3
Cultural heritage
This section presents the cultural heritage impact
assessment (CHIA) for the Project. The
CHIA has been completed in accordance with the requirements set out by the EIA Study Brief and the EIAO-TM. The main objectives are:
·
To carry out a
Baseline Study, the purpose of which is to investigate the history and
establish the cultural significance of the CPS, including its historic
buildings, structures and spaces;
·
To formulate a
Heritage Conservation Policy which provides guidance on how to conserve,
control change, manage and interpret the CPS;
·
To identify the
impacts of the proposed development and identify mitigation measures to control
these impacts; and
·
To provide a
Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for long term caring of the heritage site(s)
and sustainability of the adaptive reuse.
3.1.1
Other
Built Heritage Resources within 50m but Outside the Site
In
the area around the Site, there are numerous examples of historic built
fabric. These include some remnants of
19th century granite walls or steps located along the streets
immediately around the Site including
3.2
Relevant Legislation and Guidelines
The following legislation and guidelines are
applicable to the assessment of impacts on sites of cultural heritage in
·
Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO)
(Cap. 499. S16), Technical Memorandum on the EIA Process, Annex 10 and 19 (EIAO
TM) and Guidance Notes on Assessment of Impact on Sites of Cultural Heritage
in EIA Studies;
·
Antiquities and Monuments (AM) Ordinance (Cap. 53);
·
Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment
(CHIA) for Adaptive Reuse Projects (as at May 2009);
·
·
Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance.
According to the EIAO, Schedule 1 Interpretation,
“Sites of Cultural Heritage” are defined as:
“an antiquity or monument, whether being a place,
building, site or structure or a relic, as defined in the AM Ordinance and any
place, building, site or structure or a relic identified by the Antiquities and
Monuments Office to be of archaeological, historical or paleontological
significance”.
The technical scope for evaluating and assessing the
cultural heritage impacts is defined in Annexes 10, 18, and 19 of the
EIAO TM. The approach recommended by the guidelines can be summarised as
follows:
·
The general presumption in favour of the protection
and conservation of all sites of cultural heritage because they provide an
essential, finite and irreplaceable link between the past and the future and
are points of reference and identity for cultural and tradition; and
·
Adverse impacts on sites of cultural heritage shall
be kept to an absolute minimum.
3.2.2
Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance
The AM Ordinance (Cap. 53) provides
statutory protection against the threat of development on Declared Monuments,
historic buildings and archaeological sites to enable their preservation for
posterity. The AM Ordinance also establishes the statutory procedures to
be followed in making such a declaration and specifies the need of a Section 6
permit for works to be carried out in a declared monument. Section 11 of
the AM Ordinance requires any person who discovers an antiquity, or
supposed antiquity, to report the discovery to the Antiquities Authority. By
implication, construction projects need to ensure that the Antiquities Advisory
Board (AAB) is formally notified of archaeological resources which are
discovered during the assessment or construction of a project.
3.2.3
Chapter 10: Conservation, of the HKPSG provides general guidelines and advice
for the conservation of historical buildings, archaeological sites and other antiquities.
Of particular interest is Section 2: Principles of Conservation, and Section
4: Conservation of Monuments,
3.2.4
Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment
(CHIA) for Adaptive Reuse Projects (as at May 2009)
The Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Impact
Assessment (CHIA) for Adaptive Reuse Projects (as at May 2009) are stated in Appendix
B of the EIA Study Brief No. ESB-205/2009, which sets out the
requirement of baseline study, conservation policy, impact assessment study and
long-term impact control. This section has been written with the context and
layout of these guidelines as a framework.
3.2.5
Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 28)
Under this Ordinance, it is required that a permit be
obtained for any excavation within government land prior to commencement of the
excavation work. While there has not been any excavation carried out on site
prior to the completion of this report, there will be a necessity for both
archaeological and construction excavation relating to the proposed works.
In accordance with Clause 3.4.1.1 of the EIA
Study Brief No. ESB – 205/2009, the Cultural Heritage study area is
within 50 metres from the project boundary.
In accordance with Clause 3.4.1.3
of the EIA Study Brief No. ESB-206/2009, the CHIA comprises two parts: the Building Heritage
Impact Assessment (BHIA) and the Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA). The
methodology for the BHIA and AIA follows the Guidelines for Cultural
Heritage Impact Assessment (CHIA) for Adaptive Reuse Projects as stated in Appendix
B of the EIA Study Brief No. ESB – 205/2009.
This report is based on the guidelines provided in
the EIA Study Brief No. ESB-205/2009,
specifically Appendix B: Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment
for Adaptive Reuse Projects. The guidelines provided in the Technical
Memorandum have also been used as a reference, most notably Annex 10 (Criteria for evaluating visual and landscape impact, and impact on
sites of cultural heritage); Annex 18
(Guidelines for Landscape and Visual
Impact Assessment); and Annex 19
(Guidelines for Assessment of Impact on Sites of Cultural Heritage and other
Impacts).
This CHIA also references several international
charters and other guidance, some of which are listed in the Guidelines for the CHIA provided in
2009. These are:
·
·
Convention
for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe – the
·
The
·
Principles
for the Recording of Monuments, Groups of Buildings and Sites (1996)
·
Burra Charter (1979, revision of 1999)
·
Principles
for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in
·
Hoi
An Protocol for best Conservation Practice in
·
The
·
Conservation
Principles, Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the
Historic Environment (2008)
·
ICOMOS
Charter on the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites
(2008)
In addition, further guidance has been used to assess
the significance of areas, features, buildings and spaces or elements within
them. This includes ‘Informed Conservation’ by Kate Clark (2001), ‘Conservation
Plans’ by James Semple Kerr (2006), and guidelines
provided by other British-based organisations including English Heritage,
Heritage Lottery Fund and National Trust.
In accordance with the guidelines for the CHIA, a
Conservation Management Plan (CMP) was completed by Purcell Miller Tritton LLP in June 2008 for the whole of the CPS as
enclosed in Annex A6. The research carried out to complete the CMP
forms the basis for the Baseline Study of this CHIA as well as drawing up
policies which formed a framework for the conservation and restoration of the
existing buildings. Following the
completion of the renovation works for the Site, the CMP should be updated in
order to remain a viable working document for the owners and users of the
Site. Section 3.7.1 presents the changed elements of the CMP considering
the span of time between completion of the CMP June 2008 and of this EIA
Report, as well as the further research which has been carried out in that
time.
The Site Plan with the locations and names of each
individual building is shown in Figure 2.7. Each building within the Site has been
provided with an identification number which will be used throughout this
section.
3.3.1
Desktop Study
According to Section
1.3, Appendix B of the EIA
Study Brief No. ESB 205/2009, Graded historic buildings/street, declared
monuments, and Government historic sites should be reviewed. Therefore, the
initial step for conducting a baseline study was to consult the AMO List of
Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (as of 10 November 2010, http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/AAB-SM-chi.pdf),
the Government historic sites identified by AMO (as of 31 August 2010, http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/build_hia_government_historic_sites.pdf?20100603),
and the AMO list of Declared Monuments in Hong Kong (as of 12 November 2010, http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/Monument/form/DM_Mon_List_e.pdf).
This initial consultation revealed that the Site contains no Government
historic sites, but does contain one Grade 1 historic street (Pottinger Street) and one proposed Grade 3 historic
building (No.20 Hollywood Road) and three Declared Monuments (Former Central
Magistracy, Arbuthnot Road; Central Police Station Compound, Hollywood Road;
and Victoria Prison Compound, Old Bailey Street).
A Baseline Condition study has been carried out for
all of the heritage resources within the Site, including historic buildings,
Prison Yard, Parade Ground and walls & revetments. The General Office
(building 18) has not been included in the baseline assessments as it does not
meet any of the requirements for inclusion in the baseline study defined by the
CHIA guidance. It was not constructed before 1950, and is not considered to be ‘of
high architectural and historical significance and interest’.
For each of these buildings and features both a field
study and a desktop study were completed. The findings were used to inform
historic development drawings and to set a basis for understanding the
significance of the Site as well as any changes that have occurred over time.
Inevitably, some buildings or features will have more information in the
baseline study than others. This is based on the size, date and architectural
complexity as well as the availability of archival and other research material.
Initial research for the desktop studies was carried
out during the preparation of a CMP for the Site completed in June 2008.
Following the completion of additional data collection and the desk top study,
the information was compiled and used to write a general history for the Site.
Any specific information was then used to create individual desk-top
assessments for each building or feature.
Several sources were used to gather information
initially for the CMPs and later for the Desktop
study. For a full list of items used for researching this section please refer
to the Bibliography in Section 3.4.7.
A summary of the sources used includes:
·
Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO)
·
Various
reports on the history and significance, historic photographs, maps and plans.
·
Journals of the Royal Asiatic Society and
the
·
The archive
of articles was searched, but aside from general referencing material there was
no specific information relating to the Site.
·
·
Several
visits were made to the Public Records Office, where numerous historic maps,
plans, photographs and other documents were accessed.
·
National Archives,
·
The
National Archives contained original design drawings for some of the buildings
on the Site, as well as historic maps and plans of
·
·
Books,
dissertations, brochures, reports and journals all relating to the Site were
referenced here.
·
·
This
online resource supplied access to Oral Histories, newspaper articles, theses, photograph
galleries and most importantly Hong Kong Government Reports Online (1842 –
1941), which includes Public Works Reports and Prison and Police Reports.
·
Photographic Archives
·
Several
photograph archives were searched, including the University of Wisconsin Asia
& Middle East Archive (Harrison Forman Collection); Gwulo:
Old Hong Kong; and South China Morning Post.
·
Cartographic Archives
·
Numerous
online cartographic archives held by universities and libraries were
referenced.
·
Museums
·
Relevant
museums in
·
Oral Histories and Discussions
·
Interviews
were held with members of the AMO, the Hong Kong University Architecture
Department and other relevant groups. Other documents, such as the Anecdotes of
Dr W K Chan were also referenced. A pilot study prepared by Dr Lawrence Ho of Lingan University contains interviews with three former employees
of the Central Police Station Compound.
The 1841-2005 Victoria Prison Memorial Book was also used and
this provided descriptions of the everyday tasks carried out by individuals and
general anecdotes about the running of the prison
·
Government Departments
Government
Departments including the Land Registry and District Lands Office were
contacted. Also contacted with the GIS (Government Information Services) and
GRS (Government Records Services)
3.3.2
Field
Study
Several site
visits were made from 2007 to 2010 with the intention being to gain a more
complete understanding of the Site. For each building or feature, a thorough
investigation was undertaken for the internal and external spaces, taking note
of architectural styles and features, materials, alterations to the built
fabric, areas or items of significance, and relationships between adjacent
areas or spaces. A set of survey photographs was taken for each heritage
resource within the Site.
Generally,
each Field study entry contains the following information, though some
categories may not apply to all entries:
·
Designation
·
Date
of construction
·
Location
(including location plan)
·
Height
& number of floors
·
Exterior
& Interior descriptions (including photographic survey)
·
Areas
of Significance
·
Summary
of Archaeology
·
History
(including timeline and historic maps, plans and photographs)
·
Significance
·
Historic
Development and Significance Drawings
3.3.3
Oral
History
In
accordance with Section 1.3.1 of the EIA Study Brief No. ESB-205/2009, the
baseline study should include an oral history in the form of ‘discussion
with the former users and the local informants’ of the Site. To meet this
requirement, a pilot study was carried out by Dr. Lawrence Ho of the Department
of Political Science,
The study
was confined to interviews with three senior police officers (two retired, one
serving). However, due to issues with confidentiality it was not possible at
this time to establish contact with any previous users of the Magistracy, and
the knowledge of prison workings was somewhat limited. The three individuals
interviewed were:
·
An
expatriate inspector who joined the Hong Kong Police in the 1950s. He was an
officer in the Police-Military Liaison Office (Pol-mil)
during the 1967 riots.
·
A
serving Senior Superintendent who was on duty in the Central Police Station in
the 1980s when he was deployed to the Hong Kong Island Traffic Division.
·
A retired
Assistant Commissioner who worked in the Central Police Station in several
stints, and has taken responsibility for the internal renovation of the
Officers’ Mess.
·
The
oral history report highlighted four areas which were discussed by all three
informants: Feng-shui and ghost stories, pay day,
worshipping Guangong and other rituals, and the
Officer’s Mess.
3.3.4
Ground
Penetrating Radar Survey
As the desk-based assessment identified
areas with archaeological potential but the information is considered inadequate
for further detailed impact assessment, a non-destructive Ground Penetrating
Radar (GPR) survey was conducted in August 2009 to obtain the field data. The GPR survey was carried out at the Site
on 13th – 15th, 17th, 26th, and 27th
August 2009. The survey was performed by FT Laboratories Limited working as
sub-contractors for Alliance Professional Surveys. The equipment used was the
GSSI GPR with 400 MHz antenna for scanning, and the GSSI TerraSIRich
SIR System-3000 for data processing. The process of carrying out the survey is
given here, as detailed by FT Laboratories Ltd:
‘The GSSI GPR system produces a cross-sectional image
of subsurface features. The system design allows for concrete scanning to
locate re-bar, pipes, tension bars, conduits, and voids within and
behind/beneath concrete slabs. GPR is a remote sensing technique that uses
microwave electromagnetic energy. An antenna, or transducer, transmits brief
pulses of energy into the ground or concrete structure…The GPR antenna radiates
signals into the structure, where they are reflected from the subsurface
objects or voids’.
The survey was carried out in specified areas
throughout the Site, namely:
·
The
Parade Ground, including the area beneath the west porch of the Barracks Block
(building 03) but excluding Pottinger Street and the
area immediately west of the Married Inspectors’ Quarters and Deputy
Superintendent’s House (building 04) and the Garage (building 05).
·
The
Prison Yard
·
F Hall
(building 17) ground floor, though excluding the south alleyway (this was
carried out at a time when there were proposals for demolition of F Hall)
·
A
narrow strip of ground running north-south from the north side of A Hall
(building 11) to the south side of the west extension of D Hall (building 14)
Figure 3.1 shows the
exact location of these GPR survey for the
Site. A summary of the survey finding is presented
in Section 3.4.6 and detailed in Annex A3.
The history of the Site has been well researched in
various texts including theses, AMO documents and the CMPs
produced for the whole of the CPS, and these should be the main point of
reference for understanding the history of the Site and of the Hong Kong
Correctional Services and Police Force. Provided here is a brief summary of the
history of the Site documenting the major events to occur up to decommissioning
in 2006. For more in-depth information relating to the history and development
of the individual buildings, features and spaces within the Site see the
desktop studies included as Annex A1.
3.4.2
General
History of the CPS (see Figures 3.2 to
3.12)
The Site was first occupied by a prison and Chief
Magistrate’s residence, which were among the first buildings to be constructed
in
By 1851 the first Magistracy – a two storey structure
with central courtroom – had also been constructed on the eastern edge of the
site and large retaining walls had been built around the compound for security.
There were several guard houses and look-outs within the perimeter walls,
including Bauhinia House (building 19).
Further alterations in the 1850s included the
construction of a Tread Wheel as a form of punishment for the prisoners, two
Guard Houses and a Gaoler’s House, and a new Debtor’s Gaol to replace the
original Goal building, which was in a poor state with filthy conditions for
the inmates.
Continued increase in the number of prisoners led to
a complete redesign of the Victoria Gaol, based on popular radial plan prisons
in the
The north half of the site was quickly taken over as
the Central Police Station and a new Barracks Block (building 3) was
constructed in 1864 to provide accommodation for single and married Sergeants
and Constables. The building was three storeys and situated east-west across
the centre of the site, designed in the typical British Colonial style but with
local adaptations like verandahs and Chinese tile
roofs. The A block of Officers’ Quarters (building 4) was constructed in the
north-east corner of the site at the same time. This could have marked the
takeover of the whole site for police used, but in 1866 the prisoners were
brought back from Stonecutter’s
Presumably around the same time a Superintendent’s
House (building 10) was built at the south-east of the Barracks Block. It was
designed in a typically colonial style and featured a gabled roof of the same
design as that on the Barracks Block. A blocked archway on the ground floor
provided the main entrance to the prison.
The prison was by this point a remarkable
architectural feature of
Reforms of the Police Force during the late 1860s and
1870s expanded the numbers of both Chinese and Indian officers. By 1880, the
Force employed a total of 610 officers: 125 Europeans, 315 Chinese and 171
Sikhs. The expanding Force necessitated further accommodation. In 1906 an
additional floor was added to the Barracks Block which reuse of much of the
original roof structure. Three blocks of new officers’ quarters (only two
survive; buildings 6 and 7) were constructed by 1908 in the north-east corner
of the site.
Overcrowding was also still a problem in the Gaol,
though public opinion on a proposed extension was varied as the conditions in
the prison, being far better than the prisoners’ own homes, were not a
deterrent to crime. It was reported that the Gaol “is already looked upon as
a paradise by many a rascal”[1]. Despite these objections two new cell blocks
(now demolished) were constructed in 1894 on the corner of
The period between 1910 and 1920 saw a considerable
amount of growth over the whole Site. A new cell block (now demolished) was
constructed in 1901 to replace the demolished southeast diagonal wing of the
prison. A similar block (building 12, B Hall) was constructed in 1910 to the
north of original cell block. Both provided space for 78 prisoners each. In
1915 a further cell block (building 15, E Hall) was constructed in the
southwest corner of the site, and set on pillars over the lower yard. In 1917
the space adjacent to this cell block (building 16, Laundry) was also covered
over to provide an additional exercise area for the prisoners.
A new Magistracy (building 9) was built 1912-1914 on
the Site of the earlier one, with its main classical design façade overlooking
The Central Police Station was also expanded with the
addition of a Headquarters Block (building 1) on land purchased in the
northwest corner of the Site. Construction started in 1916 and was completed in
1919. On the south side facing the Parade Ground the building had a more
domestic, two-storey scale, while the north, public elevation was four storeys
and of a much more imposing design.
There was then little space left on the Site to
expand the accommodation of either the Police Station or Gaol but smaller works
were undertaken. In 1924 a new Armoury and Store (building 2) was built at the
west end of the parade ground and in 1933 the veranda on the ground floor of
this building was filled in to provide further storage. In 1927 a Garage
(building 5) for police cars was constructed. Numerous other minor alterations
were undertaken to all the buildings on Site, such as the partitioning of rooms
in the Barracks Block for offices of the Criminal Investigations Department
(1928 - 9) and the construction of a new printing shop on the site of the
workshop (in part building 17, F Hall) in the southwest corner of the Site in
1929. In 1928 a new ‘Reception Block’ (building 11, A Hall) was constructed, in
1929 a building was constructed to the east of this for use as a male hospital
and various offices (building 13, C Hall) and in the 1930s a new Ablutions
block (building 8) was constructed west of the Reception Block.
During the 1930s two new prisons were constructed at
Lai Chi Kok and Stanley to once again try to solve
the overcrowding problem. This left the Victoria Gaol for remand prisoners,
debtors, destitute and persons awaiting deportation.
Organisational changes took place in the Police
Station and Gaol following the War. Female officers were first allowed into the
Force in 1949. The Gaol was never used as a convict prison again- instead it
was a remand prison. Various building functions were reorganised, such as the
use of the Armoury and Store for the Traffic Police, the Parade Ground as a car
park and a new radio control room on the top floor of the Barracks Block (later
moved to the basement of the Headquarters Block for security). In 1956 F Hall
was converted into use as the new Reception building, with the iconic blue gate
on Old Bailey being built.
By the 1970s the prison was increasingly
being used by the Immigration Office to detain illegal immigrants. In 1979 the
Magistracy was converted for offices for the Immigration Department. The prison
was also used as an institution for accommodating discharged inmates prior to
repatriation or deportation. The Prisons Department was also reformed towards
the end of the 20th century, changing its name to the Correctional
Services Department and adopting the motto “We Care” to encourage team work and
rehabilitation of offenders.
In the 1990s the Central Police Station and Victoria
Gaol were becoming less important with the construction of newer facilities
across
Figure 3.2
View overlooking the site in 1895, showing the radial plan prison, the
Married Inspectors’ Quarters and Deputy Superintendent’s House (Building 04), the
original Magistracy, and the Superintendent’s House (10) behind that.
Figure 3.3 View looking into the Victoria Gaol radial
plan prison c.1895, showing the laundry yard area and D Hall
Figure 3.4 Photograph of
Figure 3.5 1851
Figure 3.6 1856
Figure 3.7 1858
Figure 3.8 1887
Figure 3.9 1901
Figure 3.10 1913
Figure 3.11 1914
Figure 3.12 1936
3.4.3
Oral
History
The oral history report carried out by Dr Lawrence Ho
of Lingan University highlighted four areas which
were discussed by all three informants: Feng-shui and
ghost stories, pay day, worshipping Guangong and
other rituals, and the Officer’s Mess.
