The Kowloon Renaissance Explored

22/07/2016

Old Runway at Kai Taik, now blocked by new development. Photo: BWPI

Students at the top of Checkerboard Hill. Photo: BWPI

The Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool. Photo: BWPI

Professor Ling reminisces life in New Kowloon as a child. Photo: BWPI

The stone houses cafe. Photo: BWPI

Features be restored. Photo: BWPI.

Photo: BWPI

Photo: BWPI

13 Streets soon to be demolished for gentrified development. Photo: BWPI

The first day of the annual Hong Kong University Development Case Studies course led by Barry Wilson looking at urban planning and development in Hong Kong, saw Mr. Wilson and Professor Moses Ling lead students from Penn State and Hong Kong University into New Kowloon to observe both the "past" and the "future" of this historic area. The group visited four areas undergoing urban change: Checkerboard Hill; Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool; Stone House Renovation; and the 13 Streets of Ma Tau Kok.
 
Checkerboard Hill is a hill Located just below Lion Rock which was used as a target for planes heading to the infamous Kai Tak airport. The airport was built throughout the early 20th century using dirt and rock from the hillside of Checkerboard Hill which is now only half of the hill that it was before construction began. This airport was known for its scary landings. Due to the mountainous terrain planes landing needed to first head directly towards the painted checkerboard on "Checkerboard Hill" and make a 90 degree turn to land at the airport.
 
The Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool was the first public swimming pool complex in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Since the old Victoria Park Swimming Pool was demolished in 2014, it stands as the oldest existing public swimming pool in Hong Kong. The government plans to demolish the pool and replace it with a new complex with indoor and outdoor pools. The Architectural Services Department invited private architectural firms to bid on the project in late 2015.
 
Following a recent revitalization project, the Stone Houses, grade III listed structures with a 70-year history, have been turned in to an old-style cafe including a culture exploring centre. Inside are old posters hanging on the walls; ancient phonographs in the corner and enamel dishes lying along with soft dining chairs. The food is pretty good too.

The 13 Streets of Ma Tau Kok consist of 11 parallel short streets. Their names are mostly related to auspicious animals, namely dragon, phoenix, deer, unicorn, eagle, lark, egret, cicada, swallow, horse and crane. There are 83 buildings in the 13 Streets area, built between 1958 and 1960. They contain a total of about 2,500 residential flats and 418 shops at the street level. The buildings contain illegal structures and are in dilapidated condition, soon to be removed as part of Kai Tak urban renew.
 


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