hotel, but also use the site as as site the use also but hotel, when the annex was built in 1962. in built was annex the when Century-old fireplaces can be found in the Main Building. Main the in found be can fireplaces Century-old

chosen to restore the site in in site the restore to chosen

it into a nine-suite boutique boutique nine-suite a into it connected to the annex addition addition annex the to connected top for surveillance. for top be on the first floor, as it was used by expatriate inspectors only. only. inspectors expatriate by used was it as floor, first the on be

Foundation Limited has been been has Limited Foundation

restore the historic site and turn turn and site historic the restore and a kitchen. The outhouse is is outhouse The kitchen. a and canteen, and a guard tower on on tower guard a and canteen, days of the police station, Chinese officers were not allowed to to allowed not were officers Chinese station, police the of days

Kong Heritage Conservation Conservation Heritage Kong

exercises. village. We aim to not only only not to aim We village. It housed facilities like a laundry laundry a like facilities housed It contained dormitories, a a dormitories, contained first floor were used by European police officers. During the early early the During officers. police European by used were floor first

Hong Kong Government, Hong Hong Government, Kong Hong

extensive cultural mapping mapping cultural extensive the sustainable growth of the the of growth sustainable the lower height and smaller scale. scale. smaller and height lower officers. This one-storey annex annex one-storey This officers. protruding from the roof. Initially, the two staff quarters on the the on quarters staff two the Initially, roof. the from protruding

by Development Bureau of of Bureau Development by

village community through through community village ingredients, so as to support support to as so ingredients, building, as evident from its its from evident as building, environment for the police police the for environment first floor has quarters for expatriate inspectors and a turret turret a and inspectors expatriate for quarters has floor first

Through Partnership Scheme Scheme Partnership Through

engagement with the fishing fishing the with engagement employment and uses local local uses and employment is clearly subordinate to the main main the to subordinate clearly is to improve the working working the improve to floor included a report room, two cells and an armoury. The The armoury. an and cells two room, report a included floor

Revitalising Historic Buildings Buildings Historic Revitalising

its heritage significance and and significance heritage its social enterprise, provides local local provides enterprise, social the main building, the Outhouse Outhouse the building, main the was expanded in 1961-1962 1961-1962 in expanded was structure. Both floors have five rooms respectively. The ground ground The respectively. rooms five have floors Both structure.

dilapidated since then. Under the the Under then. since dilapidated

its dedication to celebrate celebrate to dedication its It operates as a non-profit non-profit a as operates It Constructed at the same time as as time same the at Constructed Old Police Station Station Police O Tai Old Constructed in 1902, the main building is the station’s earliest earliest station’s the is building main the 1902, in Constructed

2002 and was left vacant and and vacant left was and 2002

Heritage Conservation for for Conservation Heritage nine rooms and one restaurant. restaurant. one and rooms nine

Kong. The station closed in in closed station The Kong.

Pacific Awards for Cultural Cultural for Awards Pacific place. Tai O Heritage Hotel has has Hotel Heritage O Tai place.

between China and Hong Hong and China between

Merit at UNESCO 2013 Asia- 2013 UNESCO at Merit use while retaining its spirit of of spirit its retaining while use

guarding the western border border western the guarding

Main Building Main

been awarded an Award of of Award an awarded been choosing a compatible new new compatible a choosing

colonial police stations, with it it with stations, police colonial

Tai O Heritage Hotel has has Hotel Heritage O Tai follows the Burra Charter, Charter, Burra the follows

government as one of its first first its of one as government

the historic Tai O fishing village. fishing O Tai historic the The adaptive reuse project project reuse adaptive The

was built in 1902 by the British British the by 1902 in built was Outhouse

history, and help to rejuvenate rejuvenate to help and history, Heritage Hotel since 2012. 2012. since Hotel Heritage

Kong Grade II Historic Building, Building, Historic II Grade Kong

a platform to celebrate its rich rich its celebrate to platform a 2009, and to operate it as Tai O O Tai as it operate to and 2009,

Old Tai O Police Station, a Hong Hong a Station, Police O Tai Old

E Later

xtension Block xtension About the Project the About

Illustration by Hugo Ma

Advisory Board. Advisory

has been identified as a Grade II historical building by the Antiquities Antiquities the by building historical II Grade a as identified been has

it then became a patrol post for land police until its closure in 2002. It It 2002. in closure its until police land for post patrol a became then it

surrounding waters. The marine police vacated the station in 1996 and and 1996 in station the vacated police marine The waters. surrounding

marine policemen posted at Tai O as the first line of defence to the the to defence of line first the as O Tai at posted policemen marine

charming fishing village. This colonial style building originally housed housed originally building style colonial This village. fishing charming

on a private headland overlooking the South China Sea and the the and Sea China South the overlooking headland private a on

Constructed in 1902, the Old Tai O Police Station quietly nestles nestles quietly Station Police O Tai Old the 1902, in Constructed The Architecture The