The discussion on feng shui and ghosts mentioned that elderly peers of one
interviewee had described the Central Police Station as being able to “oversee
what has happened in the coastline area in Central District. The place should
be very good Fengshui and was described as ‘Fu Tei’ (the
The report also highlighted the well-known subculture
of the worship of Guangong, which represented a
figure of loyalty and honour in Chinese History. Statues of Guangong
would have been located throughout the CPS and indeed some shrines survive
today. One interview described this worship:
“I remember there was a statue in canteen and another
was in common room. CID Department office also had one set; my traffic division
had another…..and we would take care of campus direction when installing them.
None of them would face eastward as it symbolized bad luck as Guangong has been exiled by the emperor to the East during
his service. Meanwhile, it is totally wrong to consider the worship of Guangong is a religious ritual or superstitious act and
most of my local and expatriate leaders would just treat it as a means to
promote collegiality. Even the Christian colleagues would take part in the
worshiping ceremonies from time to time.”
There was also mention of the practicalities of life
in the police station, such as the range of duties held by officers including
the maintaining of law and order, fire service, prison management, immigration
and postal services. There were also services which were carried out by private
vendors who would arrive on pay-day to take their share of police pay checks;
these included vendors for meals, laundry and shoe-shining. The issue of
co-habitation was also discussed, with one interviewee saying that some couples
met while on duty and subsequently married, while there were also police
officers who were able to get jobs for their partners in the Immigration
Department.
Information regarding the Site and the buildings
themselves was somewhat limited. One informant described the Officers’ Mess,
which he was asked to re-design, and which he attempted to make into the style
of a British pub:
“My sister-in-law was working as the chief designer
in a company at Landmark at that time, they remove all the molding
and wood paneling, I like them, so I use them. The
Central Police Station was built almost 200 years ago, Hong Kong at that time
was still the colony, we have many colleagues that come from the Britain, so I
design the mess to be like British Victorian style, I have been to Britain few
times, and the layout of the mess was just like those old pubs there”.
One interview gave a description of the Central
Police Station:
“When we come to the Police Station at the ground
floor, there is a 3-floor block at the right hand side, it was the stable
before, and it becomes the office of the Accidents Investigation Unit, it used
to be the place for placing equipments and apparatus [building 02, Armoury]. The block next
to it is the oldest, which was over 200 years, the Emergency Unit of
Behind the Magistracy, there is a block which is used
by the Immigration Department for monitoring those illegal immigrants. Next to
it is another quarter for women police, and next to it is already the court”.
In order to form a more complete understanding of how
the Site was used, the 1841 – 2005 Victoria Prison Memorial Book (Hong
Kong Correctional Services Department, 2005) has also been referenced. Though
this does not provide interviews with previous users, it does provide a
firsthand account of what roles and tasks were carried out by individual
workers within the prison. Given below is a selection of information about the
various tasks carried out at the prison:
·
Assistant
Officer I CHEUNG Kwok-choi, who supervised inmates in
the kitchen. He said that meals for inmates were based on dietician
recommendations, and that there were four diets in rotation: Asian, European,
South Asian and vegetarian. Preparation for morning meals would start at 5:00am
and breakfast served in shifts, and by 11:30am lunch was being made.
·
Assistant
Officer I YIU Kwong-tak was the officer in charge of the
main gate, and started work at 6:30am. He recorded details of anyone and
anything that passed through the gate, including staff and officers, visitors,
inmates upon admission and discharge, and vehicles. He also checked for
contraband. Mr. YIU stated that when he joined in the prison in 1973 it was
“very simple and rudimentary. But after years of development, the prison had
become systematic and modernized in management and operation with most of its
old architecture being preserved”.
·
Assistant
Officer II IP Mei-ling supervised female inmates working in the laundry,
starting from 8:30am. This included laundering of prisoner’s clothing, bedding
and staff uniforms. She said “When I was in charge of the Laundry, I gladly
completed an in-service training course on laundry services and I was able to
apply what I had learnt. I also got many opportunities to practice Putonghua
while supervising inmates from the mainland and I derived considerable job
satisfaction from it”.
·
Assistant
Officer II SHECK Chung-wai from the Works and
Maintenance Unit was in charge of workers carrying out various maintenance
within the Site, which sometimes has to work with the government departments or
professionals to preserve the historic building. Officer I LEE Chi-yuen
was responsible for upkeep of staff quarters, and said that “Participating in
various renovation work of Victoria Prison, I am fascinated by the special
features of its buildings”.
·
Assistant
Officer TANG Man-chui supervised Vietnamese
detainees, who because of their status had different regulations to follow
(e.g. they were allowed to wear their own clothes). He worked at the Victoria
Prison in the 1970s, at which time “Victoria Prison was a reception centre.
There were more categories of inmates and they were more difficult to handle.
Besides, most of the senior officers where either British or ex-patriate”.
·
LAW Hau-Long, the last Superintendent of Victoria Prison, was
also interviewed for the memorial book. He had worked at the prison in the
1970s when it was and was re-assigned in 2004. He remembered that “there used
to be a basketball court outside the office of the Centre Division and there
was a fig tree in the compound. When we were performing night duties, we often
picked the figs stealthily”. The tree is now gone.
Three declared monuments with a total of 21 heritage
interest items, one Grade 1 historic street, one proposed Grade 3 historic
building, three streets and some steps, walls & revetments features, and
ten areas with archaeological potential are identified within the CHIA Study
Area. A master layout plan showing all
the identified cultural heritage items are presented in Figure 3.13
and further detailed below.
3.4.4
Built
Heritage Resources within the Site
There are a total of 19 Built Heritage Resources
within the Site, as well as two open spaces and various other built features
(as listed in Table
3.1 below) which are considered to be of heritage interest: the Parade
Ground and Prison Yard. All of these buildings and features are considered to
be Heritage Resources within the Site, and therefore are covered in the
CHIA. Further information about these
heritage resources is included in the baseline studies in Annex A1.
Table 3.1 Built Heritage Resources within the Site
|
Ref No |
Building or Feature Name |
Date Built |
|
1 |
Police Headquarters
Block |
1916 – 19 |
|
2 |
Armoury |
1924 – 26 |
|
3 |
Barracks Block |
1862 – 64 |
|
4 |
Married Inspectors’
Quarters and Deputy Superintendent’s House |
1862 – 64 |
|
5 |
Garage |
1927 |
|
6 |
Married Sergeants’
Quarters |
1904 – 08 |
|
7 |
Single Inspectors’
Quarters |
1904 – 08 |
|
8 |
Ablutions Block |
c. 1930s |
|
9 |
Central Magistracy |
1912 – 14 |
|
10 |
Superintendent’s House |
c. 1860s |
|
11 |
A Hall |
1928 |
|
12 |
B Hall |
1910 |
|
13 |
C Hall |
c. 1929 |
|
14 |
D Hall – west wing |
1858 |
|
14 |
D Hall – east wing |
1858 |
|
15 |
E Hall |
1913 – 15 |
|
16 |
The Laundry |
1917 |
|
17 |
F Hall |
1931 |
|
19 |
Bauhinia House |
c. 1858 |
|
|
Parade Ground |
N/A |
|
|
Prison Yard |
N/A |
|
|
Walls & Revetments |
1858 – 1960s |
3.4.5
Other
Built Heritage Resources within 50m but Outside the Site
In the area around the Site, there are
numerous examples of historic built fabric. These include one Grade 1 historic
street, one proposed Grade 3 historic building and some remnants of 19th
century granite walls or steps located along the streets immediately around the
Site including
Table 3.2 Details of
Site Name: |
|
|
Location: North of the Site, bordering the Central Police Station north side |
|
|
Type: Road |
Distance from Site: 1 metre |
|
Designation: none |
|
|
Construction date: Completed 1842 |
|
|
Historical Appraisal: Though Queen’s Road Central was the first road to come under
construction in colonial |
|
|
|
|
|
Architectural Appraisal: The road has most certainly been altered since its establishment,
changing from a dirt track to a busy vehicular route with road markings,
pavements, curbs, drainage, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. There is
no street furniture or other features of note. |
|
|
Construction Material: Asphalt with concrete curbs and pavements. |
|
Table 3.3 Details of
|
Site Name: Old |
|
|
Location: West of the Site, bordering both the Central Police Station and
Victoria Prison |
|
|
Type: Road |
Distance from Site: 1 metres |
|
Designation: none |
|
|
Construction date: c.1840s |
|
|
Historical Appraisal: Originally called Old Bayley, this road was likely
constructed in the early 1840s when the Site was used as a Magistrate’s house
and gaol. It is shown on the earliest plans of the Site (1851) as a wide road
with a surface drain running down the centre. Though the plan shows the
street continuing northward beyond the Site, it today ends at Hollywood Road
with only a narrow pedestrian way carrying on to Lyndhurst Terrace, and only
continues a short distance south of the Site to Caine
Road. The origin of the name is unclear, with possibilities including a
reference to the well-known Old Bailey court building in London, or to the
term ‘bailey’ which is a high wall around a castle (reminiscent to the
retaining walls around the Site). |
|
|
|
|
|
Architectural Appraisal: The road has most certainly been altered since its establishment,
changing from a dirt track to a busy vehicular route with road markings,
pavements, curbs, drainage and traffic lights. |
|
|
Construction Material: Asphalt with concrete curbs and pavements. |
|
Table 3.4 Details of
|
Site Name: Chancery Lane |
|
|
Location: South of the Site, bordering the Victoria Prison |
|
|
Type: Road |
Distance from Site: 1 metre |
|
Designation: none |
|
|
Construction date: c.1840s |
|
|
Historical Appraisal: This is a narrow alley running the width of the Site between |
|
|
|
|
|
Architectural Appraisal: The road has not been widened much from its establishment, but the surface
has changed. There is little of architectural interest, though the high
prison walls are of significance. |
|
|
Construction Material: Concrete surface with curbs and pavement to the south. |
|
Table 3.5 Details of
|
Site Name: Chancery Lane Steps |
|
|
Location: South of the Site at the east end, leading
from |
|
|
Type: Steps |
Distance from Site: 1 metre |
|
Designation: none |
|
|
Construction date: c.1840s |
|
|
Historical Appraisal: As mentioned above, |
|
|
|
|
|
Architectural Appraisal: The width of the steps has been somewhat
altered with the construction of new buildings on the south side, and there
have been several unsympathetic repairs over the years. This include patching
and large areas of replacement carried out in concrete and cement, much of
which is due to the insertion of drainage pipes. While these alterations
detract from the overall appearance of the steps, which are not of any high
architectural significance anyway, they nonetheless form an important part of
understanding the historic layout and circulation patterns of the Site. |
|
|
Construction Material: Granite and other stone with some concrete
in-fill and cement patching. |
|
Table 3.6 Details of
|
Site Name: |
|
|
Location: East of the Site, bordering both the Central
Police Station and Victoria Prison |
|
|
Type: Road |
Distance from Site: 1 metre |
|
Designation: none |
|
|
Construction date: Completed 1842 |
|
|
Historical Appraisal: Named for George Arbuthnot, a member of the
Treasury present at the drawing up of the HSBC Charter, this road dates from
the 1840s and slopes downward to the north. It has undergone more changes
than any of the others around the Site, namely alterations to the north
junction (the northeast corner of the Site) to accommodate a turning area for
vehicles in the 1960s, and a widening of the road which removed the pavements
on the west side and made the street level door of the Magistracy unusable.
Today this road provides some of the best views of the Site from the
exterior, especially of the Magistracy and building 04. |
|
|
|
|
|
Architectural Appraisal: The road has most certainly been altered since
its establishment, changing from a dirt track to a busy vehicular route with
road markings, pavements, curbs, drainage and traffic lights. |
|
|
Construction Material: Asphalt with concrete curbs and pavements. |
|
Table 3.7 Details of
|
Site Name: |
|
|
Location: East of the Site,
bordering both the Central Police Station and Victoria Prison |
|
|
Type: Steps |
Distance from Site: 5 metres |
|
Designation: Grade 1 (graded structure #63, confirmed 18 December 2009) |
|
|
Construction date: c.1840s |
|
|
Historical Appraisal: Pottinger is one of the earliest streets in The street was certainly in place by 1843, when it is mentioned by the
Reverend James Legge (a missionary in China), who
said that, ‘Looking up Pottinger Street, you could
see the Magistracy and Gaol of the day, where the dreaded Major Caine presided, and below them were two or three other
buildings’.1 The earliest known plans of the site (1851) show Pottinger
running south to a large revetment wall (now the line of the south side of Building
01). Along with a narrow curved road entering the southeast of the Site, it
was one of only two entrances into the walled compound. These plans suggest
that Pottinger originally had a gateway at the
point it entered the ‘Gaol Compound’. This street would have then run
virtually down to the harbour, which was originally along In the early 20th century, the part of Pottinger
Street south of Hollywood Road became fully integrated into the CPS; firstly
with the construction of officers’ quarters at the northeast corner of the
site in 1903, and soon after by the much larger Headquarters Block along
virtually the whole north side of the site in 1916. It was at this time that
the actually entrance into the CPS moved from its position at the former
revetment wall down to the junction of Pottinger
and Historically, the Pottinger Street Entrance
has continued, from the 1840s onward, to be the principal entrance onto the
site for all users with the exception of prisoners and prison visitors. Its
retention as a ramped entrance today makes clear reference to the early
street layout of |
|
|
|
|
|
Architectural Appraisal: The road width and layout has changed little since construction, and is
important for maintain its historic appearance. |
|
|
Construction Material: Granite steps and drainage channels with some cement and concrete
repair. Cast iron railings. |
|
(1) Sayer, Geoffrey Robley (1937)
Table 3.8 Details of Walls (and Potential Tunnel) at
|
Site Name: Walls (and potential tunnel) at |
|
|
|
Location: Southwest of the Site |
|
|
|
Type: Wall |
Distance from Site: 1-5 metres |
|
|
Designation: none. |
||
|
Construction date: c.1840s |
||
|
Historical Appraisal: Overcrowding was a constant problem at the Victoria Gaol, and in the late
19th century the continued desire for further space led to designs for new
prison buildings outside the actual site. In 1894 – despite opposition from
the Chinese community – a proposal was made for the construction of two
blocks of buildings in a site on the corner of Old Bailey and The following Public Works Report of 1896 gives clear evidence that
both the masonry walls in Old Bailey and the tunnel running under it can be
dated to the gaol extension of 1894 – 6:
‘The new buildings in Old Bailey have been completed and were handed
over to the Superintendent of the Gaol on the 20th December, 1895. These
buildings consist of two main blocks three stories in height having basements
under the northern portions. The blocks contain 155 separate cells and are
connected by a covered way. In the basements ample store and bath-room
accommodation has been provided. A portion of the site has been utilised for
the erection of a workshop and workshed with
storeroom adjoining. The whole of the site is surrounded by a high masonry
wall, and communication with the existing Gaol premises situated on the east
side of Old Bailey has been provided by the construction of a subway under
Old Bailey. Gas and water have been laid on at convenient places throughout
the premises.’ The exact location of the tunnel is unknown, though it is likely that
it ran in a straight line across Old Bailey into the prison side of the Site,
entering into the space either north or south of what was then the east wing
of the radial plan prison (where the General Office – building 18 – is
today). There is no evidence for the
entrance of the tunnel within the CPS, and this is likely owing to several
later alterations. It is also a possibility that the tunnel was in-filled,
much like the nearby tunnel in The walls around the original gaol extension still remain in place,
and form a complete perimeter around the Site now occupied by the Police Married
Quarters. |
||
|
|
||
|
Architectural Appraisal: The walls are of the same construction type and style as many of the
walls around the CPS, making them an important visual (as well as historic) link to the
Site. |
||
|
Construction Material: Granite |
||
Table 3.9 Details of
|
Site Name: |
|
|
|
Location: Northwest of the site, at the corner of |
|
|
|
Type: Building |
Distance from Site: 5 metres |
|
|
Designation: Proposed as Grade 3 historic building #791 (on AMO List of 1,444
Historic Buildings up to 20 September 2010) |
||
|
Construction date: c.1920s or 1930s |
||
|
Historical Appraisal: Land records show that the lease on this landed
property commenced in 1844, and this must have been one of the earliest lots
to be sold; however, it is not known when the lot was first built on. The
building lots along |
||
|
|
||
|
Architectural Appraisal: The building is four storeys on the The interior has been
modernized and its authenticity and integrity have therefore been
compromised, but the Art Deco style staircase with its green polished
terrazzo handrail and skirting has largely survived. |
||
|
Presumably brick or concrete, finished externally with painted |
||
3.4.6
Archaeological
Resources
Topographical
Background
The Site is situated at the northwest part
of the
The Site is located not far from the
original northern coastline at its north. To the southwest and southeast, the Site
is protected by the
Geology
Background
The Site is situated on Kowloon Granite (Klk), which are Cretaceous intrusive rocks with an
approximate age of 140.4 ± 0.2 million years before present. The lithology of
Kowloon Granite is equigranular medium-grained biotite granite.
Between the University of Hong Kong and the Central District, the
granite is light grey to light pink, uniform, equigranular
and medium-grained, with an average grain size of 3 to 4 mm (CEDD
website). A NE-SW fault runs through the
Victoria Gap. The superficial deposit of
the Site is debris flow deposit. The
geology map of the Site and the adjacent area is shown in Figure 3.15.
Archaeological
and Historical Background
According to the AMO List of Sites of
Archaeological Interest in
There is little written information
regarding the Site prior to colonial occupation. Early maps of Hong Kong from
the 19th century
show little detail beyond the coastline or cover a larger area with limited
details of
The Site has, however, been occupied
continually from the 1840s until the present, with construction work being
carried out in virtually every area of the Site. The earliest buildings were in
place from the 1840s to the mid 1850s and included cell blocks and guard houses
to the north, a magistracy to the east, and the Magistrate’s House to the
south; this was soon after converted to use a as a Debtor’s prison and then
replaced by a new building with the same use (see Figures 3.5 and 3.6).
These buildings were typically built in a quick, low quality manner, and
a description of the first Magistrate’s House provides a clear understanding of
the poor construction:
‘This building, one of the first to be
erected on the establishment of the Colony, was intended for and occupied as
the first residence of the Chief Magistrate with Court Room, etc. The materials
and workmanship are of the most ordinary kind, the several scantlings of timber
used throughout extremely slight, and the whole put together in the manner
common to all similar houses built here without efficient superintendence’.
‘In the year 1845 one half of the building
was converted into a Debtor’s Prison, and subsequently the remainder was used
as Gaoler’s residence; and although the utmost was done to render it suitable
for such purposes it was perfectly impossible to arrange anything from
satisfactorily for the former both on account of the unsuitableness of the plan
and the insufficiency of the materials and workmanship, which to correct would
have involved the reconstruction of the greater part of it’2.
Most of these structures were demolished
in the late 1850s and 1860s, when the radial plan prison was constructed to the
south and buildings 3 and 4 were built on the north side of the Site (see Figure 3.7). The earliest buildings on the Site
presumably required only shallow foundations, while those of the radial plan
prison, Barracks Block and Officers’ Quarters would have been much more
substantial and likely removed any trace of the early structures.
Further construction works through the
late 19th and
early 20th centuries
resulted in the systematic demolition of all the original buildings on the
Site, with some areas undergoing several phases of construction and demolition
over the years. One example is the area south of the Barracks Block (building
3) where the Site had a Guard House, Governor’s House, Superintendent’s House (still
present; building 10), Matron’s House, Prison hospital, offices and Reception
Block, and finally the still standing A Hall (building 11) and C Hall (building
13). In areas such as this where several rounds of construction took place,
there is little likelihood that any original archaeological material remains.
It is possible that some disturbed finds are contained under the present
foundations, though these are likely to be out of context.
The original Magistracy was an early
structure on the Site (c. late 1840s) (see Figure 3.5) which was replaced in 1914 by the
present building (see Figure 3.11).
It is presumed that very little of the original structure remains, given
that it would have had very shallow foundations which would have been
completely demolished to construct the partial basement in the new building.
Public Works reports described the digging of the basement, reporting that the
land was mostly rock and difficult to excavate; it is assumed that this extreme
level of excavation would have destroyed any remnants of the earlier building.
At the north side of the Site is the Headquarters Block (building 1), partially
constructed on what was previously a residential area with 18 terraced houses
set on two stepped platforms around a central street. Again, the deep basements
for the new building would have required extensive excavations that most likely
destroyed any remains of the earlier buildings.
