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Building Journal Hongkong China September 2005

Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum,Mid-LevelsDr Sun Yat-sen Museum,Mid-Levelsby Tim Youngs

Renovations are now underway at the historic Kom Tong

Hall in the Mid-Levels, converting the grand former home

into a museum to commemorate Dr Sun Yat-sen.

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September 2005 Building Journal Hongkong China

Kom Tong Hall hit the headlines in 2002when its owners, the Church of JesusChrist of Latter-Day Saints, submitted

an application to demolish the old home. Themove to tear down the building sparked apublic outcry and led to intervention by theAntiquities and Monuments Office and thegrandson of original owner Ho Kom-tong. Afterthe demolition was placed on hold, thegovernment started talks to acquire Kom TongHall and preserve it as a museum, and in mid-2004 the church agreed to surrender thebuilding for $53 million.

The public’s desire to spare the 2,500 sq mbuilding from destruction stemmed largely fromthe former home’s historical and architecturalsignificance. Built in 1914 at 7 Lower CastleRoad in the Mid-Levels, Kom Tong Hall standsas a prime example of the Composite Classicalstyle of the Edwardian period. Few otherbuildings with the once-popular approach,which combines red brickwork with stucco orstone architectural features, remain intact —

others include the Old Pathological Institute onCaine Road, built in 1906, and Central PoliceStation, from 1919. The old home is alsobelieved to be Hong Kong’s first residence builtwith a steel frame and in-wall electrical wiring.Corinthian, Ionic, Doric, Tuscan, Baroque,Rococo and Art Nouveau decorative featuresare all found inside and out, and componentsranging from all hardwood windows to doorsand shutters appear to be original.

Plans were drawn up to adaptively reuse thebuilding as a museum to commemorate Dr SunYat-sen — a conversion deemed appropriatesince the home dates back to near the formationof the Republic of China in 1911. Ho Kom-tongalso went to the same Central School in thenearby Aberdeen Street as Dr Sun did, and thepair were born in the same year. The Dr SunYat-sen Heritage Trail winds through streetsbelow the old house. With the museum proposalset, Architectural Services Department (ArchSD)was assigned to oversee restoration and handleplanning and design duties.

Early photographof the building

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Building Journal Hongkong China September 2005

Preservation plansArchSD’s preservation approach followed thetwo-stage Conservation Plan methodology setout by James Semple Kerr. The first phaseinvolves understanding the place, gatheringdocumentary and physical evidence, co-ordination and analysing the evidence, andassessing and stating significance. The secondstage involves conservation policy and itsimplementation. At this later point, informationgathered for development of a conservationpolicy relates to physical condition, externalrequirements, needs for retention of

significance, and the client’s requirements orfeasible uses. The approach saw ArchSDconduct extensive research into the building’shistory, going direct to people connected withit. Interviewees included Ho Kom-tong’sdescendants, such as grandson Ho Hung-towho grew up at the hall, as well as retiredstructural engineer PK Ng, who worked onKom Tong Hall in 1960, and Wong Wing-kin,who served as a housekeeper for the church.The process allowed the project team todetermine the building's historical, architectural

Exhibition area

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September 2005 Building Journal Hongkong China

and contextual significance as well as itsauthenticity and its social and scientific value.With assessment conducted, implementationof the legal prerequisites for the project couldthen begin along with determination ofobjectives and drawing up suitable conservationguidelines.

The proposed schedule of accommodationfor the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum includesexhibition areas, education and researchfacilities, visitor facilities, administration/management/ancillary areas and sanitaryprovisions. The number of visitors will be limitedto 300 people at any given time, since thestructural loading of the building was designedfor residential use only. Access to rooms will besimilarly controlled — only staff access will beallowed into spaces not complying with currentloading standards.

Under the conservation policy drawn up forthe project, aspects of the building were gradedunder degree of importance. The front elevationfacing Caine Road was determined to holdhigh value, for example, along with otherfeatures such as the main corridor, the Frenchparlour and the dining room, and plans wereset for retaining original materials, repairing as

necessary with compatible materials, orreturning finishes to original states or designs.Plans for the project also aim to strike a balancebetween adaptive reuse as a museum andretaining the collective memory of past buildinguses; Kom Tong Hall will be an artefact ondisplay itself.

