Former Marine Police Headquarters

The Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound, completed in 1884, is located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Kowloon compound served as the headquarters for the Marine Police, now a unit within the Hong Kong Police Force, since its establishment until late 1996, when it was moved to Sai Wan Ho.[2][3][4]

1881 Heritage
1881[1]
The Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound as after renovation, viewed north from the entrance on Salisbury Road.
Former namesMarine Police Headquarters Compound
Alternative namesChinese: 前水警總部; Jyutping: Cin4 seoi2 ging2 zung2 bou6
General information
StatusDeclared monument
Architectural styleNeoclassical
Address2A Canton Road
Town or cityTsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
CountryHong Kong
Coordinates
Completed1884
Renovated2003–09
ClientCK Asset Holdings Limited
Design and construction
Architecture firmRenovation:
A+T Design Limited
Structural engineerRenovation:
AECOM Asia Company Ltd
Website
http://www.1881heritage.com

The compound is a declared monument since 1994 as it is one of the four oldest surviving government buildings in Hong Kong.[5][6] The Compound and the Old Kowloon Fire Station have been re-developed into a heritage hotel with food and beverage outlets and retail facilities in a project headed by architect Daniel Lin of A+T Design, opened in 2009.[7] The site is now officially renamed as 1881 Heritage.[8]

History and design
The Marine Police Headquarters in the 1900s. At that time, the building was still a two-storey structure.

The compound was completed in 1884 and served as the headquarters of the Water Police (as they were originally known) until late 1996.[4] The main building was originally constructed on the waterfront, and had a dedicated slip prior to the reclamation of land to create Salisbury Road. To the east, the headquarters faced a sandy beach.[3]

During the Japanese Occupation (1941–1945), the compound was used as a base for the Japanese navy. At this time, an extensive network of tunnels were constructed beneath the lawn but after World War II, these tunnels were blocked and the lawn was returfed for the safety of public.[8]

In the 1970s the compound lost a large part of its gardens, when the slope to the east was levelled to make way for the construction of Kowloon Park Drive.[3][4]

The station was colloquially referred to as T-Lands Police Station – probably a reference to Marine Police brevity code for a marine police station on "Land" at "Tsim Sha Tsui".[9] This name is used in at least two novels set in Hong Kong: Soldier of Fortune by Ernest K. Gann, published in 1954;[10] and Dragon Flame by the house author Nick Carter, published in 1966.[11]

Redevelopment
Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound under renovation in 2008

In 2002, the Hong Kong Government announced a competitive tender for an adaptive reuse concept for the former Marine Police Headquarters, which had been vacant since 1996; to entice tenders, the conditions included permission to create up to 7,213 m2 (77,640 sq ft) of floor space below the Main Building.[12]

The Government announced on 23 May 2003 that Flying Snow Limited, a subsidiary of Cheung Kong Holdings, had won the 50-year land grant at a tendered price of HK$352.80 million, out of six competitive proposals.[12][13] The approval allowed the developer to preserve and redevelop the historical building into a heritage tourism facility. Flying Snow has transformed the building into a heritage hotel with food and beverage outlets, and retail facilities. The project was the first private sector-led preservation project in Hong Kong;[14] under the terms of the land grant, specific furnishings and features were required to be preserved and restored.[12] The project opened as 1881 Heritage in 2009,[7] and was criticized for removing most of the trees from what was once a grassy hill.[15]

In 2010, the South China Morning Post reported the estimated floor space in the existing buildings had not been correctly surveyed and was 5,610 m2 (60,400 sq ft), instead of the 4,300 m2 (46,000 sq ft) originally submitted for the tender; in addition, the finished project added 7,413 m2 (79,790 sq ft), an extra 200 m2 (2,200 sq ft) above the tender, for which Cheung Kong paid an additional HK$94.50 million. Because the prevailing market rate was HK$1.00 million per square metre, the under-counted existing floor space and below-market rate paid for the extra construction collectively were estimated to have provided an effective HK$1.50 billion bonus to Cheung Kong Holdings.[15]

Buildings
1881 Heritage sites
1
Main Building & Stable Block
2
Signal Tower
3
Old Kowloon Fire Station & Accommodation Block

The original Marine Police Headquarters comprises the Main Building, Stable Block and Signal Tower. The redevelopment into 1881 Heritage added the nearby Old Kowloon Fire Station and the Fire Station Accommodation Block to the campus.