The Parade Ground presents some possibility
of archaeology, as it was previously the location of early gaol buildings and
has not been built on since their demolition in the 1860s. However, several
factors have caused disturbance to the Parade Ground and may have destroyed or
damaged any below ground evidence. This
includes the digging of the basement for building 1 (Headquarters Block) which
extends south into the Parade Ground; the digging of trenches for electric
wiring and piping, construction of an air raid shelter in the northwest corner,
re-surfacing, and potential bomb damage from the Second World War. It should also be remembered that the
original buildings would not have had substantial foundations anyway, and may
have left little or no trace of previous structures. Aside from the possibility of some earlier
foundations or other substantial archaeology, there is also the possibility for
small finds. The Parade Ground
historically had a more porous ground covering, with areas grassed over and
other parts dirt or gravel. As a high traffic
area, it is likely that some small objects – be they personal items or police
related – would have been dropped and have perhaps been trapped within the
layers of archaeology beneath the present surface.
The Prison Yard also has some potential
for archaeology, as it was originally the location of the 1858 radial plan
prison, and there may be evidence of the four wings which have been demolished.
Some evidence of this early prison has likely been lost, however, with the
construction of later buildings like a cell block in the southeast and a
printing shop – later replaced by F Hall (building 17) in the southwest.
There is also a possibility of finding
small artefacts in the Prison yard, though here the remains are more likely to
be related historic use as an area for various types of prison labour. The
following are known to have been undertaken at the prison, and archaeological
remains relating to any of these items could remain: stone breaking and
dressing, mat making, laundering clothes and blacksmithing. There is also
potential for finding remains of the wall which separated F Hall from the rest
of the prison in the first half of the 20th century;
it was demolished following the Second World War.
Based on the findings as presented above,
the desktop findings identified the following ten areas considered to have some
archaeological potential to identify colonial period remains or even earlier
period remains if they are still survived in the ground and their locations are
presented in Figure 3.16.
·
Parade
Ground;
·
Prison
Yard;
·
Barracks
Lane;
·
the
Garage ;
·
the
married inspector’s quarters and deputy superintendent’s house (building 04)
·
the
area between A Hall (building 11) and B Hall (building 12);
·
the area
between and beneath Ablutions block (building 08) and the revetment wall to the
south;
·
west
of D Hall (building 14);
·
Laundry
(building 16); and
·
General
Office (building 18).
As the desk-based assessment identified
areas with archaeological potential but the information is considered
inadequate for further detailed impact assessment, a non-destructive Ground
Penetrating Radar (GPR) Survey was conducted in August 2009 to obtain the field
data. Detailed results of the GPR
Survey are presented in Annex A3
and the summary findings are presented below.
Ground Penetrating Radar Survey Result
Figure
3.1
shows the area coverage of the GPR survey.
The GPR survey revealed four major types of below ground elements,
namely voids, utility cables, pipes and loose materials, all of which range in
depth from 0.5 – 1.8 metres below ground level. There were a total of:
·
Parade
Ground - 128 transverse passes, and 85 longitudinal passes.
·
Prison
Yard - 63 transverse passes, and 97 longitudinal passes.
·
F
Hall (building 17) – several passes made in rooms 17/G/16 – 19.
·
Narrow
strip from north side of A Hall to south side of D Hall west extension – 67
transverse passes and 58 longitudinal passes, including rooms at the west ends
of A Hall (building 11), B Hall (building 12) and D Hall west extension
(building 14) as well as the open alleyways between these buildings .
Generally, the survey revealed various
areas of possible voids and loose materials typically occurring at 0.6 or 0.8m
below the surface. The results of the GPR do not provide a clear indication of
what these disturbances could be. There were several occurrences of utility
cables and pipes ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 metres below ground.
The results for 17/G/18 showed ‘no
observable void or loose material or detectable pipe or utility’, while
there were possible voids or loose material throughout 17/G/16. Room 17/G/19 revealed
possible voids or loose materials throughout, as well as some utility cables
and pipes.
The most substantial finding of the survey
is a tunnel in the northwest corner of the Parade Ground, which runs south from
the Headquarters Block (building 01) at the west end. The general location of
this tunnel – built as an air raid shelter during the Second World War – was
previously known, though the GPR has identified its exact dimensions and
position.
Another possible find is a series of
drains in the Prison Yard, which appear to follow almost exactly the
foundations for a previous cell block in the southeast corner. This building
was constructed in 1901 in an area previously occupied by the southeast wing of
the radial plan prison, and was the first building to be designed in the style
of the still remaining B and E Halls. While the GPR survey suggests that only
the drainage (which would have following the exterior perimeter of the
building) is in place, but there is the possibility that some fabric of the
cell block remains. This possibility is increased due to the lack of
construction of any later buildings on this area of the yard.
The narrow area surveyed across A Hall, B
Hall and D Hall west extension was carried out in several transverse passes,
with approximately 10 passes per space. The number of longitudinal passes
per space varied on the width of the room or open area. This included:
·
A
Hall (building 11) Chapel – 6 transverse and four longitudinal passes
·
A
Hall (building 11) Lavatory – 6 transverse and 6 longitudinal passes
·
A
Hall yard – 8 transverse and 9 longitudinal passes
·
B
Hall (building 12) – 5 transverse and 3 longitudinal passes in each of three
north side and three south side cells
·
B
Hall (building 12) – 4 transverse and 9 longitudinal passes in the central
corridor
·
B
Hall yard – 6 transverse and 10 longitudinal passes
·
D
Hall (building 14) west extension – 10 transverse and 18 longitudinal passes
The findings of these passes revealed very
little additional information, with the general result showing the detection of
utility cables and pipes as well as some loose material between 0.5 and 1.5
metres below ground.
Based on the desktop findings and the
results of the GPR survey it is likely that the continued demolition and
construction in the years prior to 1950 on the Site have likely destroyed much
of the early built fabric below ground, and that few archaeological resources
remain. However, considering the
limitations of the GPR technique to identify small portable finds, there is
still potential to identify archaeological remains in the areas of
archaeological potential as shown in Figure 3.16.
Archaeological assessment including desk-based study for individual
building and open space is also presented in Section 3.6.4 Impact on Archaeological Resources and Annex
A1.
Need for Archaeological Investigation
The desk-top findings and the results of
the GPR survey have been reviewed by two qualified archaeologists, Dr Jin Zhi-wei and Dr Liu Wen-suo, and
it is now considered that the potential to identify archaeological remains
exists. In order to obtain further field
data for a detailed impact assessment, an archaeological investigation is therefore
considered necessary. However, at this
stage of the Project, a full archaeological investigation is considered not
practical because:
·
Some
of the areas with archaeological potential have existing buildings on them,
such as the Garage and the Management Offices and the Laundry, and these will
not be demolished until EIA consent has been granted;
·
Some
of the areas with archaeological potential have existing historic buildings on them
but no building works will be conducted during the EIA Stage of the Project;
and
·
Consents
for archaeological investigation in terms of test pits excavation across the
open sites such as the Parade Ground and the Prison Yard have not been granted
at this stage and these sites are occasionally being used for public access and
exhibitions.
Given the above constraints, AMO has been
consulted and it was principally agreed and considered practical that the
archaeological investigation be conducted during the detailed design phase of
the Project. The archaeological
investigation will focus on areas with archaeological potential that may
potentially be impacted by the Project (i.e. proposed new development that
involves excavation work in archaeological potential areas). These areas are identified on Figure 3.17.
3.4.7
Bibliography
Books
·
Brodie, Allan (2002) English Prisons: an architectural
history, English Heritage.
·
Carroll,
John Mark (2007) A Concise History of
·
Crisswell, C & Watson, M (1982) The Royal
·
Evans,
R (1982) The fabrications of virtue, English prison architecture, 1850 – 1840,
·
Hong
Kong Correctional Services Department (2005) 1841 – 2005 Victoria Prison
Memorial Book,
·
·
Kyshe, N (1971) The History of the Laws and Courts of
·
Lampugnani, V & Prior, E G (eds)
(1993) Hong Kong Architecture: The Aesthetics of Density,
·
Munn,
Christopher (2001) Anglo
·
Routledge.
·
Sayer, Geoffrey Robley (1937)
·
Sang,
Wong Weh (ed.) (1998) Guide to Architecture in Hong
Kong, Pace Publishing Limited,
·
Tsang,
Steve (2007) A Modern History of
·
Welsh,
Frank (1997) A History of Hong Kong, 2nd edition, Harper Collins Publishers,
·
Zhuang Huiquan (Chuang Hue-tsuan), Malayan Chinese Resistance to
·
Cultural
and Historical Publishing House, 1984.
Reports & Articles
·
Antiquities
and Monuments Office (2004) Selected Historic Buildings and Sites in Central
District, Leisure and Cultural Services Department,
·
Antiquities
and Monuments Office (2004) ‘Declared Monuments in
·
Antiquities
and Monuments Office (2004) ‘Definition of the Gradings
of Historical Buildings’. Retrieved January 18, 2008, from Antiquities and
Monuments Office, Leisure and Cultural Services Department website:
http://www.amo.gov.hk/en/built3.php
·
Hirofumi,
Hayashi (2001) ‘British War Crimes Trials of Japanese’, Nature-People-Society:
Science and the Humanities, No. 31, July 2001 (Kanto Gakuin
University).
·
Oval
Partnership (2003) The Central Police Station Compound: Historical Research –
Architectural Context, Oval Partnership,
·
Oval
Partnership (2003) The Central Police Station Compound: Historical Research –
Historical and Cultural Context, Oval Partnership,
·
Purcell
Miller Tritton (2008) The Old Central Police Station
and
·
Purcell
Miller Tritton (2009) Headquarters Block: Draft
Conservation Management Plan.
·
Purcell
Miller Tritton (2009) Barracks Block: Draft
Conservation Management Plan.
·
Purcell
Miller Tritton (2009) Magistracy: Draft Conservation
Management Plan.
·
Purcell
Miller Tritton (2009) D Hall: Draft Conservation
Management Plan.
Websites
·
Hong
Kong Police Force, ‘History of the
·
·
·
Gwulo: Old
·
Government
Records Service, Public Records Office: http://www.grs.gov.hk/ws/english/ps_online_cata.htm
·
·
Photo
Library, Government Information Services: http://www.isd.gov.hk/eng/pub.htm
·
AMO
List of Historic Buildings in Building Assessment as of 24 June 2010 http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/AAB-SM-chi.pdf
·
Government
historic sites identified by AMO as at 24 June 2010 http/www.amo.gov.hk/form/build_hia_government_historic_sites.pdf?20100603
·
AMO
List of Sites of Archaeological Interest in
·
CEDD
The Geology of Hong Kong (Interactive On-line) http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/about/organisation/int.htm
Theses
·
Chan,
Kit-yi (2001), ‘Transformation of Central Police
Station, Victoria Prison and Former Central Magistracy Complex’ BA Thesis, Hong
Kong University Department of Architecture. Retrieved January 28, 2008, from
·
Chan,
Samson (1994) ‘Development of the Hong Kong Penal Policy and Programme Under
the British Administration’ MA Thesis, Centre for the Study of Public Order,
University of
Brochures
·
Antiquities
and Monuments Office (undated) Heritage Tourism Development Project at the
Central Police Station [Brochure], Leisure and Cultural Services Department
·
Centre
of Architectural Research for Education (CARE) (2002) Caring for Our Heritage
Project [Brochure], CARE,
·
·
Community
Chest (2006)
·
Development
Bureau (2007) Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme
[Brochure], Information Services Department,
·
Tourism
Commission (2005) Heritage Tourism Development At the Central Police Station
Compound [Brochure], Tourism Commission,
Archives
Antiquities and Monuments Office
Tsim Sha Tsui,
(852) 2208 4400
amo@lcsd.gov.hk
Several photographs, maps and plans used in the creation of an
exhibition for the HKJC were made available.
Kwun Tong,
(852) 2195 7700
proinfo@grs.gov.hk
Digital Initiatives
http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/index.jsp
Sessional Papers (1884 - 1940Gaol Reports
Reports on the Legislative Council
Reports of the Colonial Surgeon
Police Reports
Public Works Department Reports
Administrative Reports (1879 – 1939)
Police Annual Report and Returns
Gaol Annual Report and Returns
Reports of Colonial Surgeon and other Sanitary Papers
Reports of the Meetings of the Legislative Council
Report of the Superintendent of Gaols
Report of the Superintendent of Police
Tenders for buildings, dry earth, waste, food and clothing
Notifications of employment at Prison
Notifications of employment at Prison
Public Notice for Rules, Regulations of Gaol
Prison reports on punishments, treatments of prisoners
National Archives
The National Archives
Kew,
TW9 4DU
44 20 8876 3444
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Maps Collection
MPG 1/118 : 001 – 005 a, b
(original plans for the Buildings 3 & 4)
MPG 1/113: 001 (plan of the radial plan prison c. 1864)
MPG 1/118:17, 18 (plans of Stonecutter’s Prison)
Tsim Sha Tsui
2208 4400
http://hdclib.lcsd.gov.hk/index.htm
3.5
Potential Sources of Impact
The potential sources of impact on the heritage site
during the construction phase include:
·
The demolitions
of existing buildings.
·
The
excavations for the basements of the new buildings.
·
The
dismantling and reinstatement of sections of revetment walls, either to repair
them or to enable ground excavations to be made for new basements.
·
The excavations
for the site-wide underground services, including new drainage.
·
New
openings to be made in the revetment walls to improve access into the Site.
·
The
safe collection and discharge of rainwater off the roofs of the existing
buildings into the permanent or temporary drainage system to avoid damaging
ingress into the interiors.
·
The
erection of essential scaffolding and any temporary roof protection for the
repair and refurbishment of the existing buildings and for the new buildings.
·
The
use of construction cranes and vehicles on the Site.
·
The
use of areas of the Site for temporary construction storage.
·
The
construction of a new footbridge.
These potential sources of impact may result in direct loss, and permanent or temporary changes to
the buildings. The construction works
will be controlled and
monitored by suitable construction methods and procedures to avoid damages to
the historic buildings to be conserved.
The potential sources of impact on the heritage site during
the operational phase may generally arise from:
·
Potential
operation visual impact due to the construction of a new footbridge
·
Visitors
across the Site in great numbers
·
The
tenants and users of the particular buildings
·
Poor
management of the operation and maintenance of the Site facilities and
landscape
The existing heritage buildings have different
qualities ranging from those with quite robust constructions and finishes to
others which are more fragile. The impact on the buildings from the way they
are used can therefore vary significantly. It is for this reason that the
adaptive uses in the buildings have been selected to avoid the most damaging
effects of inappropriate uses. The uses selected should be capable of being
sustained without irreversible damage by employing suitable operational
controls. In some cases there will be the need to control visitor numbers
within certain buildings to preserve the significant features. Generally the
aim is that by taking suitable precautions to safeguard the heritage resources
all the individual buildings will be able to be fully used to their greatest
sustainable potential.
The operational controls to avoid damage to the
heritage buildings include:
·
Built
–in protections required for certain fragile historic finishes and features,
which would include for instance fragile artifacts
such as painted signs.
·
Heritage
Operation and Maintenance Manuals for routine inspection and maintenance (including
safe access methods) for window and gutter cleaning, cleaning of external and
internal historic finishes, external and internal repainting, plant equipment
and services maintenance. In particular the maintenance of fire precautions and
the control of water services are of paramount importance in avoiding most
damaging impacts on the buildings (please refer to Annex A4 Heritage Operational Strategies for more
details).
·
Suitable
tenancy agreements clearly setting out the limitations of uses and the duties
for maintenance.
·
Control
of unauthorised alterations.
·
Visitor
management where essential.
·
Security
measures, both passive and active.
·
Guidance
for operators carrying out maintenance work, for instance in the use of
historic materials to maintain authenticity of the historic fabric.
·
Risk
management procedures for routine and emergency operations.
·
Heritage
related staff management.
·
Heritage
related staff training.
The following section provides an assessment of the
potential impacts on the declared monuments on the Site, on the potential
archaeological resources of the Site, on other built heritage resources outside
the Site and within 50m of the Site boundary, and during the operational phase, based
on proposals for changes on the Site. This section is divided into five main
categories, each with its own assessment of impact and the relevant mitigation
for these impacts. Within each category, the impact on the Site will be
assessed according to Clause 3.2.4, Appendix B of the EIA Study Brief No. ESB-205/2009,
including the impact ratings which determine the level of impact and possible
requirement for mitigation measures. These are:
1 Beneficial
Impact: the impact is beneficial if the project will enhance the preservation
of the heritage site and heritage items such as improving flooding problem of
the historic building after the sewerage project of the area, putting an unused
historic building back into use and allowing public appreciation
2 Acceptable
Impact: if the assessment indicates that there will be no significant effects
on the heritage site or items
3 Acceptable
impact with mitigation measures: if there will be some adverse effects, but these
can be eliminated or reduced to a large extent prior to commencement of work
4 Unacceptable
impact: if the adverse affects are considered to be too excessive and are
unable to mitigate practically
5 Undetermined
impact: if the significant adverse effects are likely, but the extent to which
they may occur or may be mitigated cannot be determined.
The five categories of the impact assessment are
listed below, along with a summary of their content:
The Site
This section will discuss the overall construction
and operation impacts of the scheme on the whole CPS, looking both at the range
of adaptive reuse alterations to the historic buildings and the new buildings.
Individual Built Heritage Resources within the Site
This section will look at the individual buildings,
spaces and features within the Site that will be affected by the new proposals.
In order to form a more coherent system of reference within this CHIA,
summaries of the baseline studies and impact assessments for each of these
heritage resources have also been provided within this section.
Other Built Heritage Resources within 50m but Outside
the Site
There are some built heritage resources within 50 m
of the boundaries of the Site (as stated in Section
3.4.6) which have a direct relationship to the Site and could potentially
be affected to some degree indirectly by proposed development. These mainly involve the roads and pedestrian
routes outside the Site and there is a need to make road and footpath improvements
for public safety and operational reasons. This section assesses the potential
impact on these built heritage resources.
Archaeological Resources
This section will address the potential impact to the
potential archaeological resources within the Site, based on findings of the
Archaeological Desk-top study and the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey. It
will discuss only those areas where the below-ground archaeology has the
potential to be disturbed, for example in the Parade Ground and Prison Yard, or
in areas where buildings are proposed for demolition.
Operational Phase
This section notes that there could be potential impacts on the exteriors
and interiors of the heritage buildings and on the site features during the
operational phase due to great numbers of visitors on the Site, from the tenants and users of
the particular buildings, and the operational management of the Site services
facilities and landscape (as stated in Section
3.5.2).
General Impact
The following interventions are common to the
adaptive reuses for all the existing buildings on the Site and will be
addressed in detail on a building by building basis during the detailed design
stage. The individual building studies included in Annex A1 refer
to these interventions and their impact ratings:
·
Compliance
with building codes using a recognised conservation approach for adaptive
reuses in heritage buildings;
·
Underpinning;
·
Roof
tiling: repairs or renewals;
·
New
wall openings;
·
Stairs:
retention and improvements;
·
Lifts:
selection to suit buildings;
·
Services
installations: plant and services (including utility and piping inside or side
buildings) distribution;
·
Fenestration
refurbishments: repairs and replacements;
·
Upgrading
for fire doors;
·
Upgrading
for safety: stairs and balustrades; and
·
Strengthening
of timber floors.
In addressing the means of strengthening the timber
floors across the Site, the general methodology has been to use the most
appropriate means dependent on the current timber design and strength, the
proposed adaptive uses, and the value of heritage significance.
Two main options for strengthening include:
·
Reducing
the span length of the existing timber member. This method uses a steel beam
beneath the timber at mid-span to reduce maximum shear and moment.
·
Local
strengthening of the existing timber section. This method strengthens the
section of the timber beam by sandwiching it between steel plates.
Two main options for strengthening the floor of a kitchen or bathroom include:
·
The
addition of a concrete floor cast over the existing floor and supported by
steel frames resting on the existing masonry walls.
·
The
use of non-slip water resisting vinyl sheeting over the existing construction.
The existing building structures have been
assessed by the structural engineer as being capable of supporting the proposed
new uses and alterations without extensive strengthening work. In order to ensure that the impact to the
historic fabric of the buildings is minimal due to the floor strengthening
proposal, a detailed structural report will be prepared by the structural
engineer during the detailed stage to evaluate if the above proposal needs to
be revised and determine any strengthening work is required for the floors and
foundations resulting from the loadings of the new uses, or the alterations, or
from the condition of the existing structures.
Any structural strengthening proposals will be assessed for their
impacts on the character defining elements, and mitigation measures will be
considered.
