Heritage Conservation

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has long been dedicated to the conservation of architectural heritage inside and beyond its campus. Several historic structures are prominently located in this century-old campus and with the new Centennial Campus, three additional heritage assets, namely the Senior Staff Quarters Building, Workmen's Quarters Building and Elliott Treatment Works Building of the Water Supplies Department (WSD), will be incorporated into this vibrant network of architectural legacies. The first two buildings have been handed over to HKU while the latter will remain as the property of WSD. It is our belief that through adaptive re-use, the heritage buildings, as well as being an embodiment of our history for appreciation, will benefit the community in a more meaningful way, and can be conserved in a more sustainable manner.

The Working Group on Heritage is set up under the Project Group for Centennial Campus and Main Campus Redevelopment to advise on matters in relation to heritage conservation, in particular for the foregoing three historic buildings.

Oral History Project

Alongside the new functional uses, we have tried to to identify and locate the original users of the buildings, with a view to collecting relevant infromation and data in relation to the "life" of the historic buildings. Throught this project, we wish to present the history of the buildings from a multi-dimensional perspective, featuring oral history narrations by the original residents and preferably gadgets and documents from the then users. It is envisaged that such an enriched experience will help to reconstruct the scene with authentic senses and put the future visitors of the buildings and users of their new functions into the historical context of the original functions of the site.

The interviews and materials contained in this website are just a starting point of such effort. Not only those who lived or worked at the site in the past were inside the history of the heritage buildings. With the revitalization initiative of the University, the history of these buildings will continue to be written. Its present and future users and visitors will one day also become part of this history and thereby serve as relevant informants for the ongoing documentation of the heritage site.