Main Building
Stables Grill @ Hullett House

The Main Building was originally a two-storey structure; an extra storey was added to the Main Building in the 1920s, and an ancillary building was added to the north.[12] The south-east and south-west wings of the main building served as married quarters,[8] while the top floor of the west wing was the residence for the Superintendent of the Water Police.[12] The Main Building also includes a small jail and carrier pigeon coops on the walls of the courtyard to the north.[16]

After the 2003–09 renovation, the Main Building was renamed to Hullett House to honour Richmond William Hullett.[12] It included a small boutique hotel offering ten suites and five restaurants and bars;[12] each of the ten suites had a unique theme, and the Mariner's Rest bar allowed patrons to drink in a former jail cell.[17]

In 2017, Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts assumed the management of Hullett House.[28] FWD Group leased the hotel and renamed it House 1881 in 2019;[29][30] FWD renovated the ten suites, ranging in size from 82.4 to 87.3 square metres (887 to 940 sq ft),[31] and five dining concepts.[29][32][33]

Stable Block

The Stable Block is immediately north of the Main Building.

Signal Tower
The Signal Tower with time ball in 1908.
The restored Signal Tower (2010), with Hong Kong Cultural Centre in the background.

The Signal Tower (Chinese: 大包米訊號塔; Jyutping: daai6 baau1 mai5 seon3 hou6 taap3), also known as the Time Ball Tower or Round House, was constructed to provide time signals to ships in the harbour. A ball was hoisted each morning and dropped precisely at 1 PM.[16] Its use diminished in 1907 when the time ball apparatus was removed to Signal Hill, Kowloon.[8][34]

Old Kowloon Fire Station
Main article: Old Kowloon Fire Station

The Old Kowloon Fire Station, also known as the Former Tsim Sha Tsui Fire Station, was originally completed in 1920; a charity shop selling handcrafts occupied the space starting in 1986 until the 2003–09 renovations.[3][35]

Fire Station Accommodation Block

The Fire Station Accommodation Block is immediately north of the Old Kowloon Fire station, and was completed in 1922.[35]

  • Hullett House Corridor
  • The Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound together with the One Peking Road office building behind it
  • Stairs and waterfalls in front of the main building
  • Artillery battery at Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound
  • Old Kowloon Fire Station after renovation
  • Shelter Tunnel
  • The shopping arcade
  • The shopping arcade viewed from Canton Road
  • Partial view of the courtyard of the Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound.
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See also

References
  1. "1881 Heritage". www.1881heritage.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  2. Bailey, Steven K.; Witt, Jill C. (photographs) (2009). Exploring Hong Kong: A Visitor's Guide to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Singapore: ThingsAsian Press. pp. 240–241. ISBN 978-1-934159-16-3. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  3. Wordie, Jason; Hedley, Anthony J. (photographs); Lambon, John (photographs) (2007). Streets: Exploring Kowloon. Aberdeen, Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. pp. 23–25. ISBN 978-962-209-813-8. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  4. "Kowloon — Around Nathan Road". DiscoverHongKong. Hong Kong Tourism Board. Archived from the original on 13 April 2005.
  5. "Declared Monuments in Hong Kong" (PDF). Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  6. "The Geographical Information System on Hong Kong Heritage". Hong Kong Government. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014.
  7. Anakin (23 September 2009). "1881 Heritage opens in Hong Kong". LUXUO. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  8. "Declared Monuments in Hong Kong — Kowloon: Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound". Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  9. "T-Lands Police Station". Gwulo: Old Hong Kong. April 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  10. Gann, Ernest (11 March 1955). "Soldier Of Fortune: A Daily Herald Serial". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 12.
  11. Stokes, Manning Lee (May 1966). Dragon Flame. Nick Carter-Killmaster #14 (A173F). Award Books.
  12. "Hullett House opening completes 1881 Heritage site renovation". Pacific Rim Construction. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  13. Old police facility to become top tourist draw, Archived 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine Hong Kong Government.
  14. Yiu, Enoch (8 May 2019). "Victor Li and Richard Li, the sons of Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing, work together for first time on heritage project". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  15. Lai, Chloe (23 November 2010). "Error nets HK$1.5b bonus for developer". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  16. "1881 Heritage". Discover Hong Kong. Hong Kong Tourism Board. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  17. "Hullett House". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016.
  18. "South Bay Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016.
  19. "Deep Water Bay Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016.
  20. "Stanley Bay Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015.
  21. "Ma Wan Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016.
  22. "Silvermine Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016.
  23. "Silvermine Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016.
  24. "Kat O Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016.
  25. "Pui O Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015.
  26. "Tai O Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 6 November 2015.
  27. "Tung O Suite". GR8 Leisure Concept Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016.
  28. Cannon, Marisa (11 July 2017). "Hullett House joins Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts". Business Traveller. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  29. "House 1881: The Book" (PDF). House 1881. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  30. "FWD acquires Lease for Historic Hotel in 1881 Heritage" (Press release). FWD Group. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  31. "Hullett House". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  32. "Historic site House 1881, formerly Hullett House, is now home to 5 new dining concepts". Coconuts Hong Kong. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  33. "Hullett House to be relaunched as House 1881 following revamp". TTG Asia. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  34. "Declared Monuments in Hong Kong – Kowloon: Signal Tower at Blackhead Point". Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  35. Historic Building Appraisal: Old Kowloon Fire Station (PDF) (Report). Hong Kong Antiquities Advisory Board. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
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