In general, the interventions of these alterations to
the buildings will vary depending on the method used and the significance of
the building. Ultimately, the key goal
is to provide a safe environment while also following conservation principles
for alterations to historic buildings, including minimum intervention and,
where possible, reversibility.
Impact on Site Circulation
With at least three different levels making up the
overall compound, a dense network of buildings separating the Parade Ground and
the Old Prison Yard, and a heavy granite wall surrounding the original prison
grounds, the
To link the new pedestrian network of public spaces
within the site, two main circulation paths running north-south and one running
east-west are proposed:
·
The
first north-south path directly connects the Central Mid-Levels escalator
through a new footbridge to the lower Parade Ground. From there, a public path
will be opened through the ground floor of Barracks Block leading to a new
stair passageway under A Hall and through B Hall to the upper Prison Yard. Two
sets of new elevators – the first through B Hall and the second through Old
Bailey Wing – can also be accessed along the path ensuring equal accessibility
and interpretive experience for all.
·
The
second north-south path is more meandering and historical in nature. It begins as
a continuation of the pedestrian
·
The
east-west path will be anchored by the two new proposed cultural buildings and
will create a cross pedestrian route connecting
Based on the above described proposed changes in the
circulation around the Site, the following interventions are required.
·
New
openings into the south elevation of B Hall for both the new stair passageway
which is the width of two prison cells and the accessible path of travel which
occupies the width of one prison cell.
·
Several
new openings and a minor alteration of the historic revetment walls in a clear
modern style to ensure no confusion with historic openings. The new openings will work with the coursing
of the granite walls to ensure minimum disruption to historic fabric. The proposed openings/minor alterations are
listed below:
a)
A new
opening by Bauhinia House in the wall to
b)
A new
opening off
c)
A
minor alteration to the wall between the Armoury and Police Headquarters where the
proposed new bridge will land;
d)
New
openings in the revetment wall to the south of the Barracks Block and under the
Ablutions Block, A and C Halls; and
e)
New
openings in the revetment wall to the south of the Ablutions Block and under the
line of the new Old Bailey Wing building.
The proposed interventions will have direct impact on
the Barracks Block, the interior of B Hall and several revetment walls. A marked change on the appearance of B Hall,
a visual impact on several revetment walls as described above and fundamental
change of the way people can circulate around the Site are also
anticipated. Nevertheless, the impacts
are considered to have minimal significant change to the ability to appreciate
and understand the cultural significance of the buildings/revetment walls. The visual impact will be comparatively
modest as the granite walls are large and dominant features and the new
openings are small by comparison.
The most significant heritage impact is the loss of
the separation of the Site into three distinct areas. At present the
distinction between the Police Station and the Prison is clear with a single
controlled point of access. Similarly the Magistracy is separated off from the
Police area. To enable visitors to have
easy access for the full use of the Site the new routes have been created and
these will certainly blur the distinction between the areas, but this is really
a problem of interpretation rather than impact on the historic fabric. The winding route around B Hall and up to the
north side of D Hall have deliberately been left to enable groups who are
visiting the site to understand the history and previous uses. This will be a
challenge for the education and interpretation plans.
3.6.2
Impact
on Built Heritage Resources within the Site: Baseline Studies and Impact
Assessments
The section looks individually at the separate
buildings and features, any potential impact and mitigation measures.
For each of these buildings or features, this section
will include both the Baseline Study and the Impact Assessment as a means of
creating a coherent and readable section. Therefore, each element of the Site
addressed here will include the following two sections:
·
A –
Baseline Study. This includes a field study, archaeological survey, desktop
study, assessment of significance, illustrative photographs and, where
available, historic photographs and plans. Also included here is a list of
character defining elements (where applicable) with figures and plan location
references, which make reference to AMO’s archival
records.
·
B –
Impact Assessment. This includes a
general overview of proposals for each building or feature and a table setting
out the various potential impacts and their potential mitigation measures. As not all parts of the buildings are
accessible during EIA stage of the Project,
comprehensive impact assessment and appropriate mitigation measures for
all the character defining elements of the monuments and historic features of
each building cannot not be conducted in this stage. It is therefore proposed that the relevant
comprehensive impact assessment be conducted during the detailed design stage
when closer access to all parts of the buildings will be made possible and when
further ground investigations will have been carried out. Closer access at all levels inside and
outside the buildings will clarify the condition of the fabric and features and
finishes, and the further ground investigations will clarify any strengthening
work required. The design and coordination of the services requirements and
their integration into each building will be carried during the detailed design
stage. The detailed design development of the historic buildings and
structures, with the required interventions, strengthening and integrated
services for new adaptive uses, will be carried out by the conservation design
team and agreed with AMO. The impact
assessments on the historic features with reference to AMO’s
archival records will be tabled in four categories in the protection schedule
of the historic features for AMO’s approval:
·
Historical
features to be preserved and repaired in-situ;
·
Historical
features to be affected altered/ replaced with new replica;
·
Historical
features to be temporarily removed for conservation treatment and
reinstatement, relocation and/or display; and
·
Historical
features to be affected and relocated for reuse, display and/or preservation by
record.
The historical features of significant cultural
heritage value will be defined as the character defining elements of the
monuments. All the character defining
elements will be well preserved and repaired in accordance with the work
methodologies approved by the AMO.
For ease of reference and reading this section, these
individual building/feature studies have been included as Annex A1; with
proposed drawings included as Annex A2. Tables 3.10 to 3.31 provide a summary of
the Baseline Studies and Impact Assessments; the mitigation measures are
included in Annex A1.
Note that a comprehensive impact assessment on and
photographic recording of the buildings, including all interior and exterior
features and elements listed as being character defining or identified as
heritage items for preservation, will be completed during the detailed design
stage when better access will be possible. The field study images included in
the baseline study are a selection.
3.6.3
Impact
on Other Built Heritage Resources within 50m but Outside the Site
The impact assessment on built heritage resources
identified (as presented in Section
3.4.6) within 50m but
outside the Site is presented in Table 3.32.
Generally speaking,
there will be little impact to the general road pattern and these resources as
there are no proposals to alter the road pattern though in Old Bailey Street
there are new gates proposed adjacent to the Barracks Block (building 03) and
Ablutions Block (building 09) but these will not affect the actual street. The
same applies to the new footbridge proposed at the northwest corner of the Site
which will lead off from the mid-levels escalator; though it will visually
change the junction of
Table 3.10 Summary of the Assessment for
Building No. 01
|
Building No., Name & Designation |
Date of Construction and Original Use |
Reference Drawings |
|
|
01 Police Headquarters Block Within Central Police Station
Declared Monument |
1916 – 1919 Central Police Station
Headquarters, including: Offices, gymnasium with locker
rooms, dormitories, mess rooms, recreation space and storage |
01-GA-201 Lower Ground Floor 2 01-GA-202 Lower Ground Floor 2 01-GA-203 Lower Ground Floor 1 01-GA-204 Lower Ground Floor 1 01-GA-205 Ground Floor 01-GA-206 Ground Floor 01-GA-207 First Floor 01-GA-208 First Floor |
01-GA-211 Roof Plan 01-GA-212 Roof Plan 01-GA-220 North Elevation 01-GA-221 North Elevation 01-GA-222 South Elevation 01-GA-223 South Elevation 01-GA-224 East Elevation 01-GA-225 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
Four
storey red brick building of Neo-Classical Revival style, with ornate cement
render four-storey façade to In
later years the first floor dormitories were converted into offices, with the
rest of the building being used for various office and administration uses. The
building has a reasonably robust construction of load-bearing brickwork and
reinforced concrete floors, under a pitched tiled roof. |
Mixed
Use: •
LG2/F –Multipurpose and ancillary support; Retail and
ancillary support •
LG1/F – F&B and ancillary support; Toilets; Plant
rooms; Site management office and store room •
G/F – Interpretation room; Retail and ancillary support;
F&B and ancillary support; Multipurpose and ancillary support •
1/F – F&B and ancillary support; Toilets The
mix of adaptive reuses is seen as providing a good balance between cultural
and commercial uses, and it also contributes some interpretation of the
former Police Station uses in the lower part of the Site. The
selected adaptive reuses are suitable for this reasonably robust building,
and will be readily accommodated in the quality of the regained spaces. |
HIGH One
of the most architecturally important buildings on the Site, and one of few
remaining colonial buildings in |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Overall
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
All
new adaptive uses will be accommodated within the existing building without
new extensions. The
existing access and circulation layout will be retained. All stairs will be retained
and conserved, and justified for use on the basis of a fire engineering
analysis of the means of escape for the whole building. Some additional rails
to raise the height of the existing balustrades for compliance with safety
codes may be required if alternative safety measures are not agreeable. Existing
structural walls will be retained, with some new openings justified for the
new adaptive uses. Existing
original ceilings, plaster cornices and plaster features are to be retained and
repaired wherever possible. All
elevations, including features and finishes, balconies and balustrades, and
roof tiling, will be repaired and refurbished to the original design. Later
attached concrete canopies will be removed as they detract from the original
building design. The
original metal balustrade on the west side 1/F balcony will be retained and
repaired, but because the design has unproven strength for safe public use it
will only be used for maintenance access. |
New
external fire escape door and steps at LG2/F are to be provided on the west
side, and the location is related to the fenestration pattern. New
external equal access door at LG2/F on east side for purposes of equal access
to the Site via this building, location is related to the fenestration
pattern. Four
new lifts will be installed in the central, east and west wings of the
building for the purposes of equal access, goods access and fire access. The
locations and types of lift are selected for optimizing user circulation and
code compliance with minimum impact to the building structure and features. Public
accessible WCs will be provided on LG2/F, LG1/F, 1/F for new uses in building
and for site-wide uses. Removal
of the later LG1/F inserted floor construction in the west side will regain
the original double height (gymnasium) room. Later
partition walls and suspended ceilings to be removed to regain the original
internal spaces. New
walls required for new uses generally to be of reversible lightweight stud
and plasterboard construction. |
The
range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in
Block 01 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3 (Acceptable with
Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the proposed
interventions in Block 01 is therefore regarded as acceptable to enable the
building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes and Mitigations (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
|
Existing
mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and new services
including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be installed
suitable for new adaptive uses. Two new plant rooms are required for
ventilation and air-conditioning, with chilled water supplied from central chiller plant. Kitchen extract flues will discharge into
new chimney stacks matching the existing design. All
original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be replaced by
replicas of original windows to regain the original building appearance
throughout. Original
external doors that have been replaced are to be reinstated in their original
form. Original internal panelled doors will be retained and repaired, and
upgraded for compliance with fire code as necessary. The
original stone and cast iron balustrades on the verandahs
will be retained and repaired. Higher barriers are required for compliance
with safety codes. Additional higher rails will be of minimal design and have
as little visual impact as possible on the overall façade. |
|
Table 3.11 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 02
|
Building No., Name & Designation |
Date of Construction and Original Use |
Reference Drawings |
|
02 Armoury & Store Within Central Police Station Declared
Monument |
1924 – 1926 Armoury & Store, including: Equipment store, outfit room,
monthly store, strong room, armoury, workshop and magazine. The last known use was for the
Traffic Police. |
02-GA-201 Ground Floor 02-GA-202 First Floor 02-GA-204 Roof Plan 02-GA-220 North Elevation 02-GA-221 South Elevation 02-GA-222 East Elevation 02-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
Two storey brick building in the same style as the Headquarters
Block, located on the west side of the Parade Ground. The external construction on the east side
was altered in the 1930s to fill in the verandah
and soon after the first floor was extended over the verandah
to provide additional floor space. Most of the external openings have been altered, and all the
interiors have been stripped out, partitioned and refitted to create office
space. The large granite revetment wall on which it sits on The building has a reasonably robust construction of
load-bearing brickwork and reinforced concrete floors, under a pitched tiled
roof. |
Retail and ancillary support on both floors with toilets, for a
single tenant. The general tone of the Parade Ground area will be enhanced if
there is a good balance between cultural and commercial uses. As one of the buildings with little or nothing of significance
internally the building, with its robust construction, prominent location and
size, offers the possibility for a commercial use. The selected adaptive reuse is suitable for this reasonably
robust building. |
MEDIUM The significance of this building is mostly attributed to its
visual link to the Headquarters Block, as well as its known use as a stable
block during Japanese occupation. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other Heritage
Impact Rating Assessments |
|
Elevations
will be restored to the original design intention, inasmuch as possible. The
G/F infill of the verandah and the 1/F extension
over the verandah will be removed to regain the
original appearance of the building. A new barrier around the new accessible
balcony over the verandah will be provided. Some
original external walls are currently internal plastered walls, and will
become exposed externally, and they will be refaced in brickwork. Removal
of a concrete entrance canopy & steps from the north east corner of the
building, as they detract from the original building design. |
The existing single
non-code compliant internal concrete stair will be removed. Two new stairs are
required for means of escape, and will be inserted on the north and south
sides, located to maximise the main space on both floors for use. A new platform lift is
to be inserted into the building for the purposes of equal access. Later partition walls
will all be removed. Some existing internal
wall openings will be widened and new openings created and justified for the
new adaptive use. New walls required for
the new use are generally to be of reversible lightweight stud and
plasterboard construction. Existing mechanical and
electrical services will be removed, and new services including
air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be installed suitable for
the new adaptive use. A new plant room is required for ventilation and
air-conditioning, with chilled water supplied from central chiller plant. All original windows
will be repaired. Later windows are to be replaced by replicas of original
windows to regain the original building appearance throughout. On the east elevation where
the original façade appearance is not known or is not revealed by the removal
of the later extensions, a plain fenestration pattern will be reinstated. A fenestration pattern
like the original design will be reinstated on the east elevation following
demolition of the in-fill and extension. All the external and
internal doors are to be replaced with new doors to compliment the original
building design. |
The
range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in
Block 02 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3 (Acceptable with
Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the proposed
interventions in Block 02 is therefore regarded as acceptable to enable the
building to have a new adaptive use. |
Table 3.12 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 03
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
|
03 Barracks
Block Within
Central Police Station Declared Monument |
1862
– 1864 Third
Floor c.1906 Police
Barracks, also including: Offices
for Clerks, the Superintendent of Police, Coroner and Interpreters; Reserve
& Charge Room; Day Rooms. |
03-GA-201 Ground Floor 03-GA-202 Ground Floor 03-GA-203 First Floor 03-GA-204 First Floor 03-GA-205 Second Floor 03-GA-206 Second Floor 03-GA-207 Third Floor 03-GA-208 Third Floor |
03-GA-211 Roof Plan 03-GA-212 Roof Plan 03-GA-220 North Elevation 03-GA-221 North Elevation 03-GA-222 South Elevation 03-GA-223 South Elevation 03-GA-224 East Elevation 03-GA-225 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
Four
storey building (and the tallest on the Site) constructed of red brick with painted
cement render. The basic floor plan is the same on all levels, with a central
block of two or four rooms, a large open Dormitory space in the wings either
side, and long verandahs on the north side. There
are also projecting rooms on the north side for married and single sergeants.
This building was constructed as a simple, functional building which
responded to the local climate and a growing police force. The additional
third floor is constructed in a similar style and scale, though it did necessitate
the loss of a pedimented roof and the addition of
buttresses on the south side. The
building continued in use as accommodation until decommissioning, with some
spaces accommodating kitchens, cafeterias, offices and armouries. The
building construction is not as robust as others on the Site. The
load-bearing brickwork walls support
relatively fragile timber upper floors, under a pitched tiled roof.
The timber floors in this building will need to be strengthened for any new
use. Some areas of timber floors have already been replaced with reinforced
concrete slabs. There are currently also limitations for viable adaptive
reuses from the available means of escape if the two existing staircases are
to be retained. |
Mixed
Use: • G/F – Museum; Interpretation room; Retail and
ancillary support; Public circulation; Plant room • 1/F – Retail and ancillary
support; Toilets; Plant room • 2/F – Retail and ancillary
support; Toilets; Plant room • 3/F – F&B and ancillary
support; Toilets; Plant room The
mix of adaptive reuses is seen as providing a good balance between cultural
and commercial uses, and it also contributes some interpretation of the
former Barracks Block uses in the lower part of the Site. This block also
provides a good G/F location related to the principle access for visitors
into the Site for an Information Centre closely associated with a small
Museum. Visitors will be able to begin their journey through the Information
Centre and take escalators and lifts to reach the upper levels of the Site. The
selected uses are generally suitable for the relatively fragile timber floors
in this building, which would need to be strengthened for any new use. The
uses will be readily accommodated and the quality of the original spaces regained.
A
conservation approach strategy is required for providing adequate means of
escape whilst retaining the use of the original staircases and maximizing the
use of the building, and minimizing the damage to its most significant
elements. |
HIGH This
is one of the oldest surviving buildings on the Police Station, and is an
important example of early colonial design. Its location established the
creation of the Parade Ground, and was the start of what would eventually
become a much larger Central Police Station. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
All
new adaptive uses will be accommodated within the existing building without
new extensions. The
existing access and circulation layout will be retained. The two existing
open stairs are to be retained, conserved, and justified for use on the basis
of a fire engineering analysis of the means of escape for the whole building.
Additional rails to raise the height of the existing balustrades for
compliance with safety codes may be required if alternative safety measures
are not agreeable. The additional rails will be of minimal design and have as
little visual impact as possible.
Additional matching balusters to reduce the gaps will also be
required. To provide alternative means of escape new bridges are to be
constructed on the south side of the building to link the upper floors to the
existing balconies and new staircases in Buildings 08 and 11. |
Two
new public lifts for user and equal access purposes, and one new
goods/firemen’s lift will be installed in the central block. The central
block is one of the areas of least significance within the building, and
because of this it has been chosen as the location for both the lifts and the
WCs. This location is not only convenient for these uses but by concentrating
them together here will have the least amount of impact on the greater part
of the historic building. It allows for all of the significant original room
layouts in the wings to remain, and for the highly significant spaces like
the verandahs and staircases to remain open and
unaltered. New
public accessible WCs will be provided in the central block on each of the
upper floors. |
The
range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in
Block 03 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3 (Acceptable with
Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the proposed
interventions in Block 03 is therefore regarded as acceptable to enable the
building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes and Mitigations (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
The
existing covered bridge from the east side 1/F to the Magistracy Terrace will
also provide an alternative means of escape. These bridges make it possible to
provide the alternative means of escape without having to make further major
interventions in the Barracks Block, such as additional internal or external
staircases or major modifications of the existing stairs and verandahs. The new bridges will be designed with
reference to the style of the existing south side bridges. Smoke curtains
will be installed on the upper floor verandahs at
the existing open stairs. Their use reduces the impact to the building as it
negates the need for enclosed lobbies around the historic staircases, which
would detract from the open character of the verandahs.
The later infill walls in the arches of the ground floor verandahs,
which detract from the original design of the building, will be removed, and
the original open verandah access and circulation
regained. The
later single storey timber framed open fronted porch on the north elevation
detracts from the original balanced design of the most significant elevation
of the building, and will be removed. The porch has little significance and
no architectural merit. The
external ramp and steps to the north east side of the north elevation is a
much later addition to the building and detracts from the overall appearance
of the building, and will be removed. It has no significance and no
architectural merit. The
block of cells attached to the south east side of the south elevation is an
extension of poor quality and with no architectural or historic significance.
It detracts from the original building design and will be removed. Its removal,
together with the removal other relatively insignificant features in this
area, will open up a lane behind the Barracks Block to create a more usable
site circulation space, and will restore the full height of the south
elevation of the building to its original design. Existing
internal structural walls will be retained, with some new openings justified
for the new adaptive uses. Existing
timber floors will be retained, repaired and strengthened, and upgraded to
provide the required fire resistance for code compliance. Existing
original ceilings, plaster cornices, and plaster and fretwork features are to
be retained and repaired wherever possible. All
elevations, including features and finishes, balconies and balustrades, and
roof tiling, will be repaired and refurbished to the original design. |
Later
partition walls and suspended ceilings throughout the building will be
removed, with the aim of restoring the building to its original layout as far
as possible. One original wall on the G/F in the east block, and some other
later walls are to be removed to provide spaces for viable new uses. An
existing door opening in the G/F central block will be enlarged to provide a
room for the Information Centre. Some new openings will be formed in walls on
the all floors of the central block to provide layouts for the new uses. New
partition walls will be built in the central block and third floor for the
new uses, and they will generally be of reversible lightweight stud and
plasterboard construction. Existing
mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and new services
including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be installed
suitable for new adaptive uses. New plant rooms, located in the central block
on all floors, are required for ventilation and air-conditioning, with
chilled water supplied from central chiller plant.
