延期完工二十一年、連接旺角道與彌敦道的天橋終於完成，有網民笑說「羅馬鬥獸場只花了十年時間興建」，究竟一條只有一百米的天橋如何能夠拖足二十年？ 新自由主義: 政府將建造的基建責任轉向私人發展商/ 你應該會感到困惑，為何一條公共行人天橋會交由新鴻基去出資、設計和建造？首先讓我們先了解天橋背後的公共政策。新自由主義可以被理解為市場化傾向的公共政策，而在香港的體現有很多方式，以下是其中幾個: 1️⃣鼓勵發展商提供「私有化公共空間」[註1]，由政府提出給予發展商更多建造面積，換取所謂的「公共空間」。 斥資方：發展商 建造方：發展商 管理方：發展商 例子: 時代廣場、新城市廣場露天平台 2️⃣由政府與發展商磋商興建天橋、公共交通交匯處等基建，由發展商管理，並可獲額外建造面積。 斥資方：發展商 建造方：發展商 管理方：發展商 例子：中環天橋系統、裕民坊公共交通交匯處 3️⃣政府將公共建築項目以public-private partnership (公私營合作)方式向發展商招標，被稱為「社區工程」。 斥資方：發展商or 政府 建造方：發展商 管理方：發展商 or 政府 例子：西隧、星光大道 對政府的好處可能是：無需為基建承擔公共開支、日後的管理責任(視乎情況而定)、其他風險。並借助私人發展商的建造效率和質素提供足夠的基建供應。 市場化後的公共建築/ 回到旺角行人天橋，政府原意是想舒緩旺角街道人車爭路的問題，將整個天橋網絡交由新鴻基斥資建造，再交由政府管理。以他們持有的新世記廣場作為起點，連接到剛完成的旺角道段。天橋全程數分鐘路程，既方便了市民，發展商又可能換取到更多建造面積，吸引人流到商場裡。 公共建築原由政府興建，如工程延期，牽涉公帑，或需再經立法會審批，公眾尚存在監察權。即使由政府斥資再向私人發展商招標，或尚有周旋的空間。但今次整項工程由私人發展商斥資和建造，公眾無從中干預，而政府的角色是十分被動，亦更難以追究延期賠償，因延期只涉及工程費用脹價，不論政府或私人發展商興建也未必需要為延期作出保償。 「新自由主義」下的市場化公共政策，由基建到整個城市構劃發展，甚至建築保育像中環街市[註2]都有著深遠影響，下回再續！ 如有錯漏，敬請指正🙆🏻‍♂️ [註1] 私有公共空間 [註2] 港式保育後的中環街市 攝: 楊嘉朗(旺角天橋) 延伸閱讀: 1.Defying Disappearance: Cosmopolitan Public Spaces in Hong Kong, Lisa Law 2. Hong Kong: Neoliberal heaven or neoliberal nightmare?, Priscilla Roberts 3. 歷史解密：點解旺角行人天橋廿幾年都未起好？, 獨立新聞網

蘊藏在唐樓背後的是未被利用的歷史文化價值🗿 比利時義品公司/ 轉角唐樓與比利時地產公司其實有莫大關係。19世紀的比利時是歐洲工業革命中發展得較蓬勃的國家。有別於其他歐洲大國積極擴展軍事及殖民地，比利時郤側重於資金、工業及學術出口到全世界。這造就了比利時義品公司在香港的出現。比利時義品公司在香港的生意主要在房地產投資、建築設計、施工作業、抵押貸款到物業管理，可算是一條龍服務。公司的總部在布魯塞爾，支部都由比利時人領導，但都需要華人在港管理。而他們的建築師大多來自比利時，不但引入現代摩登主義的設計，還因應香港的地貌與天氣，生產出具香港特色的轉角唐樓。很多轉角唐樓因應香港熱帶天氣而設計露天的走廊，作為室外與室內的緩衝空間。你更可以從圍欄通花找到裝飾藝術的足跡。范威利克出任當時的總負責人，是其中一個具影響力的建築師帶領著裝飾藝術到摩登主義的過渡。 瀕臨絕種/ 唐樓的起源在港島，但轉角唐樓的起源則在九龍。他象徵了當時香港的城市發展，摩登的轉角建築塑造了中產階層的社區。現在香港只剩下九座戰前的轉角唐樓，而青山道301,303號因遲遲未被評為歷史建築，而面臨被清拆的命運。現今被活化保留的轉角唐樓只有改造成中醫學院的雷生春及剛翻新的為群公寓。 的確，要將唐樓的商業價值提高至摩天大樓般是沒有可能的。但如果我們將商業與文化價值去看，活化唐樓群組不但保留社區特色，更可以打造成特色景點，商業與文化價值也能相輔相成。香港，這個地方有著世界級的商業中心，背後其實還有更大的建築資源等待被好好利用。但在經濟效益主導的世道下，究竟我們能否運用建築價值去記錄和分享其年代的故事？ Who is Crédit foncier d'Extrême-Orient (CFEO)/ Corner Tong Lau had a relationship with some of the Belgium developers. In the 19th century, Belgium attained substantial development from industrial revolution. Belgium based companies such as the Crédit foncier d'Extrême-Orient(CFEO) expanded to Hong Kong with Belgian-styles development investment, architectural design, construction work, mortgage service, and property management. Moreover, through localisation, corner Tong Lau was