest cities on earth.
Beyond its immediate cultural success, Tai Kwun has reshaped the surrounding urban aera, The compound is filled with cafés, art installations, public performances, and tour groups. Its courtyards have become extensions of Hong Kong’s public realm, offering light, pause, and reflection in a vertical metropolis.
In 2019, the project received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Excellence, recognizing its exemplary balance between conservation and innovation. The jury commended Tai Kwun for “transforming a complex of immense historical weight into a vibrant new civic space in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district.”