Kitchen extract flues will discharge into new chimney stacks matching the
existing design. All
original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be replaced by replicas
of original windows to regain the original building appearance throughout. All
later corrugated metal sunshades over windows will be removed as they detract
from the original design of the facades. Blocked
windows on the south side of the ground floor central block will be
re-opened, and some converted into use as doors for the new G/F uses. Original
external doors will preferably be retained and overhauled or upgraded, but
where their condition is unacceptably poor they will be replaced. New doors will
match the original detailing. Original
internal panelled doors will preferably be retained and overhauled or
upgraded for compliance with fire code as necessary, but where their
condition is unacceptably poor they will be replaced. New doors will match
the original detailing. The
original pottery balusters with granite handrails on the verandahs
will be retained and repaired. Higher barriers are required for compliance
with safety codes. Additional higher rails will be of minimal design and have
as little visual impact as possible on the overall façade. |
|
Table 3.13 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 04
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
04 Police Deputy Superintendents’ and Married Inspectors’ Quarters Within Central Police Station Declared Monument |
1862 - 1864 Accommodation for the Captain Superintendents and the Deputy
Superintendent |
04-GA-201 Ground Floor 04-GA-202 First Floor 04-GA-203 Second Floor 04-GA-205 Roof Plan 04-GA-220 North Elevation 04-GA-221 South Elevation 04-GA-222 East Elevation 04-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
Three storey brick building with painted cement render, similar
in style and construction to the Barracks Block. It is arranged as two blocks
forming an L-shape in plan, with a central staircase in each block.
Originally open verandahs on the north and east
sides are now mostly infilled with windows. It is
linked to Building 06 by a concrete bridge at G/F . There are balconies to the upper windows on
the south and west sides. The interiors have good quality and remain virtually
intact. The original servants’ wing to the south has been demolished. The last known use was for various Police staff spaces,
including a briefing room, changing room, mess room and storage. The building construction is relatively fragile. The load-bearing
brickwork walls support relatively fragile timber upper floors, under a
pitched tiled roof. The timber floors in this building will need to be
strengthened for any new use. There are currently also limitations for viable
adaptive reuses from the available means of escape if the two existing
staircases, which are mainly of timber construction, are to be retained. |
Mixed Use: • G/F –
Retail and
ancillary support;
Interpretation rooms • 1/F –
Arts-related support spaces • 2/F - Arts-related
support spaces; Plant room The mix of adaptive reuses is seen as providing a good and
viable balance between cultural and commercial uses in this relatively
fragile building and in this area of the Site. The three Blocks 04, 06, 07,
which have similar characteristics of style and construction, are considered
suitable for providing a hub of arts-related support spaces, although Block
07 may be suitable for a Police office. The G/F location of Retail and Interpretation uses makes them
readily accessible to the public without difficulties for means of escape.
The selection of Arts-related Support spaces for the upper floors, with the
relatively small occupancy and relatively low floor loadings of office use,
makes the retention and upgrading of the existing timber stairs viable for
means of escape, and will limit any floor strengthening required. With office
use it should also be relatively easy to ensure that the existing interior
fittings and finishes are retained. |
MEDIUM/HIGH This is one of the earliest buildings on Site, and forms an
historical and visual link with the Barracks Block. It also provides an
understanding of the various types of accommodation which existed on the
Site. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major Proposed
Changes (for Mitigations see Annex
A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
All new adaptive uses will be accommodated within the existing
building without new extensions. The original plan layout of the building is respected and
altered as little as possible. New openings in the wall separating the two
blocks on the two upper floors at the north east corner will allow the
circulation routes along the verandahs to be linked
to provide alternative means of escape and equal access. The two rooms on the
upper floors at the north east corner will be reduced in size to provide the
linking corridors. The existing timber stairs will be retained, repaired and
upgraded for means of escape. One seriously non-compliant flight will be
replaced to meet code requirements. Additional rails to raise the height of
the existing balustrades for compliance with safety codes may be required if
alternative safety measures are not agreeable. The additional rails will be
of minimal design and have as little visual impact as possible. Smoke
curtains will be installed on the upper floor verandahs
at the existing open stairs. Their use reduces the impact to the building as
it negates the need for enclosed lobbies around the historic staircases,
which would detract from the open character of the verandahs. Existing internal structural walls will be retained, with some
new openings justified for the new adaptive uses. |
A new lift will be provided in the southeast corner of the
building to provide equal access. This lift is to be located at the end of a
historic circulation route, and requires the demolition of bathrooms for
which the original features have been lost. Its location at the end of the
circulation route means that the verandas of the building remain intact and
without obstruction, as the original design would have intended, while still
allowing access throughout the whole building. As only a single lift is
necessary to allow equal access to all parts of the building, this reduces
the need for disruption of historic fabric throughout the rest of the
building. To avoid the need for further ramps the intention is to form a
doorway in the existing window to allow level access from the Parade Ground
into the lift. This will then transfer the visitor to all three floors of the
building. The lift type will be selected to avoid the overrun penetrating the
roof. New public accessible WCs will be provided located at the end of
the circulation routes so as not to disrupt the historic verandahs.
WC provision in this building is limited so as not to unnecessarily divide
the principal rooms. New ramps are proposed behind the east block stair on 1/F and
2/F, with new fire partitions to enclose the staircase for means of escape.
The existing steps in the circulation behind the north block stair on 2/F on
the will be removed. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 04 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 04 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major Proposed
Changes and Mitigations (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
Existing timber floors will be retained, repaired and
strengthened, and upgraded to provide the required fire resistance for code
compliance. Existing original ceilings, plaster cornices, and plaster and
fretwork features are to be retained and repaired wherever possible. All elevations, including features and finishes, balconies and
balustrades, and roof tiling, will be repaired and refurbished to the
original design. The reinstatement of
original features including the west elevation 2/F balcony will be carried
out. Because this balcony design has unproven strength for safe public use it
will probably only be used for maintenance access. Windows that have been added to infill the veranda arches will
be removed. These later alterations detract from the original design
characteristic of open verandas. |
A new external ramp is proposed on the south side of the north
block to provide disabled access. Existing mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and
new services including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for new adaptive uses. Chilled water will be supplied from
central chiller plant. The proposed location of the
plant room uses one of the second floor rooms in the north block already
proposed to be subdivided for the new circulation. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. All later corrugated metal sunshades over windows will be
removed as they detract from the original design of the facades. Original external doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded, but where their condition is unacceptably poor they
will be replaced. New doors will match the original detailing. Original internal panelled doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded for compliance with fire code as necessary, but where
their condition is unacceptably poor they will be replaced. New doors will
match the original detailing. The original pottery balusters with granite handrails on the verandahs will be retained and repaired. Higher barriers
are required for compliance with safety codes. Additional higher rails will
be of minimal design and have as little visual impact as possible on the
overall façade. |
|
Table 3.14 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 05
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of Construction
and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
05 Garage Within Central Police Station Declared Monument |
1924 Garage for ‘motor vans and cars’, and some servants
accommodation |
|
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance (refer
to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
Single storey red brick building with a pitched roof. Internally
is a large open space with concrete posts and steel truss roof. There are
also a range of small rooms to the east. It was constructed on the Site of the earlier servants’ wing to
the south of Building 04, and continued in use as a garage through to
decommissioning. |
This building will be demolished to create an open space. |
LOW This building does not have any architectural or historical
significance. The main importance lies in the potential for archaeology of
the original servants’ wing. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
This building will be demolished to create an open space. |
Impact Rating 2 – Acceptable Impact |
Table 3.15 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 06
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
06 Married Sergeants’ Quarters Within Central Police Station Declared Monument |
c. 1904 -1908 Accommodation for Married Sergeants and their families (four
units in all) |
06-GA-201 Ground Floor 06-GA-202 First Floor 06-GA-203 Roofspace Plan 06-GA-204 Roof Plan 06-GA-220 North Elevation 06-GA-221 South Elevation 06-GA-222 East Elevation 06-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
Two storey brick building painted cream, with WC towers at the
north-east and north–west corners. The
exterior is plainly designed with covered balconies on the north, east and
west sides. It is linked to Building 04 by a concrete bridge at 1/F. The interior is divided into two blocks
with a central timber staircase for each. The design of this building is
similar to that of building 07, which is thought to be contemporary. The last known use was as a Traffic Police Dormitory. The building construction is relatively fragile. The
load-bearing brickwork walls support relatively fragile timber upper floors, under
a pitched tiled roof. The timber floors in this building will need to be
strengthened for any new use. |
Mixed Use: • G/F –
Retail and
ancillary support: F&B and ancillary support;
Toilet • 1/F –
Arts-related support spaces; Toilet The mix of adaptive reuses is seen as providing a good and
viable balance between cultural and commercial uses in this relatively
fragile building and in this area of the Site. The three Blocks 04, 06, 07, which have similar characteristics
of style and construction, are considered suitable for providing a hub of
Arts-related Support spaces, although Block 07 may be suitable for a Police
office. The G/F location of Retail units and an Arts-related café makes
them accessible without difficulties for means of escape. The selection of
Arts-related Support spaces for the upper floors, with the relatively small
occupancy and relatively low floor loadings of office use, makes the
retention and upgrading of the existing timber stairs viable for means of
escape, and will limit any floor strengthening required. With office use it
should also be relatively easy to ensure that the existing interior fittings
and finishes are retained. |
MEDIUM This building has a visual and historical link to Building 07,
and is evidence of the constant expansion of the Site. It also adds to the
understanding of various types of accommodation on the Site. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major Proposed Changes(for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
All new adaptive uses will be
accommodated within the existing building without new extensions. The original plan layout of the building
is respected and altered as little as possible. Both existing timber stairs
will be retained, repaired and upgraded for means of escape. Additional rails
to raise the height of the existing balustrades for compliance with safety
codes may be required if alternative safety measures are not agreeable. The
additional rails will be of minimal design and have as little visual impact
as possible. The stairs will be separated by a new partition at G/F, and one
stair will discharge to the north side. New openings in the wall separating
the two blocks on each floor will provide a shared circulation pattern. Existing internal structural walls will
be retained, with some new openings justified for the new adaptive uses. Existing timber floors will be retained,
repaired and strengthened, and upgraded to provide the required fire
resistance for code compliance. Existing original ceilings, plaster
cornices, and plaster and fretwork features are to be retained and repaired
wherever possible. All elevations, including features and
finishes, balconies and balustrades, and roof tiling, will be repaired and
refurbished to the original design. The existing covered way, with its tiled
roof, linking Building 06 with Building 07 will be retained and repaired. |
A new platform lift will be provided in the north east corner
tower of the building to provide equal access. The lift requires the
demolition of WCs for which the original features have been lost, and this
location avoids the need for disruption of historic fabric throughout the
rest of the building. New accessible WCs will be provided located at both floor levels
in the north east corner tower. WC provision in this building is limited so
as not to unnecessarily divide the principal rooms. A new external ramp is proposed on the south side of the block
to provide equal access. The existing doorways from the north side veranda and balcony
into the rooms, lift and WCs will need to be widened for equal access
purposes. New doors will match the original detailing. It will be necessary to raise the level of the rear verandah and extend it to allow for equal access
circulation. The first floor north side balcony will require its finished
level raising at each end for equal access, with short ramps not visible from
the north elevation. Existing mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and
new services including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for new adaptive uses. Chilled water will be supplied from
central chiller plant. The proposed location of the
plant room is in a new attic under the roof, and a new floor will be
installed for it. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 06 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 06 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
The present balustrade of the east side balcony is of a plain
design, and is of a later date and at odds with the historic balconies around
the rest of the building. A new balustrade to match the existing ones would
create a more coherent exterior design. The strengthening works to the
underside of the balcony are of a poor quality and detract from the façade,
which will be fully revealed with the removal of the covered sheds adjacent.
Because the east and west balcony design has unproven strength for safe
public use they may be restricted for maintenance access only. The canopy over the bridge link to Building 04 will be removed.
It is of a later date and does not form part of the original design. The
support structure is plain and at odds with the more delicate and slender
columns of the balcony. |
This will avoid having to use one of the rooms for plant. Supply
and exhaust air could be provided with louvred
openings in the east and west gable walls or with new ‘chimneys’ matching the
existing chimneys. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. All later corrugated metal sunshades over windows will be
removed as they detract from the original design of the facades. Original external doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded, but where their condition is unacceptably poor they
will be replaced. New doors will match the original detailing. Original internal panelled doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded for compliance with fire code as necessary, but where
their condition is unacceptably poor they will be replaced. New doors will
match the original detailing. |
|
Table 3.16 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 07
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
|
07 Single Inspector’s Quarters Within Central Police Station Declared Monument |
c. 1904 – 1908 Accommodation for Single Inspectors |
07-GA-201 Ground Floor 07-GA-202 First Floor 07-GA-203 Second Floor 07-GA-204 Roofspace Plan 07-GA-205 Roof Plan |
07-GA-220 North Elevation 07-GA-221 South Elevation 07-GA-222 East Elevation 07-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
Three storey brick building painted cream, set on a single
storey brick plinth. The interior layout is the same on each floor, with two
main rooms and a corridor linking to a staircase on the east side. There is
also a small projecting bathroom tower on the south side. There were originally balconies at each
floor on the north side, but the ground floor balcony has been lost. The
design of this building is similar to that of building 06, which is thought
to be contemporary. The last known use was as a medical office. The building construction is relatively fragile. The
load-bearing brickwork walls support relatively fragile timber upper floors,
under a pitched tiled roof. The timber floors in this building will probably
need to be strengthened for any new use. |
Police Reporting Centre, on all three floors, with Toilets. This use is seen as suitable for this relatively fragile
building, and can be accommodated with minimal changes to the internal
layout, and will allow all the spaces to be used. The limited number of
people who would use the upper floor offices makes it probable that agreement
can be reached over the retention of a single means of escape staircase. The
floor loadings for support or office use can also be more readily justified
with minimal strengthening if required. |
MEDIUM The building has a visual link to building 06, and similarly is
important for showing the constant expansion of the Site and adds to the
understanding of various types of accommodation. It also provides an
important elevation facing |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
The new adaptive use will be accommodated within the existing
building without new extensions. The original plan layout of the building is respected and
altered as little as possible. The existing timber stair will be retained,
repaired and upgraded for means of escape. Additional rails to raise the
height of the existing balustrade for compliance with safety codes may be
required if alternative safety measures are not agreeable. The additional
rails will be of minimal design and have as little visual impact as possible. Existing internal structural walls will be retained, with some
new openings justified for the new adaptive uses. Existing timber floors will be retained, repaired and
strengthened, and upgraded to provide the required fire resistance for code
compliance. Later suspended ceilings are to be removed, and new ceilings
will be reinstated in their original form. The later ceilings detract from
the original interior character of the building. All elevations, including features and finishes, balconies and
balustrades, and roof tiling, will be repaired and refurbished to the
original design. Because the north balcony design has unproven strength for
safe public use the balconies may be restricted for maintenance access only. The existing covered way, with its tiled roof, linking Building
07 with Building 06 will be retained and repaired. |
A new platform lift will be provided for equal access. The
desirability of installing lift in the building is debatable. This is a small
building and it could be argued that disabled access to the ground floor
would be sufficient for the small number of occupants. However there is the
view that wherever possible the principle of equal access for all users
should be adhered to. A conventional passenger lift to reach all floors would
require the serious intervention of a lift pit in this small building. The
proposal is to provide a platform lift that will serve the first floor but
not the second. This provides 2/3 of the building with disabled access. The
possibility of inserting a lift into the bathroom tower was considered This option was rejected as it took up an unnecessarily large
amount of useful space in the tower, and the tower was more suitable for WCs.
The compromise proposal is to fit a platform lift in the southwest corner of
the smaller of the two rooms in a reversible manner. New accessible WCs will be provided on G/F and 1/F located in
the south side tower. WC provision in this building is limited so as not to
unnecessarily divide the principal rooms. Later partitions will be removed throughout. These detract from
the original layout of the building, and will help to return the spaces to
their original configuration. The existing doorways into the new WCs in the south tower will
need to be widened for equal access purposes. New doors will match the
original detailing. Existing mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and
new services including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for new adaptive uses. Chilled water will be supplied from
central chiller plant. The proposed location of the
plant room is in a new attic under the roof, and a new floor will be
installed for it. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 07 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 07 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
|
|
This will avoid having to use one of the rooms for plant. Supply
and exhaust air could be provided with louvred
openings in the east and west gable walls or with new ‘chimneys’ matching the
existing chimneys. Externally accessible access doors for service risers in
the bathroom tower are to be provided at ground floor level on the west
elevation of the south tower, detailed to match the other external doors. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. Original external doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded, but where their condition is unacceptably poor they
will be replaced. New doors will match the original detailing. Original internal panelled doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded for compliance with fire code as necessary, but where
their condition is unacceptably poor they will be replaced. New doors will
match the original detailing. |
|
|
Table 3.17 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 08
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
08 Ablutions Block Within Central Police Station Declared Monument |
c. 1930s Sanitary Block for the police officers in Barracks Block |
08-GA-201 Ground Floor 08-GA-202 First Floor 08-GA-204 Second Floor 08-GA-206 Roof Plan 08-GA-220 North Elevation 08-GA-221 South Elevation 08-GA-222 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
Three storey red brick building set on a granite plinth. The
building forms a physical separation between the CPS and Prison areas of the
Site. Internally, the building is a single storey deep, with an external
stair to the northwest and balconies along the north side. This space was lastly used as an ablutions
building, containing WCs and showers. The building was updated with new facilities, allowing it to
continue in use as a sanitary block. There were also some administration
spaces and a gym. The building has a reasonably robust construction of
load-bearing brickwork and reinforced concrete floors, under a pitched tiled
roof. |
Mixed Use: •
G/F
- Plant rooms; Site management
office and store rooms; Toilet •
1/F -
Plant rooms •
2/F -
Plant rooms; Store room |
MEDIUM/LOW This building is of little architectural interest, though the
west elevation adds to the overall character of the |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
The scheme for the whole Site requires a completely new
electrical provision with new transformers and associated switchgear rooms,
and emergency generators. After considering several options for locating
these functions around the Site there was found to be no adequate locations
in operational terms to suit the HEC’s requirements
for access to their centralized equipment. It was therefore decided that the
Ablutions block 08 should be altered in a major way to accommodate all the
electrical supply equipment for the Site integrated in one location. In
putting it all into the Ablutions Block major damage to other more sensitive
blocks can be avoided. The Ablutions Block also has the dual advantages that it is one
of the very few buildings where vehicle access is available, which is an
essential requirement of the Hong Kong Electric Company, and it is also
relatively central to the whole Site, making the electrical sub-main
distribution routes effective and least damaging. Although the interior 1/F and 2/F floors will be completely
removed, the exterior fabric, including the north side balconies, will be
retained and refurbished as an element of the historic site and surrounding
streetscape. The existing balconies provide an important alternative means of
escape for the Type 1 grade Barracks block 03, which would otherwise require
additional interior interventions with significant impacts. The existing
bridges from Barracks block 03 will be retained and new bridges added. The G/F corridor from the north side balcony to the south side
yard will be retained. |
The existing single story extension on the south side at the
west end will be removed to provide the essential turning into the yard for
HEC and other delivery vehicles. The existing yard will be excavated to lower
the level in relation to Existing internal 1/F and 2/F floors and walls will be removed.