Revitalizing

(Left to Right) A snapshot of two police officers posing with the cannon at Tai O Police Station; HCF has Heritage Interpretation and Visit Tai O Heritage Hotel interviewed many former marine police officers who Old Tai O used to work at the Station; free, daily heritage tours Cultural Mapping Heritage Tours are conducted at Tai O Heritage Hotel. HCF has conducted extensive heritage documentation and To present the heritage significance of Old Tai O Police Station, Tai O Heritage Hotel conducts a free heritage guided tour daily. To join the Police interpretation exercises to capture the history and anecdotes of tour, register at www.taioheritagehotel.com, or at the Hotel Reception. Old Tai O Police Station and the Tai O fishing village since 2009. Station Numerous video interviews with retired marine police officers who Opening Hours The Conservation have stationed at the Old Tai O Police Station have been conducted. Tai O Heritage Hotel is open for public visits at 11am – 6pm daily. The adaptive reuse project follows the Burra Charter, choosing a Tai O festivities have also been documented. Besides video compatible new use while retaining its spirit of place. In order to documentation, we have also collected valuable historic photos, convert the site into a boutique hotel, new designs that are compatible About HCF which have given us a glimpse of what Tai O and Old Tai O Police and sensitive to the heritage setting have been introduced. The Heritage Conservation Foundation Limited is a non- Station were like in the past, and have conducted architectural and profit organisation established by the Ng Teng Fong family in March Conservation works should be reversible. To pay absolute respect to the historical research on the heritage site. HCF published the book “Old 2008 to revitalise and maintain heritage buildings, and promote the original architecture, all conservation works are reversible so that the site Tai O Police Station: The Evolution of a Centenary Monument” as conservation and appreciation of heritage and historic places, and can be reverted back to a bare shell if needed. For example, we put up new their importance in the life of the community. part of its heritage interpretation exercises. walls in front of the original walls so as to protect the latter from being damaged when rooms are renovated into hotel guest rooms. The project’s goal is to adapt a 110-year-old building into a hotel that A Social Enterprise Production: Design: meets the modern codes and needs, while paying absolute respect to the Tai O Heritage Hotel operates as a non-profit social enterprise, with original fabric and spirit of place. In order to retain and restore the original surpluses being used for conservation and maintenance of historic fabric, temporary, later added features that are graded as least significant buildings, promote and protect the cultural heritage of Tai O and its have been removed; room structures remain the same. Modern hotel and natural environment, and promote the local economy and tourism. 大澳文物酒店 Tai O Heritage Hotel 香港大嶼山大澳石仔街 barrier free access facilities have been added to the back elevations of the We provide local employment opportunities; employ local service Shek Tsai Po Street, Tai O, , Hong Kong buildings, to ensure the front façade is not disturbed by the alternations providers, and use Tai O ingredients at the restaurant in order to 電話 Tel： (852) 2985 8383 圖文傳真 ： Fax (852) 2985 8881 Tai O Heritage made to comply with modern building ordinances. support the local economy. www.taioheritagehotel.com Hotel Website Guided Map

1

Prior to 1997, Tai O Bay represented the boundary between the British and Chinese governments, making Main Building Outhouse Later Extension Block it a point of strategic importance. 7 The area was also frequently threatened by . The Tai To determine the value of a O Police Station was therefore historical place, one guideline is to equipped with cast-iron cannons determine the value of its historical for military and defence purposes. and architectural significance. Here The base of the cannons and the you can find a metal shutter with Cannons mounts are made of concrete. 1 nine bullet holes on one side, and The cannons and their mounts two more on the other. The bullet are significant components of the holes were made presumably station’s history. 7 during a shooting incident in 1918. 2 We have kept these bullet holes to 2 Bullet interpret this dramatic chapter of Holes history during the run of Old Tai O The Main Building was built in 1902. ROOMS ROOMS ROOMS Police Station. Heavy, metal shutters were installed 4 to protect the officers from attacks. At this corner we have removed the 8

weapon unloading area, which was Two concrete conical-shaped guard a later-added, temporary structure, 5 towers were added to the police because it would affect the original station in the 1960s. One is located 3 Ground Floor (G/F) appearance, covering the original 6 on the north-eastern corner of the metal shutters. Main Building and the other is located on the south-eastern corner Main of the Later Extension Block. Both Building guard towers, which was nicknamed by the police as The Lookouts, extend outward from the façade and above 3 The Guard the rooftop. Each guard tower has a narrow slit that allowed officers In order to maintain law and order Tower to monitor the surrounding areas at the sea, the police installed a without exposing themselves. Metal searchlight here, which allowed “cat ladders” were installed at the the night duty officer to check on ROOMS ROOMS ROOMS RESTAURANT 9 bottom of the towers to connect to surrounding Chinese waters and 8 the rooms below as the only access the Tai O village. from the rooms underneath. During the conservation process, the ladders have been removed for safety, and First Floor (1/F) one part of the wall of one tower has SeaRchlight been removed for public viewing. 4 5 6 9

Located directly opposite the We aimed to restore the Old Tai O This pond is a replica from the The rooftop of the one-storey station’s main entrance on the Police Station back to its appearance original built in 1967. The pond Later Extension Block has been ground floor, the charge room was in 1902. During the latter days of was built by a local police officer as covered with a glass canopy so where the criminal cases were operation, the police had installed punishment, after he was found to as to turn the space into the reported and recorded. Since Tai O’s windows to cover up the verandahs have pranked his superintendent. hotel restaurant, Tai O Lookout. crime rate remained remarkably at the Main Building. However, The antique furniture at the low, the two cells located at the verandahs were meant to be restaurant has been donated back of the charge room were opened up to serve as a barrier of from legendary member’s club usually vacant – but when used, temperature. Given the sub-tropical China Tee Club in Central. the police would hold a maximum maritime climate in Hong Kong, open Charge of 10 people in each cell. The Room Verandah verandah was a common feature The Pond Tai O Room and is now used as the Hotel Reception. in buildings to maximise natural Lookout Holding ventilation and natural lighting for Restaurant the internal space regardless of the Cells weather. Hence, the later-added windows have been remove to open up the verandahs once again.