It seemed like mission impossible, but after more than two years, countless hours of renovation work and HK$95 million, the legendary Kom Tong Hall has almost been restored to its former glory.
The stately mansion, at No. 7 Castle Road in Mid-Levels, was built in 1914 for Ho Kom Tong, the younger brother of Eurasian tycoon Sir Robert Hotung.
'The red-brick house with granite pillars and wrought-iron balconies is itself a good reference book of architecture of the early 20th century,' said Sylvia Lam Yu Ka-wai, a senior project manager at the Architectural Services Department, who is in charge of the restoration project at the four-storey property.
'It is a typical Edwardian classical building and is among the very few surviving structures in Hong Kong dating back to the early 20th century,' she said.
The layout of the mansion also reflects the social strata of the day and provides a glimpse into the daily life of a Chinese comprador.
The central feature of the mansion is the main staircase to a French-style parlour on the upper ground floor where the Ho family had meals and received guests.
The lower ground floor and the mezzanine floor were for the servants, and their access was restricted to a staircase at the back.