These alterations are being made in order to create the required heights of
space for centralized electrical equipment serving the whole Site. The
existing partition configuration and storey heights do not allow for the
installation of the required electrical transformers and associated
switchgear and cable trenches and the emergency generators. The new concrete
floors are to be supported on a new internal independent steel structure that
will both support the new floors and provide structural stability to the
existing brick envelope, removing the risk of collapse of the original
structure. Where possible, some cross walls are to be retained, such as the
one to the western side of the new service stair. Significant elements of the ground floor plan arrangement are to
be retained, including the cross walls and in particular the passageway that
provides access through the building, together with the associated arches to
the north and south elevations. The existing timber king-post trussed roof structure is
considered to be of some architectural interest, and is to be retained in its
entirety. A new internal stair from the G/F north side balcony is to be
located centrally in the building to provide service access to the first
floor transformer rooms and meet code compliance for means of escape. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. All windows to upper floors are to be locked shut with
security mesh fitted behind for the safety of users and to meet code
compliance. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 08 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 08 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
|
Original external doors will preferably be retained for reuse
and overhauled or upgraded as necessary, but where their condition is
unacceptably poor they will be replaced. New doors will match the original detailing. Elevations will be retained in their existing condition as far
as possible, with repair work only being carried out as required. Although
the south elevation will need to be altered for the operation of the
electrical equipment, the remainder of the building will retain its historic
appearance on the exterior. On the south elevation there will be several
interventions for new louvres and access doors for
the essential operation of the new transformer and switchgear equipment. The
aim is to use the existing fenestration openings and widen them or form new
openings only where necessary. The south elevation has the least significant
aspect for the Site given that it faces an existing high revetment wall. For the construction method to remove the existing floor slabs and add
the new floor stab, it is proposed that the external walls will be retained,
however the internal structure of the Ablutions block will be removed and
replaced with a strengthened structure. The roof will be temporarily removed
during construction, however will be replaced once adequate support has been
provided to the internal shell of the structure. The façade and balconies are
proposed to be retained and refurbished in their current form. To mitigate the impact, full recording
before the work commence will be conducted. |
|
Table 3.18 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 09
|
Building No., Name & Designation |
Date of Construction and Original Use |
Reference Drawings |
|
|
09 Central Magistracy Former Central Magistracy Declared Monument |
1912 – 1914 |
09-GA-201 Lower Ground Floor 09-GA-202 Ground Floor 09-GA-203 First Floor 09-GA-204 Second Floor 09-GA-206 Roof Plan |
09-GA-220 North Elevation 09-GA-221 South Elevation 09-GA-222 East Elevation 09-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
Three storey Neo-Classical red brick building set on angled
granite plinth with basements. This building uses the same architectural
detailing as the Headquarters Block, and is one of the most notable
elevations overlooking the exterior of the Site. The interior consists of two large
double-storey courtrooms and a central lightwell in
the upper levels, with offices around it (some of which were previously
dormitories). The building is serviced by three main staircases. There have
been several alterations to the building, but most are reversible and the
majority of high significance areas remain intact. The building ceased judicial use in 1979, and was converted into
use for Immigration and Police Officers’ Associations. In the 1990s it was
converted into various administration uses by the police. The building has a reasonably robust construction of
load-bearing brickwork and reinforced concrete floors, under a pitched tiled
roof. |
Mixed Use: • LG/F – Retail and ancillary support; Interpretation room; Site management office and store
rooms; Toilets; Plant Rooms • G/F – Multipurpose and ancillary support; Retail and ancillary support; Toilets; Public circulation • 1/F –
Multipurpose and
ancillary support; Toilets • 2/F –
F&B and ancillary support; Toilets The mix of adaptive reuses is seen as providing a good and
viable balance between cultural and commercial uses. The two courtrooms have
sufficient of the original fabric remaining to allow both of them to be fully
restored, and they will be excellent spaces to hold a variety of activities
including lectures, music performance and private functions. These spaces,
along with the holding cells in the basement, will also be a very important
part of the interpretation of the history of the Site for the administration
of the Law through the Courts. The restaurant will provide a good support use
for the functions. Retail units will be suitable in the low height spaces of
LG/F. A conservation approach strategy is required for providing
adequate means of escape whilst retaining the use of all the existing
staircases and maximizing the use of the building, and minimizing the damage
to its most significant elements. |
HIGH The Magistracy forms an important contribution to the history of
law and order in |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
All new adaptive uses will be
accommodated within the existing building without new extensions. All the existing will be retained. The
stairs do not individually comply with code requirements for means of escape,
but using a fire engineering approach suggests that if they are linked with
corridors to act together and when they are given some upgrading, they can
provide sufficient and adequate means of escape for the new uses. Some
additional rails to raise the height of the existing balustrades for
compliance with safety codes may be required if alternative safety measures
are not agreeable. The circulation pattern on the principal
entrance G/F will be retained, but on 1/F and 2/F there will be new
circulation patterns which resolve the means of escape and the accessibility
between the east and west sides of the building accommodation across the
central lightwell, which will be covered with a new
glass roof to become an atrium. The circulation patterns on the upper floors
have been previously altered to suite changing uses. The circulation on LG/F
uses the existing corridors with some new openings to provide suitable means
of escape. The
balconies overlooking the two courtrooms will be reinstated by removing the
plant currently installed there and the inserted balcony walls. Equal access
will provided by extending the adjacent floor level into platforms on the
balconies. Platforms will be constructed in timber for reversibility. The original narrow stair up to the north courtroom on G/F from
the holding cell on LG/F is to be unblocked, and the original prisoner access
route reinstated for interpretation. A trap door in the floor of the
courtroom will enable a recreation of the courtroom layout to be set up when
required. Later timber lobbies at the entrance doors to the courtrooms on
G/F within the central entrance lobby are to be removed to regain the
appearance of the lobby. The modern rooflights over the central
entrance lobby are to be removed, and the central dividing panel will be
removed to reinstate the single large aperture. This will be left open under
a new high level glazed atrium roof. This roof will also improve the
collection and safe discharge of rainwater which currently overflows the
guttering and causes dampness in the building. The existing balconies and bridge in the lightwell
are not original to the building and were installed as later modifications,
and are no longer required in the planning of the building for new uses. They
detract from the integrity of the lightwell and
will be removed.. Existing structural walls will be retained, with some new
openings justified for the new adaptive uses. Existing original ceilings, plaster cornices and plaster
features are to be retained and repaired wherever possible. All elevations, including features and finishes, balconies and
balustrades, and roof tiling, will be repaired and refurbished to the
original design. The original stone balustrades on the east side balconies will
be retained and repaired. Higher barriers are required for compliance with
safety codes. Additional higher rails will be of minimal design and have as
little visual impact as possible on the overall façade. The original metal
balustrades on the west side balconies will be retained and repaired, but
because these balconies have unproven strength for safe public use they will
only be used for maintenance access. Windows at south end of the principal east elevation’s second
floor balcony are to be removed. These windows were added later to increase
office accommodation, and they detract from the original design of the
elevation. Two later
small windows on the north elevation detract from the historic elevation, and
are not required, and they will be removed and the openings bricked up. |
Access into the building at LG/F and G/F
levels generally uses the existing external entrances which currently have
steps. Equal level access is provided at the north east corner at LG/F by
modifying an existing window, and at the west side at G/F by providing a
short external ramp to the existing doorway. Two new lifts will be installed in the building for the purposes
of equal access, goods access and fire access, and one change-of-level
platform goods lift will be required in LG/F. The locations and types of lift
are selected for optimizing user circulation and code compliance with minimum
impact to the building structure and features. The location of the passenger
lift in the north west corner enables it to be an element on the route
providing equal access from the Parade Ground up through the Magistracy
building, and thence into adjacent buildings, including the Superintendent’s
House (building 10) and through to buildings 13, 11 and 12, and also
southwards to D Hall (building 14). It is located beside the existing
principal stairs so that at lower ground level it shares the north access
into the Magistracy building with the staircase. This location is in an area
of relatively low significance, and provides disabled access both into the
building from the north side and to every floor of the building with the use
of a single lift. Other options for locating this important element of
accessibility would be in areas of high historic significance and therefore
more damaging. The location of the fireman’s/goods lift is in an area of the
building which has little historic significance on each floor previously used
as mechanical space, toilets and later offices. New steps are needed for access circulation across the central lightwell, now to become an atrium, whose level is raised
above the various first floor rooms around the lightwell.
New steps will be provided from the west side circulation up to the lightwell level, and new steps will be provided into each
of the east side function rooms. Chair lifts to meet code compliance for
access will be provided on these new steps. New steps will be constructed in
timber for reversibility. Public accessible WCs will be provided on all floors for the new
uses in the building and for site wide uses. Their locations are in areas of
little historic or architectural interest. Later partition walls and suspended ceilings to be removed to
regain the original internal spaces, and to enable the layouts for the new
uses. New walls required for new uses generally are to be of
reversible lightweight stud and plasterboard construction. Existing mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and
new services including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for new adaptive uses. New plant rooms are required for
ventilation and air-conditioning, with chilled water supplied from central chiller plant. The plant rooms will be in LG/F, in spaces
which are utilitarian with no existing significant features. Kitchen extract
flues will discharge into new louvres located on
the inner slopes of the roof facing the lightwell
to avoid detracting from the external appearance of the building. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. Original external doors that have been replaced are to be
reinstated in their original form. Original internal panelled doors will be
retained and repaired, and upgraded for compliance with fire code as
necessary. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 09 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 09 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
Table 3.19 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 10
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
|
10 Superintendent’s House Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
c. 1860s House for the Superintendent of the Prison/Police; historic main
entrance into Prison |
10_13-GA-201 Lower Ground Floor 10_13-GA-202 Ground Floor 10_13-GA-203 First Floor 10_13-GA-204 Second Floor 10_13-GA-205 Roof Plan |
10_13-GA-220 North Elevation 10_13-GA-221 South Elevation 10_13-GA-222 East Elevation 10_13-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance (refer
to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
Three storey rendered brick building, fully attached to the
adjacent building 13 (C Hall - a much later and poorer quality building dating
from the 1920s), and so has no aspect of any significance to the west. The
building is of a domestic scale and design, with elements similar to
buildings 03 and 04, which are contemporary.
The general layout of two principal rooms on the upper floors has been
retained, and a large archway, originally the main entrance to the prison,
remains at ground floor but has been blocked.
Many early features survive such as panelled door and window
surrounds, a first floor balcony, skirting boards and timber staircase to the
southwest. A later extension to the south east is of less significance. The building was last used as administration and dormitory
rooms. The building construction is relatively fragile. The
load-bearing brickwork walls support relatively fragile timber upper floors,
under a pitched tiled roof. The timber floors in this building will probably
need to be strengthened for any new use. |
Mixed Use: • G/F –
Retail and
ancillary support; Public circulation; Toilet • 1/F –
Arts-related support spaces; Toilets • 2/F –
Arts-related support spaces The mix of adaptive reuses is seen as providing a good and
viable balance between cultural and commercial uses in this relatively
fragile building and in this area of the Site. The G/F location of Retail units
makes them readily accessible to the public without difficulties for means of
escape, and the character of the upper floors will be suitable for
Arts-related Support spaces. The relatively small occupancy and relatively
low floor loadings of such support spaces, makes the retention and upgrading
of the existing timber stair viable for means of escape, and will limit any
floor strengthening required. To make building 10 viable for new uses its circulation will be
linked to the adjacent accommodation in building 13 (C Hall). A new staircase
in building 13 is to be linked to operate with the existing main staircase in
building 10 to provide the necessary alternative means of escape from both
buildings, and this new staircase is beneficially located to provide a
connection to |
MEDIUM / HIGH This is one of the earliest buildings on the Site, and would
have been an essential part of the early prison/police site. The pediment is
the only remaining characteristic of the early site. Those at the original
Magistracy (now demolished) and the Barracks Block (lost when the third floor
was added) are now lost. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
All new adaptive uses will be
accommodated within the existing building without new extensions. The original plan layout of the building
is respected and altered as little as possible. The later single storey
extension the southeast corner and the two storey extension to the south are
to be removed. The removal of these extensions will restore the building to
its original configuration and improve the appearance of the exterior
elevations. The later plain concrete planter on the east elevation detracts
from the elevation and will be carefully removed and the wall made good. The existing main timber stair will be
retained, repaired and upgraded. It does not completely comply with code
requirements for means of escape for the new uses, but a fire engineering
approach suggests that if it is linked with corridors to the new compliant
stair in building 13, they can act together. Some additional rails to raise
the height of the existing balustrades for compliance with safety codes may
be required if alternative safety measures are not agreeable. The later masonry infills
to the original G/F arched openings in the east side external wall and in the
connecting wall to Building 13. The east side external steps will be
retained, and this will reinstate the original G/F through route, and when
linked to the G/F circulation spaces in building 13, will provide improved
public access across the Site. The use of a platform change-of-level lift at
G/F adjacent to the east side arch in an existing opening, requiring minimal
widening and the removal of the modern unsightly external steps, will provide
for equal access into the building on the east side. |
The removal of the existing suspended
timber floor to the G/F south east room of the building will allow for an
equal level access floor into this room from Magistracy Terrace. The existing
window will be altered for a door designed to have original design details. A new lift is to be inserted in the
south side of the building for the purposes of equal access. The location has
been selected to minimise the impact on the original building fabric, as the
space here has little historic or architectural significance. The location of
a passenger lift on the south side also enables it to be an element on the
route providing equal access from the Parade Ground up through the Magistracy
building to Magistracy Terrace, into the Superintendent’s House using a
platform lift, and from there up to the D Hall and Prison Yard level. Accessible public WCs will be installed on G/F adjacent to
public WCs provided in the adjacent building 13, and also on 1/F. The ground
floor toilet is in an area of low significance, and provides an accessible WC
adjacent to the other grouped public WCs to be provided in the adjacent
building 13 which has less historical significance than building 10. The
first floor WCs are located in the south east extension which is of a later
date and an area of least significance in the building. By installing the
necessary WCs here, the rest of the first and second floors retain their
original layout and the Principal rooms remain intact. New walls required for new uses generally are to be of
reversible lightweight stud and plasterboard construction. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for
the interventions after mitigations in Block 10 are 1
(Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3 (Acceptable with Mitigation Measures).
The overall Heritage Impact of the proposed interventions in Block 10 is
therefore regarded as acceptable to enable the building to have a new
adaptive use. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
The existing circulation pattern on 1/F and 2/F will be
retained, and two new single door openings will link it to the new
circulation on 1/F and 2/F in building 13. Existing internal structural walls will be retained, with some
new openings justified for the new adaptive uses. Existing timber floors will be retained, repaired and
strengthened, and upgraded to provide the required fire resistance for code
compliance. The later G/F wall and corridor in north east room will be
removed, and this will restore the room to its original size with the chimney
breast within it. Later modern
partitions and suspended ceilings on 2/F are to be removed to regain the room
sizes of the original design, and new ceilings will be reinstated in their
original form. The later partitions and ceilings detract from the original
interior character of the building. All elevations, including features and finishes, balconies and
balustrades, and roof tiling, will be repaired and refurbished to the
original design. Because the 1/F east side balconies and 2/F east and north
side balcony design has unproven strength for safe public use the balconies
will probably have to be restricted for maintenance access only. |
Existing mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and
new services including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for new adaptive uses. The plant room for the services in
building 10 will be located in the adjacent building 13. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. Wire security mesh will be removed from windows
because this is no longer necessary and detracts from the elevations. Original external balcony doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded, but where their condition is unacceptably poor they
will be replaced. New doors will match the original detailing. Original internal panelled doors will preferably be retained and
overhauled or upgraded for compliance with fire code as necessary, but where
their condition is unacceptably poor they will be replaced. New doors will
match the original detailing. |
|
Table 3.20 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 11
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
11 A Hall Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
1928 Reception Block , including: Baths, dressing boxes, disinfecting rooms, visiting boxes,
prisoners’ clothes store, solicitors’ rooms, reception, registration and
photographing room. |
11-GA-201 Lower Ground Floor 11-GA-202 Ground Floor 11-GA-203 First Floor 11-GA-204 Second Floor / Roof Plan 11-GA-220 North Elevation 11-GA-221 South Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
Two storey brick building with regular fenestration to the north
and south, attached to building 13 to the east and 9 to the west. It is plain
in design, with a single room on the first floor as all original internal
walls have been removed, and with ground floor rooms being as deep as the
building. There is a staircase at the south west and south east corners. In later years the building contained a room used as a chapel on
the ground floor, with the last known use of the building as an Immigration
Office. The building has a reasonably robust construction of
load-bearing brickwork and reinforced concrete floors, under a flat concrete
roof. |
Education Centre and ancillary support on both floors, with
Classrooms on G/F and Education Offices on 1/F; Toilets; Site management
office and store room. New underground Foyer for Site circulation. The narrow yard between A Hall and B Hall is seen as one of the
spaces where it will be best to interpret the function and nature of the
Prison. As one of the buildings with little or nothing of significance
internally A Hall, with its robust construction, central location and modest
size, offers the possibility for a cultural and interpretation use. An
Education Centre will be an appropriate use. The selected adaptive reuse is suitable for this reasonably
robust building. A new underground foyer beneath A Hall will create an entrance
at the Parade Ground level in |
LOW This functional building was designed without any architectural
detailing of note, and was built of materials which were readily available
and matched the surrounding context. There is little original fabric
remaining, and the main point of interest is the granite revetment wall below
the north elevation which is of an earlier construction date. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
All new adaptive uses will be accommodated within the existing
building without new extensions. All elevations will be repaired and refurbished to the original
design. Modern razor wire and fencing is generally to be removed from the
buildings’ facades and roofs, but some wire and broken glass and the fencing
on the north edge of the A Hall roof may be retained for interpretation
purposes in this particular context in A Hall Yard. It will be done in a way
that is acceptable and readily removable to comply with Health and Safety
requirements and to not impede proper maintenance. The flat concrete roof
will be refurbished. |
The two existing west and east end stairs are to be removed and
replaced with code compliant stairs in similar locations for the building to
be converted to a sustainable new use with compliant means of escape. The new
west stair will provide means of escape for building 11, and also for
building 03 via the new bridges to the building 8 balconies, and also for
Building 08 down to the Linking the buildings 11 and 13 and putting a new lift in the
northwest corner of Building 13 negates the need for an additional lift in
Building 11. New WC facilities are required for the proposed new use of an
Education Centre, and will be provided at the east end of the building. On
the G/F new male and female WCs, an accessible toilet and cloakroom
facilities, are provided adjacent to the teaching rooms, and on the first
floor a single WC and a disabled WC will be provided for the Education Centre
staff. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 11 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 11 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
|
Internal walls are to be removed and new walls constructed as
shown on the plans to suit the new uses and circulation. New walls required for
new room layouts are generally to be of reversible lightweight stud and
plasterboard construction. Existing mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and
new services including air-conditioning, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for new adaptive uses. A new plant room is required for
ventilation and air-conditioning, with chilled water supplied from central chiller plant. If the new plant room serving buildings 13
and 10 is not capable of serving building 11 also, a new plant room will be
located on the roof of A Hall at the east end adjacent to the 2/F wall of
building 13. This will maximise usable floor space on the lower floors and
avoids excessive subdivision of the building. The plant room will be
constructed as a clearly identifiable modern addition so as not to impinge on
the clarity of the original design. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. The original steel bars are to be retained and
refurbished. Original doors that have been replaced are to be reinstated in
their original form where this is known. Wherever later doors detract from
the historic appearance of the building, these will be replaced with more
sympathetic replacements. Steel-barred gates to the stairs are to be retained
and fixed open flat against the facade, with new timber doors placed within
the reveals. The walls of A-Hall will be propped by steel beams prior to any
excavation works being carried out below the building. This will ensure that
the superstructure remains stable during works below. The methodology for the
construction of the tunnel will be finalized in discussions with the
contractor, however the primary principle is to first stabilize the existing
structure, prior to trying to form any new structure or openings below. In terms of mitigation measures, the
existing structure will be propped prior to construction activities, and monitoring
will be carried out during the construction phase. If any there is any risk
of potential damage to the existing structure, the construction approach may
need to be revised.
Documentation will be conducted prior to works commencement and the
project proponent will ensure that the works will not affect the significance
of the CDE. |
|
Table
3.21 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 12
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
12 B Hall |
1910 Cell block |
12-GA-201 Ground Floor 12-GA-202 First Floor 12-GA-203 Second Floor / Roof Plan 12-GA-204 Roof Plan 12-GA-220 North Elevation 12-GA-221 South Elevation 12-GA-222 East Elevation 12-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
This three storey brick building was one of three cell blocks of
this design on the Site, with another being demolished and E Hall following it.
The exterior features regular fenestration on all sides, and the interior has
a central corridor and flights of straight open staircases with cells either
side (a total of 26 each floor). Much of the original fabric survives. This building continued in use as a cell block until
decommissioning. The construction of B Hall is reasonably robust with
load-bearing brickwork cell walls and reinforced concrete floors, under a
flat concrete roof which replaced the original tiled roof bomb-damaged in
WW2. |
Mixed Use: •
G/F – Public Circulation; Interpretation
rooms; Site management office •
1/F – Interpretation rooms •
2/F – Interpretation rooms A new principal public circulation route will be created to link
the lane at the south side of the Barrack Block to the upper site levels. It
will be in a tunnel under A Hall and A Hall Yard before rising up into the
G/F of B Hall with a new wide stairway.
Adjacent to the stairway will be a new lift rising to the G/F. Except for the
interventions associated with the new public circulation, B Hall is to be
generally left in its current state, and as such it will provide a primary
interpretation resource of a cell block in a most useful location adjacent to
the Education Centre in A Hall. Site
management office and store room will also be provided in the building. |
MEDIUM / LOW This building is one of the earliest surviving examples of this
style of prison block, though it was not unique or architecturally interesting.