Work in progressConversion of the former home into a museumcovers all levels. At the basement, a formergarage, excavation is being carried out toaccommodate an improvised 27,000 cu mwater tank for the sprinkler system and firehydrants, as well as the required pumpingsystem and the electrical switch room. Fire-service panels and metal louvres are beingplaced at the existing garage entrance facingCastle Road, and timber doors or timber-facedsteel doors in period design will replace theexisting stainless steel door facing.

The main visitor entrance will be at thelower ground floor, with a reception areaentered from the front of the building, as wellas seating, toilets and an office. The baptismalfont constructed by the church at the CastleLane side is being retained together with

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Building Journal Hongkong China September 2005

Podium

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September 2005 Building Journal Hongkong China

surrounding timber decking as part of the firstexhibition area to show the history of thebuilding. The exit will be via a gift shop adjacentto Castle Road. Other features on this levelinclude a seminar room; an elevated platforminstalled in the rear courtyard for disabledaccess to the ground floor; a machine-room-less passenger lift located at the recess area ofthe rear on the southwestern side; a new externalstaircase to serve the first and second floors asan escape route; a plant room; and a storeroom.

The upper ground floor will have all theexisting modern windows in the balcony, theslide-and-fold partitioning, the timber floorand the ceiling together with the old supplyand return air-ducts to the French parlourremoved. The front and northwest elevation isbeing reinstated to the original condition, withbamboo blinds similar to the originals installedto provide shading to the balcony, and alloriginal floor and wall tiles will be exposed andrepaired. Other work on this level includesreplacing doors and gates, preserving all Frenchwindows and timber louvre shutters, restoringall wainscoting panels along the corridor,reinstating the dining room to its originalappearance, modifications for improvedventilation, reinstating columns in accordancewith old photographs, adding period lightingand ceiling fans, and presenting photos showingthe home’s original use by the Ho family. Anopening will be formed direct to Castle Road atthe corner to Woodland Terrace and an originalexit to Castle Lane will be reinstated. The rearterrace will be landscaped to soften the visualimpact of the retaining wall, and the existingrear internal service staircase will be maintainedwith all original timber railings repaired.

The mezzanine floor above is beingrenovated with disabled access and will holdoffices, stores and toilets. The first floor willbecome an exhibition gallery, with allarchitectural features along the main corridormaintained and reinstated. Suspended curvedpanelled ceiling resembling the corridor’soriginal vaulted profile will conceal necessaryelectrical conduits, cabling, signalingequipment, lighting and smoke-detectionpipeworks. Original ceilings and upper wallswill be exposed and all original ceiling patternswill be reinstated, as too will be all originalfloor and wall finishes. The two rooms at the

western side will be used as exhibition areasand as multi-purpose function rooms. Toiletsand a service corridor in the middle will bereturned to original positions with windowsfacing the light well, and original bathroomsnext to Castle Lane will become a plant area forE&M equipment and ducting.

Work on the second floor includes addingstructural cable fencing at the stairwell tocomply with statutory requirements and toprotect the existing railing; enhancingventilation; repairing and reinstating allVenetian windows to their original design; andreinstating openings to the side room on the

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Building Journal Hongkong China September 2005

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Upper ground floor plan

Lower ground floor plan

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September 2005 Building Journal Hongkong China

Castle Lane side to their original height andfitting them with doors of the original design.The spine wall and the two cross walls arebeing returned to the original appearance,along with all wall fittings including doors,wainscoting and door frames. Public access tothe front balconette and to the two balconies inthe northwest room will be restricted.

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The roof is set to house building servicesequipment, evenly spread out to preventoverloading on existing structures. A glazedcanopy will be placed above the light well anda service staircase at the rear will be the soleaccess point.

The Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum is scheduled toopen in 2007.

Second floor plan

First floor plan