As Heritage Consultants and Conservation Architects, Purcell worked collaboratively within the international design team, educating, guiding and informing the conservation and evolution of this nationally significant landmark.

16 historic buildings were adapted across the 6-acre site - three of which are Declared Monuments – and two new buildings by Herzog & de Meuron introduced, with new wayfinding routes, entrances and enhanced open spaces.

Formally opened on the 25 May 2018, Tai Kwun had its 1,000,000th visitor within the first four months.

Tai Kwun is the largest collection of historic buildings and monuments on a single site in Hong Kong.

Tackling this monumental adaptive reuse project required a multifaceted approach to conservation, one that depended on fastidious research and sustained, engaged work with the relevant government bodies to balance preservation and change.

The combination of successfully conserved heritage and new architecture creates an intentionally new – yet familiar – cultural beacon for the city that is relevant to today’s HongKongers.

There was a recognition that to be sustainable in the long term the site had to deliver more than a restored former Police Station Compound, and this informed the decision to include new interventions as part of the centre for heritage and arts. 

The site needed to be knitted back into the city so that local people could easily access it, regarding it as part of their daily lives and returning again and again.

Strict building codes made the successful introduction critical engineering services within historic buildings a significant achievement; elements such as fire services and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering were all crucial to retaining and reusing the protected spaces.  

Replacing like-for-like fabric out of respect for historic buildings required skilful negotiation in an area more commonly supportive of rapid development, and where the availability of skilled craftsmen was limited. Tai Kwun has in part been a catalyst to revitalise lost and dying traditional and colonial building craftsmanship, with over 200 local tradespeople employed over the course of the project, helping ensure it’s lasting legacy for conservation in Hong Kong.

Tai Kwun is a valuable social and economic asset to Hong Kong, counting 3.6 million visitors by its first anniversary.

As an immersive, cultural and social hub, the venue is relevant to a diverse range of visitors whilst providing a place for locals to engage with Hong Kong's history and legacy through various educational heritage workshops, interpretation programmes, events and performances.

It sets the benchmark for excellence in the restoration, revitalisation and adaptive reuse of historic structures in Hong Kong whilst operating a sustainable model that generates income to support the site's ongoing preservation. Today, this preservation carries on as we continue to work with Tai Kwun Facilities Management, carrying out periodic inspections and delivering routine maintenance and repair projects.