Though the roof has been replaced it is substantially as built and a good
example of cell block design of the time. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Overall
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
Except for the interventions associated with the new public
circulation, B Hall is to be generally left in its current state. The ground
floor cells to the east of the new stairway will be left intact for
interpretation purpose, and the cells to the west of the new stairway and
lift will also be left intact and can be used for stores. The first and
second floors cannot be made safely and equally accessible without additional
code compliant staircases and a lift, and this would be very damaging to the
interior. It may be possible to allow occasional organised visits for small
numbers of supervised visitors to the upper floors. The characteristic central open stairways and balconies on the
upper floors will be retained intact. There is no requirement for plant rooms in B Hall for the
proposed uses because air-conditioning is not required. All elevations will be
repaired and refurbished to the original design. The flat concrete roof and
clerestory rooflights will be retained and
refurbished, on the basis that the replacement roof is authentic evidence of
the building’s history. |
The main interventions for the public circulation stairway and lift
will be located within the width of three cells to be removed across the
building at G/F level. Although the corridor walls of the cells will be
removed up to door height the walls above will be retained. A new opening in
the south elevation at G/F level across the width of three cells will be made
at the top landing of the new stairway and lift for access to the regraded level of B Hall Yard and the yards round to C
Hall and A Hall which remain their existing levels. The
alterations to the facades have been designed and are seen as being a clear
modern intervention that removes the minimum of fabric consistent with making
the new access , stair and lift work properly. The intervention is intended to remove the
fabric with a clean cut finish so that there is no confusion between the
original fabric and the modern intervention. Documentation
will be conducted prior to works commencement and the project proponent will
ensure that the works will not affect the significance of the CDE. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 12 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 12 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
Table 3.22 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 13
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
|
13 C Hall Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
c. 1929 Prison hospital, including: Operating Theatre, Wards, offices, mortuary, armoury, etc. |
10_13-GA-201 Lower Ground Floor 10_13-GA-202 Ground Floor 10_13-GA-203 First Floor 10_13-GA-204 Second Floor 10_13-GA-205 Roof Plan |
10_13-GA-220 North Elevation 10_13-GA-221 South Elevation 10_13-GA-222 East Elevation 10_13-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance (refer
to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
Three storey brick building, ‘U’- shaped
in plan with a central atrium on the upper levels. It abuts building 10 to
the east and building 11 to the west. It has regular fenestration on the
exterior facades and overlooking the atrium. The ground floor is self
–contained, and was last used for prisoner reception; the first and second
floors have open ward rooms accessed by a staircase in the south west corner.
The first floor also has a large Prison kitchen which is a later alteration.
The building has undergone several alterations. This space was lastly used as the Prison
kitchen, immigration reception and workshops. The building has a reasonably robust
construction of load-bearing brickwork and reinforced concrete floors, under
a flat concrete roof. |
Mixed Use: • G/F
– Retail and
ancillary support; Public circulation; Toilets • 1/F
– Interpretation room; Plant room • 2/F
– Site management offices and store room; Arts-related support spaces;
Toilets The mix of adaptive reuses in this
building is seen as providing only limited commercial uses, because it hemmed
in by surrounding buildings and has very poor outlooks. It is not one of the
most significant buildings on the Site and offers little architectural value.
However it does provide useful functional value for the uses in the adjacent
buildings 10, 11 and 03 for circulation purposes and resolving adequate means
of escape. A new compliant staircase and lift are provided in the building
located to serve these surrounding buildings, as well as providing a link to The G/F will have a small amount of
retail space and a sizeable provision of public WC accommodation serving this
area of the Site. The 1/F houses the Prison kitchen, and this will be used as
an Interpretation space. The rest of the first floor will be used for plant
room. The upper floor will mainly be
used for site management offices and store rooms with a small area designed
for arts-related support spaces and WC.. |
MEDIUM
/ LOW The design of the building is functional
and without any unique architectural characteristics. The building still
retains some elements of its original use such as the ward rooms and
cross-ventilation, but this use changed prior to decommissioning. Of some
significance is the Ladder Store at ground level, which is representative of
various functions of the Site. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
All new adaptive uses will be
accommodated within the existing building without new extensions. The removal of later masonry infill to
the original granite arched opening connecting to building 10 will reinstate
the original through-route to building 10, and provide improved public access
across the Site. The later central prisoner holding cages on the ground floor
in the atrium space will be removed to create this access. The removal of
these cages reinstates the early G/F layout of the building. The 1/F houses the Prison kitchen, and
this will be retained and refurbished as an Interpretation space. The existing stair in the southwest
corner of the building is to be retained.
Although it is not of any great historic or architectural interest. It
remains a viable part of the building’s circulation. All elevations will be repaired and
refurbished to the original design, and the flat concrete roof will be
refurbished. |
A new code compliant stair will be
inserted into the north side of the building. It is linked to the existing
retained and upgraded stair in building 10 by new circulation corridors in
building 13 which enables the stairs to function together for means of escape
justified by a fire engineering approach. This is preferable to replacing the
historically important staircase in building 10. The new staircase is located
in a position which will maximise the use of the main spaces of the building.
It is located in the north wing, which will allow the west and south wings to
remain as large integrated spaces. The selected location also provides
secondary means of escape from the Barrack Block (building 03), across two
new footbridges into building 13 and thence down to The windows will be retained so that the
north elevation fenestration will not be greatly affected. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for
the interventions after mitigations in Block 13 are 1
(Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3 (Acceptable with Mitigation Measures).
The overall Heritage Impact of the proposed interventions in Block 13 is
therefore regarded as acceptable to enable the building to have a new
adaptive use. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
|
|
The central G/F area will be re-graded to create a sloping
ground. This is necessary to provide equal level access into the building
from the west and through to building 10 on the east, and the overall impact
on the appearance of the space is minimized. The floor surface here is of a
later date and of little historical importance. A new lift is to be inserted into the Accessible public WC’s will be provided on the G/F which has low
significance, and allows the greatest flexibility for alteration. The
location of the WCs here makes them easily accessible from outside this
building and therefore available to a
wide surrounding on this level of the Site. The design of the WCs
retains the original walls beside the central open space, the granite
revetment wall to the south, and it also retains the original door layout.
Though the demolition of dividing walls in the southeast corner is necessary
to provide the WC spaces, they are not of great historic interest. The
original door openings in the wall to the central circulation area will be
blocked but their forms exposed. Two staff
WC’s will be provided on the 2/F for the Site Management Offices. New walls required for new room layouts are generally to be of
reversible lightweight stud and plasterboard construction. Existing mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and
new services including air-conditioning with chilled water supplied from central
chiller plant, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for the new adaptive uses in building 13 and the adjacent
building 10. The plant for both buildings is to be centralised and located on
the 1/F in building 13, which has less architectural and historical
significance than building 10, and has a very poor outlook for other uses.
The plant could be located in a new room built on the flat roof of C Hall
which is probably of a later date and of little historic significance.
However it would need a stair access and the additional bulk would
significantly alter the heritage roof line. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. Wire security mesh will be removed from windows
because this is no longer necessary and detracts from the elevations. Original doors that have been replaced are to be reinstated in
their original form where this is known. Wherever later doors detract from the
historic appearance of the building, these will be replaced with more
sympathetic replacements. Some new internal door openings will be necessary
for the new uses. Two new external doors at 1/F and 2/F will be formed on the
north side for the new means of escape bridges from the Barrack Block. |
|
|
Table 3.23 Summary of the Assessment for Building
No. 14
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
|
14 D Hall Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
1858 Cell block; par t of the original radial plan prison |
14-GA-201 Lower Ground Floor 14-GA-202 Ground Floor 14-GA-203 Ground Floor 14-GA-204 First Floor 14-GA-205 First Floor 14-GA-206 Second Floor 14-GA-207 Second Floor 14-GA-208 Roof Plan |
14-GA-209 Roof Plan 14-GA-220 North Elevation 14-GA-221 North Elevation 14-GA-222 South Elevation 14-GA-223 South Elevation 14-GA-224 East Elevation 14-GA-225 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed Adaptive
Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
This building is divided into an east
and west wing which are connected by a narrow link; both have three storeys
with a basement in the east wing. Both wings are accessed only by a single
staircase at the far west end. It is
all constructed of brick with cement render, with regular fenestration on all
elevations. All floors in both wings are based on a central corridor with
rooms either side; these have all been individual cell blocks at some stage,
but now all levels of the east wing and the second floor of the west wing
have either two, three or four bay rooms. The second floor of both wings and
first floor east wing were lastly used as a hospital with the larger spaces
being wards. At the east end of the east wing is an extension originally used
as WCs. The ground and first floors of the west wing and east wing basement
are the most intact as cell blocks, with major alterations occurring elsewhere. The last known use for the building was
as cell blocks, offices, and the prison infirmary and maternity ward. The building has a reasonably robust
construction of load-bearing brickwork and reinforced concrete floors, under
a flat concrete roof with rooflights which replaced
the original tiled roof bomb-damaged in WW2. |
Mixed Use: West
Wing •
G/F – Arts related support space;
Interpretation Rooms; Public circulation •
1/F – Arts-related support space; Arts-related
Organization Archive; Plant rooms •
2/F – Arts-related Organization Record Centre;
Plant rooms East
Wing •
LG/F – Public Circulation; Store room;
Toilets; Plant •
G/F - Public Circulation; Store room; Toilets;
Plant •
1/F – Arts-related support space, Arts-related
Organization Archive; Plant rooms; Toilets •
2/F – Arts-related Organization Record Centre;
Plant rooms; Toilets The adaptive reuse of the upper two
floors for an Arts-related Organization Archive and Record Centre is seen a
most suitable function for this building in this part of the Site. The
location is adjacent to the new buildings which will help bring the planned
arts-related revitalization to the former bleak Prison site. D Hall is a high significance prison
building, with some areas which are remarkably intact and impressive, particularly
the range of cells on G/F of the West Wing. It is important that some of
these cells are retained for interpretation of the Prison in its last use
before closure. It will be difficult to find feasible adaptive uses for all
the cells with their narrow doors and minimal high level windows and the aim
is to continue to search for suitable sustainable arts-related uses for the
cells not retained for interpretations. As well as providing entrance lobbies
at LG/F and G/F levels for the Arts-related Organization accommodation on the
upper floors, the uses on the LG/F and G/F levels of the East Wing are
related to the new entrance into the Site from Arbuthnot Road, and the
cultural, interpretation and leisure activities planned in the adjacent areas
of the Prison Yard and the Laundry Yard. These activities will require toilet
and storage facilities, and the lower floors of the East Wing can provide
such spaces. Store for site management
office will also be provided in the building. |
HIGH This is one of the earliest buildings on
the Site, and has remained one of the most commanding structures both for it
representation of prison use and for its size. It is notable as the only
remnant of the radial plan prison which was most probably one of the earliest
of its kind in |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
All new adaptive uses will be all accommodated
within the existing building. The whole building has only one staircase at
the west end of the West Wing serving all floors, and this will be retained
and refurbished. Two additional new code compliant means of escape staircases
are required. One will be inserted into the building at the east end of the
East Wing, and one will be provided externally to the building in an existing
recess on the north side between the East and West Wings. It will be designed
to have minimum visual impact on the north elevation, and be clearly
distinguishable as a contemporary feature. The existing access and circulation layout
in both wings will be retained, although additional entrances to the LG/F of
the East Wing will be made in the north and south elevations by lowering the cills of existing windows. This is to provide suitable
equal access entrances into the East Wing from the improved site circulation.
The existing West Wing stair will be retained and conserved, and justified
for use in conjunction with two new compliant staircases on the basis of a
fire engineering analysis of the means of escape for the whole of D Hall.
Some additional rails to raise the height of the balustrades of the existing
staircase for compliance with safety codes may be required if alternative
safety measures are not agreeable. In the West Wing a set of 6 G/F cells
under their impressive vaults will be retained for Interpretation, and the
other 3 similar sets of 6 cells will be difficult to find feasible adaptive
uses for all the cells with their narrow doors and minimal high level windows
and the aim is to continue to search for suitable sustainable arts-related
uses for the cells not retained for interpretations. The original impressive
archway passage across the building at LG/F level at the west end of the East
Wing will be regained by removing the non-compliant stairway up to G/F level.
This will also provide the location for an additional means of escape stair
required for the adaptive reuse of D Hall.
All wall elevations will be repaired and
refurbished to the original design. The flat concrete roof and clerestory rooflights will be retained and refurbished, on the basis
that the replacement roof is authentic evidence of the building’s
history. It will be necessary to provide some
work places on some of the floors which have only high level cell windows,
and these workplaces should be provided with some outlook. The existing
windows will not have their cills lowered, but
instead additional small window openings will be made under the existing
windows. It will therefore be evident what the original window pattern is and
what is new, no damage will be done to the existing windows, and the
intervention is effectively reversible. |
One of the additional new code compliant
means of escape staircases required for D Hall will be inserted into the east
end of the East Wing. It is designed to be shared as a means of escape for
the new Multipurpose space in the new building to be built over the Laundry
Yard, and as such it will be a PPE staircase. It will discharge to the
Laundry Yard level via a new exit door by altering an existing window on the
east elevation. Several options for locating this staircase were considered,
and this option was chosen because it does not absorb the more useful spaces
in the central area of the building, can provide the shared egress required
without having to designate D Hall as PPE use, and is in an area where the
building requires considerable strengthening repairs due to substantial
damaging subsidence. The intervention for this new PPE staircase is fairly
significant, with some rooms in a stack on the north side at all levels being
opened up for the stair shaft. However without this stair there would be a
very limited prospect for new uses in the East Wing. Some small windows which
are crossed by the flights of the new stair will be blocked on their inside
reveals, but the windows themselves will be retained. The second additional compliant means of
escape stair is required under a fire engineering assessment of the whole
building. It will be located on the north side of the building in the recess
between the East and West Wings where there is an existing non-compliant
stair from G/F to LG/F. It will be designed to have minimum visual impact on
the north elevation, and be clearly distinguishable as a contemporary
feature. Three new lifts are required to provide
convenient and equal access into D Hall which has an extensive overall length
on the two upper floor levels. One will be inserted at the west end of the
West Wing adjacent to the existing staircase, and two will be inserted in the
East Wing. One of these is a firemen’s’ lift. The two lifts are required for
the significant change of level from the external ground to the internal LG/F
level on the north and south sides of the East Wing. The lifts are generally
motor-room-less lifts and can be accommodated within the height of the
building. The lift shafts will require some cell division walls to be removed
to create sufficient space for the lift sizes, and some existing windows will
be blocked from the inside whilst retaining them from the outside. They are
located to have the least impact on the significant elements of the building. Accessible public WC’s will be provided
on the LG/F and G/F of the East Wing which are beneficial locations for
making them easily accessible from the Laundry Yard and Prison Yard, and
therefore available to a wide
surrounding area on the upper levels of the Site. Some toilets will also be
provided on 1/F and 2/F of the East Wing specifically for the users of the
Archive and Record centre. All toilets will be in rooms. To create spaces for the adaptive
reuses, particularly for the Arts-related Organization Archive and Record
Centre on 1/F and 2/F, some wide openings in existing walls between rooms and
cells will be made, and some wide openings will be formed in the corridor
walls. At 1/F level for the West Wing Archive Centre some wide openings in
cell walls will be made to provide double cell rooms for archive storage with
close-controlled environments. At 2/F level for the West Wing Record Centre,
where previous interventions have already opened up rooms to form larger
spaces, some wide openings will be formed in the corridor walls to create an
open library environment with good outlooks appropriate for the users. The sense of the corridor and the
original cells and rooms will be retained by making wide openings rather than
removing walls completely. The widths of the new openings and the floor
loadings will be restricted by the limits of what the existing structure can
accommodate without significant structural strengthening interventions. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for
the interventions after mitigations in Block 14 are 1
(Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3 (Acceptable with Mitigation Measures).
