Two of the buildings at the heart of one of Hong Kong's biggest entertainment hubs are destined for the wrecker's ball.
California Entertainment Building and California Tower, the 12-storey buildings where businessman Allan Zeman began opening the bars and restaurants that transformed Lan Kwai Fong 26 years ago, will be torn down next year. In their place will come a single 24-storey tower featuring outdoor terraces, rooftop gardens and an extra 40,000 sq ft of commercial and office space.
'Lan Kwai Fong has to transform itself. People look for new things and have lots of places they can choose to spend,' said Zeman, who is known as 'the Father of Lan Kwai Fong'. 'If you stick with the old model, you will die.'
Zeman hasn't decided when work will start, nor has he put a price on it - though he hinted it would cost under HK$1 billion. He intends the new building to open in 2012.
Popular restaurants such as California, Indochine 1929 and Thai Lemongrass will be relocated - though Zeman did not say whether all the buildings' bars and restaurants would be found new homes for the two years the work will take.
Once the new building opens, the old favourites will return, but there will be new ones too.