designed in response to the geographical and climate context in HK. Gabriel Van Wylick was the office head in Hong Kong, he was one of the influential architects who led the transition from Art Deco to the modernism age. Endangered/ Tong Lau's emergence was in Hong Kong Island, but Tong Lau first appeared in Kowloon. It emblemed the city development of Hong Kong in a particular period. Even though looking at the significance of Castle Park Road 301-303, it cannot escape from the destiny of demolition that it still has not been graded as a historical building. When we take community and cultural value into consideration, the assembly of different preserved historic buildings can be the hero. It can protect the community's unique character while accelerating the cultural and commercial value of that area. At the age of economic dominance, are there opportunities left for architecture to record n share stories of this city? #archi_kongcept

其實香港古蹟制度是如何運行?🗿‍香港古物與古蹟架構/「古物及古蹟條例」於一九七六年實施，以確保香港最具價值的文物古蹟得到適當保護。古物諮詢委員會及古物古蹟辦事處於同年相繼成立。［圖3］古物古蹟辦事處的文物保育組由五個小組組成，分別負責考古、 歷史建築、教育及宣傳和技術及顧問，以及策劃及管理方面的工作職能，他們先為古物古蹟作考察研究，［圖4］再將其建議交給由二十一人組成的古物諮詢委員會作討論和決定「歷史建築」和「法定古蹟」，全員由特首委任，來自超過十個界別。決定「法定古蹟」後會提交給古物事務監督(發展局局長)，最後經特首同意藉憲報公告宣布法定古蹟，由古物古蹟辦事處執行其行政工作。‍The Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance was enforced in 1976 to ensure that the best examples of Hong Kong's monuments are under appropriate protection. In the same year, the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) and the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) were established. [Pic3]In AMO, there is a Heritage Conservation Unit with five sections: archaeology, historical buildings, education and publicity, technical and advisory, planning and management. They first conduct research on antiquities and historic sites, and then submit their recommendations to the AAB, [Pic4]which is composed of 21 people for discussion and decision on "historical buildings" and "declared monuments”. All 21 members are all appointed by the chief executive and come from more than 10 industries and professions. After the decision is made, it will be submitted to the Antiquities Authority (Secretary for Development), and the Chief Executive will announce the official monuments through a gazette announcement, which will be implemented by the AMO.