The overall Heritage Impact of the proposed interventions in Block 14 is
therefore regarded as acceptable to enable the building to have a new
adaptive use. The range of Impact Category Ratings for
the interventions in Block 14 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 14 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
|
Existing mechanical and electrical services
will be removed, and new services including air-conditioning with chilled
water supplied from central chiller plant, water,
power and lighting are to be installed suitable for the new adaptive uses in
building 14. In the G/F area of the West Wing, where there are vaults, it is
proposed to design an air-conditioning provision without ductwork. Plant
Rooms are provided in both West and East Wings of D Hall. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. The original steel bars are to be retained and
refurbished. |
|
Table 3.24 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 15
|
Building No., Name & Designation |
Date of Construction and Original Use |
Reference Drawings |
|
|
15 E Hall Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
1913 – 1915 Cell block |
15-GA-201 Lower Ground Floor 15-GA-202 Ground Floor 15-GA-203 First Floor 15-GA-204 Second Floor 15-GA-205 Roof Plan |
15-GA-220 North Elevation 15-GA-221 South Elevation 15-GA-222 East Elevation 15-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance (refer
to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
|
This three storey brick building was one of three cell blocks of
this design on the Site, with another being demolished and B Hall preceding
it. The exterior features regular fenestration on all sides, and the interior
has a central corridor and flights of straight open staircases with cells
either side (a total of 26 each floor). Much of the original fabric survives,
including the original Chinese tile roof. The building is visible as a prison
structure from This building continued in use as a cell block through to
decommissioning. The construction of E Hall is reasonably robust with
load-bearing brickwork cell walls in the upper floors and reinforced concrete
floors, under a pitched tiled roof. |
Mixed Use: •
LG/F – Multipurpose uses and ancillary support •
G/F – Art Gallery and ancillary support;
Interpretation rooms; Toilets; Plant rooms. •
1/F and 2/F – Multipurpose and ancillary support;
Toilets; Plant rooms The LG/F open area is seen as being most useful in providing
visitors entering the Site from the new Arbuthnot entrance, either as
individuals walking in or as coach parties being dropped off, with an
impressive covered space to assemble in and be given some preliminary
information about the history of the Site before going on guided tours. The selected adaptive reuses for the upper floors will be
considered suitable for this reasonably robust building if the new occupancy
and structural loads are not excessive, and the interventions retain the
characteristic open stair and balcony circulation, and the structural
integrity. The main interventions will be the provision of a change of level
lift at G/F level, and a new code compliant staircase for adequate means of
escape. The G/F of cells is seen as providing a good accessible location
for some interpretation of the former Prison activities in the context of the
Prison Yard, alongside some smaller spaces which can be used for an
arts-related programme of small scale activities or exhibitions. The 1/F and 2/F of
cells will be used as small scale support spaces for the adjacent new
Multipurpose area with access bridge links at each level. |
MEDIUM / LOW This building forms part of a larger group of cell block
accommodation on the Site, along with B Hall and D Hall. The construction of
three buildings of the same design is indicative of their perceived
effectiveness. While there are no architectural features of note, it
nonetheless forms an important part of the external façade of the prison. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other Heritage
Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
All new adaptive uses will be accommodated within the existing
building without new extensions. However the building has open non-compliant
internal stairways which will not provide the required means of escape. These
stairs will be retained for use as far as possible, and alternative means of
escape will be provided by using the new stair in the adjacent new building
on the north side, and inserting a new internal stair leading to a final
flight of external stair on the south side. This arrangement enables all
floors to have adaptive new uses. The removal of all existing walls in LG/F will regain the full
extent of this impressive space with its characteristic brickwork piers, and
provide an open area for cultural, interpretation and leisure
activities. The original
characteristic cell block plan layout, access and circulation on G/F, 1/F,
2/F will be respected and altered as little as possible. The existing central
flights of open stairs between floors and the narrow balconies overlooking
these stairs will be retained, although the open cores of the stairway and lightwells at G/F level will need to be enclosed with
fire resisting glass to separate the different uses. |
The existing open stairs are not code compliant for means of
escape, but will be retained. Alternative means of escape will be achieved by
providing links to the new stair serving the Multipurpose area in the
adjacent new building on the north west side at each floor level, and by
providing a new code compliant stair within a shaft formed from a group of
cells in the building on the south side. The final flight of this stair from
G/F down to Laundry Yard level will be external within a fire glass enclosure
on the south side. It will be hidden from view from outside the Site by the Lift access for E Hall will be provided by the passenger lifts
provided for the new adjacent building on the north side via landing bridges
linking to the Doors to the bridges will be formed by adapting the existing
windows. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 15 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 15 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
|
|
Conservation
Approach (continued) |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) (continued) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments (continued) |
|
All elevations, including the tiled roof, will be repaired and
refurbished to the original design, and the clerestory rooflights
will be retained and refurbished. The original characteristic cell block plan layout, access and
circulation on G/F, 1/F, 2/F will be respected and altered as little as
possible. The existing central flights of open stairs between floors and the
narrow balconies overlooking these stairs will be retained, although the open
cores of the stairway and lightwells at G/F level
will need to be enclosed with fire resisting glass to separate the different
uses. All elevations, including the tiled roof, will be repaired and
refurbished to the original design, and the clerestory rooflights
will be retained and refurbished. |
Accessible public WC’s will be provided on the G/F, 1/F, 2/F
levels within cells. This will require the narrow cell doors to be widened,
but it will be possible to retain and preserve the barred prison doors held
back against the walls. To create larger spaces for the adaptive reuses wide openings
will be formed in the structural brick cell division walls rather than
removing all the walls full width. Groups of two and three cells will be
opened up to form larger rooms, and some of the narrow cell doors will be
widened with the barred prison doors retained and preserved and held back
against the walls. Where cell doors are not required the barred prison doors
will be retained in a closed position with the openings blocked up on the
inside with a reversible construction. The new wider doors will be
sympathetically designed. Existing mechanical and
electrical services will be removed, and new services including
air-conditioning with chilled water supplied from central chiller
plant, water, power and lighting are to be installed suitable for the new
adaptive uses in building 15 on the G/F, 1/F and 2/F levels. No
air-conditioning will be installed for the open LG/F area, but overhead colonial
style fans may be provided. Plant Rooms are provided…… All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. The original steel bars are to be retained and
refurbished. Some window openings facing the new open stair on the north side
will need to have fire protection glass installed in their reveals. |
|
Table 3.25 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 16
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
16 Workshops/Laundry Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
1917 Laundry and Workshops |
|
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance (refer
to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
The Laundry is on a steep slope with a large granite revetment
wall on the west side. There is a steel post and beam structure with a concrete
slab over this space which is likely later, as the steel structure has been
reinforced. The workshops are a single storey brick building with steel truss
and corrugated metal pitched roof. The space has been partitioned into
smaller spaces. Across the east end of
the workshops and extending south is a concrete roof supported by a variety
of brick and concrete piers; this creates a covered walkway. The laundry continued in its use until decommissioning and the
workshops became recreation space in later years. |
Site
for new building and circulation across the site associated with a new
entrance from |
LOW This building was constructed as a functional building with
little architectural interest, and has been altered over time with substantial
repairs following the war. There is some interest in its representation of
how prisoners lived within the Site. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
The
Workshops and Laundry Yard structure will all be recorded and demolished to
reopen the lower yard. It is a key
vision and approach for the Site to be revitalized with some new buildings suitable
for multipurpose associated with Contemporary Visual Arts. The existing
Workshops and the Laundry structure underneath cannot provide the spaces
suitable for the range of multipurpose required. There would need to be
significant work to the existing structures to adapt and strengthen them for
new uses. Their removal will provide an open area for visitors entering the
Site from the new A
new wide external staircase will be provided between the Laundry and Prison
Yards, under the canopy of a new arts-related building to be built overhead
between D and E Halls. This space will encourage pedestrian flow from |
Impact
Rating 3 - Acceptable Impact with mitigation measures |
Table 3.26 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 17
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
|
17 F Hall Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
1931 Printing Shop |
17-GA-201 Ground Floor 17-GA-202 First Floor 17-GA-203 Roof Plan 17-GA-220 North Elevation |
17-GA-221 South Elevation 17-GA-222 East Elevation 17-GA-223 West Elevation |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance |
|
|
This two storey red brick building has a flat roof. The ground floor
is a series of brick concrete piers which have been infilled,
and the first floor has regular fenestration on all elevations in the form of
large multi-paned windows. At the southwest corner is the principal entrance
into the prison from In 1956 the building became a The building has a reasonably robust construction of
load-bearing brickwork and reinforced concrete floors, under a flat concrete
roof with rooflights. |
Mixed Use •
G/F –Art gallery and ancillary support;
F&B and ancillary support space; Interpretation room; Toilets; Plant
rooms •
1/F – Art Gallery and ancillary support;
Toilets F Hall will be retained as a freestanding building and refurbished
for uses in conjunction with the arts –related revitalization of the Prison
site. A new building will be located adjacent to but separated from F Hall on
its north side, and at G/F level between F Hall and the new building there
will be a new open covered entrance lobby into the Site from The G/F uses of F Hall are related to the art galleries on the
upper floors, but also provide facilities for the wider Prison Yard area. The
important social significance of F Hall for the former Prison will be
recognized by retaining the G/F reception areas at the Blue Gate Site
entrance and the booths for visitors and prisoners for interpretation. At 1/F level the art galleries in the two buildings will be
linked by short bridges. |
MEDIUM / LOW Though the building does have some social significance as the
main post-war reception building for the prison, it was initially constructed
as a very utilitarian printing shop with little architectural or
technological interest. |
|
|
Conservation Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
F
Hall will be retained as a freestanding building and the only links to the adjacent
new building will be a single bridge link between the first floors via
existing window openings widened between the brick piers. This is a minimal
optimal intervention to achieve the integration of the art galleries at first
floor level. On
G/F the important social significance of F Hall for the former Prison will be
recognized by retaining the external and internal reception areas and the
booths for visitors and prisoners for interpretation in the On
1/F the existing open barred cell areas on the first floor will be recorded
and then cleared away for an art gallery. The
concrete columns on both floors will be repaired and strengthened. The new lifts and access staircases for the
1/F art gallery will be provided in the adjacent new building, which will
avoid any significant interventions in F Hall. The existing open external
stairway on the east side will be retained as an alternative means of escape
for F Hall, and so will also contribute an element of interpretation of the
former Prison function. The existing
windows of F Hall will be retained but adapted for the internal conditions
required for the new uses. All wall elevations will be repaired and
refurbished. The flat concrete roof and rooflights
will be retained and refurbished. |
Accessible
public WC’s will be provided on the G/F and 1/F levels. Existing
mechanical and electrical services will be removed, and new services
including air-conditioning with chilled water supplied from central chiller plant, water, power and lighting are to be
installed suitable for the new uses in F Hall. Plant Rooms are provided at
G/F level. On
the G/F elevations the existing window openings will be retained but infilled to match the façade material and finishes
adjacent to the respective openings (brick or painted plaster). Where
required for adaptive reuse of the building, plain glass panels will be
installed to match the existing openings in a manner which allows the
interventions to be clearly seen and to be reversible. On
the 1/F north, east and south elevations the existing window openings will be
retained but filled to match the façade material and finishes adjacent to the
respective openings (brick or painted plaster). This will allow efficient
walls for the new art gallery to be created whilst allowing the interventions
to be clearly seen and to be reversible. |
The
range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in
Block 17 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3 (Acceptable with Mitigation
Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the proposed interventions in Block
17 is therefore regarded as acceptable to enable the building to have a new
adaptive use. |
|
Table 3.27 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 18
|
Building No., Name & Designation |
Date of Construction and Original Use |
Reference Drawings |
|
18 General Office Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
c.
1980s |
|
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
This utilitarian building was constructed on what became an
empty site following the demolition of the west wing of D Hall, but makes no reference
to the earlier building. |
Site for new building and circulation across the site associated
with a new entrance from |
LOW This building does not have any architectural or historical significance.
The main importance lies in the potential for archaeology of the Site of the
former west wing of D Hall. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
|
The modern office and other adjacent ancillary buildings will
all be demolished to gain a site for a new arts-related building to be used
in conjunction with F Hall. All the modern offices and the separate stores in
the office yards will be removed. This is justified within the key vision and
approach for the Site to be revitalized with some new buildings suitable for
Contemporary Visual Arts. The existing office buildings on this area of the
Site have no architectural or historical merit. |
Impact
Rating 2 – Acceptable Impact |
Table 3.28 Summary
of the Assessment for Building No. 19
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of Construction
and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
19 Bauhinia House Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
c. 1858 Guard tower |
19-GA-200 Ground Floor 19-GA-201 First Floor 19-GA-202 Roof 19-GA-220 Elevations |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed Adaptive
Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
This masonry building has an irregular plan and is two storeys
in height. It is located external to the Site at the junction of Arbuthnot
and The building was originally an open guard tower with was later
converted into a shed with guard tower above. It was used at some point as a
half-way house for youth and later female offenders. The construction of Bauhinia House is reasonably robust with
load-bearing brickwork walls under a pitched tiled roof. |
Public Circulation into the Site. By itself Bauhinia House cannot provide the width required for a
public entrance at this important location on the Site, and a new wide
opening will be made in the revetment wall adjacent to it on the north side
with steps down to the new footpath on |
MEDIUM / LOW The outer walls of the building are one of the earliest
structures of the Site, likely c. 1851, though the building itself was
constructed later. Its location on the exterior has made it a visible
representation of the prison for over 150 years, always being on view to the
public. The architectural design is simple, though notable for early features
such as loopholes and the turret. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
The adaptive use for circulation will be accommodated within the
existing building without new extensions. All original windows will be repaired. Later windows are to be
replaced by replicas of original windows to regain the original building
appearance throughout. The former arrow-slit windows will be reinstated. All elevations, including the tiled roof, will be repaired and
refurbished to the original design. |
The south east door to the street will need to be marginally
widened for code compliant wheelchair access. This will probably involve
resetting the stone surround to provide a wider opening, and possibly
providing a set of new arch stones for the blank spandrel above if the
existing stones cannot be adjusted to suit the new width. An existing blocked doorway at the The internal 1/F construction and stair will be removed, and the
wall finishes refurbished as a double height gatehouse entrance. The floor will be regraded for an
equal access ramp. |
The range of Impact Category Ratings for the interventions after mitigations in Block 19 are 1 (Beneficial), 2 (Acceptable), and 3
(Acceptable with Mitigation Measures). The overall Heritage Impact of the
proposed interventions in Block 19 is therefore regarded as acceptable to
enable the building to have a new adaptive use. |
Table 3.29 Summary
of the Assessment for Parade Ground
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
Parade Ground Within Central Police Station Declared Monument |
c. 1858 Parade and exercise yard |
Drawings provided by RDA/HdeM |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
A large, vaguely rectangular open space in the northern (police)
part of the Site. It is paved with some remnants of car parking spaces (used
as such from the mid-century onwards), and bordered by buildings on all
sides. There are some trees to the northeast and northwest, though many have
recently been lost. There is survival of some early cast iron drainage
grilles on the north side. The space has been used for awards ceremonies, exercising,
temporary accommodation (mat sheds), entertainment and car parking. |
Open
space for multipurpose uses. New
major underground plant room serving the lower site. |
HIGH The Parade Ground is significant both as an open space in busy |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
The Site is to remain as an open space, and it is important that
it retains as much of its character as possible even though there will be a
large new underground plant area and services tunnel from the centralized
chilled water and electrical services plant located on the upper site, This
will involve deep excavation and the consequential renewal of the ground
finish. |
The large plant space below ground level will reduce the need
for inappropriate interventions for additional plant rooms in the highly
significant Headquarters Block and the other adjacent blocks, and it also
provides the fire fighting water storage required for the lower site area. It
will involve deep excavation. The plant room and tunnel have been carefully
located and will be carried out using methods to avoid any risk of damage to
the foundations of the adjacent buildings and also to the shelter tunnel in
the Parade Ground which will be retained. The services tunnel under the Barrack
Block will need particular care. There is little impact on the Parade Ground as there will be
little change taking place. The replacement of the late 20th century round
surface will be beneficial to the overall appearance of the space. It is proposed that the current condition of the Parade Ground
be recorded prior to any works, in order to have a clear understanding of the
last use (car park) and ground covering of the space. Moreover, an archaeological investigation
will be conducted by a qualified archaeologist to obtain field data for
detailed impact assessment to be carried out during the detailed design
stage, appropriate mitigation measures will be recommended subject to the
findings of the archaeological investigation. Historic photographs, archives
and any documentation produced prior to demolition and during the watching
brief can be used in any site-wide interpretation of the Central Police
Station history. |
Impact Rating 3 - Acceptable Impact with mitigation measures |
Table 3.30 Summary
of the Assessment for Prison Yard
|
Building No., Name & Designation |
Date of Construction and Original Use |
Reference Drawings |
|
Prison Yard Within Victoria Prison Declared Monument |
Mid 19th century Prison exercise yard |
Drawings provided by RDA/HdeM |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
Large rectangular space south of D Hall in the prison part of
the Site. The yard has been finished in concrete paving slabs, and has three
large trees with concrete planters, benches and tables to the southeast. It
is bounded to the south by the large revetment wall on Parts of the space would have always been used as exercise and
workshops by the prisoners, but this space as it is today was only formed
with the systematic demolition of various parts of the radial plan prison. |
Open space. |
HIGH Like the Parade Ground, this space is significant as an open
space both within the Site and in the greater context of central |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
The proposed use of the Site is to remain as an open space, and
it is important that it retains as much of its character as possible. There
will be a large services duct for the distribution of centralized chilled
water and electrical service routed to the south of D Hall west wing This will involve excavation and the
consequential renewal of the ground finish.
Elsewhere the ground surface finish will be relaid. |
There is little impact on the Prison Yard as there will be
little change taking place. The replacement of the late 20th century surface
will be beneficial to the overall appearance of the space, and the historic
trees will be retained. It is proposed that the current condition of the Prison Yard be recorded
prior to any works, in order to have a clear understanding of the last use
and ground covering of the space. Moreover, an archaeological investigation
will be conducted by a qualified archaeologist to obtain field data for
detailed impact assessment to be carried out during the detailed design
stage, appropriate mitigation measures will be recommended subject to the
findings of the archaeological investigation. Historic photographs, archives
and any documentation produced prior to demolition and during the watching
brief can be used in any site-wide interpretation of the Victoria Prison
history. |
Impact
Rating 2 – Acceptable Impact |
Table 3.31 Summary
of the Assessment for Walls and Revetments
|
Building No.,
Name & Designation |
Date of
Construction and Original Use |
Reference
Drawings |
|
Walls and Revetments Within either Central Police Station or |
Various External walls, internal
division and revetment walls |
Drawings provided by RDA/HdeM |
|
Brief
Overview |
Proposed
Adaptive Uses |
Significance
(refer to Section 3.11 of the Conservation Management Plan dated June 2008) |
|
There is a variety of masonry and brick walls throughout the
Site, the function of which varies from security to structure to division of
the various parts of the Site. Many of these – mostly the external and
granite revetment walls – are some of the earliest structures on the Site. |
|
HIGH Though there are some areas of wall which are later and of less significance,
the general location, pattern and construction of the walls throughout the
Site is of interest for their age, relationship to the Site and the sense of
foreboding portrayed to the outside world. |
|
Conservation
Approach |
Major
Proposed Changes (for Mitigations see Annex A1) |
Other
Heritage Impact Rating Assessments |
|
There are a
number of walls of high significance around and across the Site which are
seen as highly significant structures.
The intention is to keep the external walls to the whole Site very
much as they are at present. The
internal revetment walls will also all be retained though some more modifications
will be undertaken here to provide entrances and exits. |
Modifications
to the revetment walls will include: ·
The opening of a new pedestrian gateway in the revetment
wall on ·
The taking down and rebuilding of a section of high
revetment wall onto ·
The single storey red brick extension adjacent to the
south side of the Ablutions building on ·
The retaining wall to the south of the new service yard is
currently heavily buttressed with steelwork.
A new service entrance is to be cut in this wall for access to the
back of house spaces of the new arts-related building. As the wall is already in poor condition
and new basements are to be excavated on its south side, it will more
practical to take it down and rebuild it rather than stabilizing it in situ. ·
A new gateway will be made in the wall on ·
The curved modern concrete wall that has been built to
allow the sweep of ·
The wall which run east west across the Site to the south
of the Barrack Block is an early retaining wall. This is to be repaired but there will be
three new openings created in it (two of these will be about 1.5m wide to
accommodate escape routes from the new stairs through A and C Halls. The third will be wider to accommodate the
new public circulation access tunnel with a stairway and lift to the upper
site levels. ·
The new footbridge from the mid-levels escalator to the
Site will require the existing balustrade between the Police Headquarters and
the Armoury buildings on ·
The north face of the buttressed boundary wall running the
full length of ·
Significant alteration to heritage value to the walls
where repair and strengthening is to be carried out is not anticipated. The most significant alterations to
heritage value are where new openings are being created for Old Bailey and
Arbuthnot new wings; in association with the footbridge and to the curved
wall by buildings Nos. 4, 5 and 6. There is also significant impact on the
wall to the service yard and to |
Impact
Rating: Generally 3 - Acceptable Impact with mitigation measures The impacts
of these modifications to the walls should not greatly compromise their
historic significance, and the greater accessibility of the site will greatly
benefit its future adaptive uses. The
new openings will not be wider and higher than they need to be for the
pedestrian traffic using them for access and emergency evacuation , and the
scale and continuity and materials of the revetment walls will still retain
their strong character of containment. |
Table 3.32 Summary of Impact Assessment for Other Built
Heritage Resources within 50m but Outside the Site
|
Site Name |
Conservation
Status |
Distance
from Site |
Impact
Evaluation |
|
Impact Category |
|
|
|
|
Construction Stage |
Operation Stage |
|
|
|
Grade 1 Historic Street |
5m |
Direct impact is not
anticipated as it is located outside the Site. The updating of the CPS may actually prove
beneficial in the long run, as it will encourage more people to experience
the historic stairs on their way to the Site. |
The operation of the CPS will likely
encourage more people to experience the historic streets. No adverse impact is identified. |
1 – Beneficial Impact |
|
|
Proposed Grade 3 Historic Building |
5m |
Direct impact is not
anticipated as it is located outside the Site. However, potential visual impact may be a concern
as the proposed new footbridge from the existing Central to Mid-Levels
Escalator to the CPS site will span over the junction of Hollywood Road and
Old Bailey Street to the gap between CPS Blocks 1 and 2, with an intermediate
structural support on the proposed widened footpath on the east side of Old
Bailey Street. This alignment of the footbridge will tend to partially
obscure the upper floors of the south east corner and east side of 20
Hollywood Road looking from the east side of Hollywood Road. For the detailed visual impact assessment,
please refers to the visual impact assessment for VPa
(VSRT2) in Section 4.7.4. Potential construction
noise impact to the residence may be a concern. As it is a tenement building similar to
N2as listed in Section 5.4, Table 5.7,
N2 is considered as the worse case compare to N1 from noise impact assessment
perspective. Please refers to N2 in Section 5.7 for detailed noise impact
assessment. Construction vibration
impact may also be a concern due to the construction works involved in the
Site. Potential air quality
impact to the residence may be a concern.
Please refers to A13 in Table
6.2 and Section 6.5 for
detailed air quality impact assessment.
|
Potential operation
noise impact to the residence may be a concern. As it is a tenement building similar to N2
as listed in Section 5.4, Table 5.7,
N2 is considered as the worse case compare to N1 from noise impact assessment
perspective. Please refers to N2 in Section 5.8 for detailed noise impact
assessment. For the detailed visual
impact assessment, please refers to the visual impact assessment for VPa (VSRT2) in Section
4.7.4. |
2 – Acceptable Impact
with mitigation measures |
|
|
Nil |
1m |
There is a new footbridge
proposed from the mid-levels escalator into the Site, which will impact
visually on the junction of |
No adverse impact is
anticipated. |
2 – Acceptable Impact |
|
Old |
Nil |
1m |
In Old Bailey Street there are new gates, steps and ramp proposed adjacent
to the Barracks Block (building 01), a new service entrance into the loading
bay south of the Ablutions Block (building 08) and a main entrance into the
Site at the new building just south of this.
These alterations will have no direct impact on |
No adverse impact is
anticipated. |
2 – Acceptable Impact |
|
Chancery Lane &
Steps |
Nil |
1m |
There will be very
little impact to Though the steps have
an important historic link with the CPS, they do not form a part of the Site
and therefore are not included within proposals for redevelopment. It is
planned, however, that the south boundary wall of the prison yard will be
repaired, and this may lead to a desire to repair and update the steps
themselves, which would be of beneficial impact. |
No adverse impact is
anticipated. |
1 – Beneficial Impact |
|
|
Nil |
1m |
There is a new signalized
pedestrian crossing and a bus stop proposed at the south end of Arbuthnot.
While these will change the road finish, they will have no impact on the
historic road pattern and will actually be of benefit to the Site as they
will increase safe pedestrian access. There is also a proposed new staircase
leading down to |
No adverse impact is
anticipated. |
1 – Beneficial Impact |
|
Walls (and potential
tunnel) at |
Nil |
1-5m |
There is no foreseeable impact on these resources, except for the
potential discovery of the tunnel under |
No adverse impact is
anticipated. |
2 – Acceptable Impact |