In a neighbourhood known for high-rise residential buildings such as the Merton and Manhattan Heights, one Kennedy Town home has dodged the wrecker's ball to offer a rare glimpse into Hong Kong's past.
The 3,800 sq ft, three-storey building served as a free primary school for mainland immigrants after the second world war until it closed in the early 1970s.
'It looked as if everyone had left very suddenly: the blackboard was there, though the writing had gone, and the chairs were laid out rather than being stacked,' says Karl Shiu, an architect and designer who bought the premises with a partner in 2007.
'The [previous] owner had wanted to turn it into a Cafe de Paris-type meeting place for artists and intellectuals. Subsequent ideas for it to become an auction house, a bar and restaurant, and even a wine storage warehouse were considered,' Shiu says.
Fire regulations, however, ruled out most of those options and the owner sold up and moved on.
'A single family residence was the best solution,' Shiu says.