Monumental achievement: Hong Kong officials add three historic buildings to list of city's declared monuments
Three historic buildings dating as far back as the late 19th century were declared monuments by the government today.
Three historic buildings dating as far back as the late 19th century were declared monuments by the government today.
They are the 108-year-old Signal Tower in Signal Hill Garden at Blackhead Point in Tsim Sha Tsui, 93-year-old Race Course Fire Memorial at the Happy Valley Racecourse, and the façade of the 123-year-old Old Mental Hospital at 2 High Street in Sai Ying Pun.
Once a building, site or structure is declared a monument, the Antiquities Authority has the power to prevent alterations or impose conditions on proposed alterations to protect the monument.
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With the three buildings, Hong Kong now has a total of 111 declared monuments.
The tower originally stood 42 feet high comprising three storeys. A storey of about 20 feet was added in 1927 to enhance the tower’s visibility.
It was built in a classical baroque design incorporating Edwardian decorative features popular at the time, which combined red brickwork with contrasting lighter-coloured stone. The brickwork was in the English bond style using specially made red bricks, while the stonework was carved local granite.