從四個保育案例看香港古蹟制度的敗處🗿 竟然沒有法律保障歷史建築物!? 皇后碼頭/ 皇后碼頭以現代主義建築形式興建而成，原是皇后像廣場的停泊處，只供香港總督及英國主要官員往返香港時使用。後來改建成皇后碼頭，價值不止是其現代主義建築，還有它作為記錄香港人集體回憶的公共空間。政府以發展為由，竟帶頭將這個一級歷史建築清拆。十三年後，至今仍沒有重建計劃。其實香港的「歷史建築」只有參考作用，沒有法律效力；「法定古蹟」才有法律保障。即使近年政府提出，被評為一級歷史建築能被接納為已列入具高度價值的建築，增加成為法定古蹟機會，但很多歷史建築因私人業權問題難以保育，最後也只能落得清拆下場，例如「同德大押」(grade III) 和「何東花園」(grade I)。 「古蹟辦」被笑稱「估即辦」，考察過程草率了事 皇都戲院/ 皇都戲院已經有六十九年歷史，它作為香港昔日娛樂事業風光年代的證據，也盛載我們的集體回憶。國際保育專業組織 Docomomo International在一六年發出「文物危急警示」促請為它評級為一級歷史建築，但古蹟辦被揭發對戲院的內部改動情況不充分掌握就草率提出將戲院列為三級歷史建築的建議。先不論古蹟辦考察過程透明度之低，其中一位負責評審的學者竟說：「假若漢墓值5分，清代（建築）最多4分，咁皇都幾多分？」(bio有「活現香港」皇都戲院評級爭議懶人包的link)，從這話可看出他們的想法已與現今保育方向脫節。幸好最後古諮會評定它為一級，現時被新世界發展商收購，是首個發展商主動提出的活化項目。 Queen's Pier; No legal protection for historical buildings Built in the form of modernist architecture, its value lies in its use as a public space that records the Hong Kong people’s collective memory. The government demolished this first-class historic building for the new development scheme. In fact, Hong Kong’s "historical buildings" are only for reference and have no legal validity; only "declared monuments" have legal protection. Even though the government has proposed in recent years that historic buildings rated as Grade I can be accepted as buildings of high value which increasing the chance of becoming statutory monuments, many historic buildings are difficult to preserve due to private ownership issues, and they can only be demolished in the end. State Theatre; ‘Antiquities and Monuments Office’ teased as ‘Assumption Making Office’ . The inspection process was regarded as hasty It has a history of 69 years. It serves as evidence of Hong Kong's past entertainment industry and also contains our collective memories as a HKer. Docomomo International, an international conservation professional organization, issued the "Cultural Relics Emergency Warning" in 2016, urging it to be graded as a Grade I historical building. However, the AMO was revealed that it did not fully acknowledge the internal changes to the theatre and rashly proposed to list it as a Grade III historical building. It is currently being purchased by the New World Development and is the first conservation project proposed by the developer.

唐樓第二課! 有無發現你經常在九龍抬起頭來會發現轉角唐樓的蹤影？🏢 喘息空間/ 轉角唐樓泛指座落於兩條道路交界的唐樓，起源於1930年代。上回提到這年代的唐樓屬第三代的戰前產品，開始由建築師去設計。普通的唐樓牆身都緊近著另外兩側的唐樓，設計局限於面向街的外牆上花心思，但轉角唐樓則能夠運用轉角位伸展更大的臨街外牆，擁有僅餘的喘息空間去演變不一樣的變化。 發水蛋糕樓的那五年/ 轉角唐樓的出現源於19世紀中的條例規定，如樓宇的騎樓部份能作遮雨的公共用途則不計算為建築面積。作為精打細算的香港人當然“著數”拿最盡，樓宇跟著行人路的形狀走，於是出現了能為行人遮雨的弧形唐樓。第一代的轉角唐樓特色是它的騎樓多需以柱作支撐，這些大得誇張的騎樓又可以叫做「走馬騎樓」；第二代轉角唐樓出現在二戰後，因人口的膨脹，轉角唐樓的騎樓部份被僭建為室內空間，而當時政府是容忍的；第三代的轉角唐樓則建於1962到66年。因政府在1962提出修例以防止樓宇建得過大和高，但因修例改動太大而推遲到1966先推行。於是發展商紛紛趕著在這五年蓋最高最大的轉角唐樓。 The Breathing Space/ Do you know that corner Tong Lau is most common to be found in the Kowloon district?And it is a mixed-race of Hong Kongese and Belgian ? Corner Tong Lau, occurred in the 1930s, is regarded as the Tong Lau that was situated across two roads. The previous introduction of Tong Lau mentioned that they are the third generation of Tong Lau but were the first to be designed by architects. Ordinary Tong Lau sat side by side and limited the space for design efforts to be delivered, only on the façade facing the street. However, taking advantage of using a stretching façade crossing two roads, the variance could be found from the remaining breathing space. The Five Year of Cake-formed Tong Lau/ The emergence of corner tong lau originated in the mid-19th century regulations stipulating that if the extended part of a building can be served for public purposes as a shelter from rain, it was not counted as a built area. Of course, smart Hong Kong people did not miss out this chance to maximise their gain, they built an arc-shaped building contours extended along the footpath, formed the corner Tong Lau. The first-generation corner tong lau’s characteristic is the columns that need to be built to support the extended part. These exaggerated verandas could also be called " Horse-crossing Veranda "; the second-generation corner tong lau occurred due to the expansion of the population, the extension of the corner tong lau was illegally built as indoor spaces, tolerated by the government. The third-generation corner tong lau was built during 1962-66. The government proposed amendments in 1962 to prevent buildings from being built too large and tall, but delayed to be established until 1966.