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Mei Ho House (), formerly part of
After a devastating fire in December 1953 that left thousands homeless, the Colonial government built a 29-block resettlement estate on the site of the burnt-down shanties to house the homeless victims. Eight blocks (Blocks A to H), later renumbered as Blocks 10 through 13 and 35 through to 41, were constructed with the financial aid of the United Nations (Mei Ho House is Block H, later Block 41). These 7-storey blocks were constructed in the
The building has been preserved as a record of Hong Kong's public housing development. It was listed as a Grade I historic building in 2005 and as a Grade II historic building in 2010.
In 2008, it was part of the seven buildings of Batch I of the Hong Kong Government's
/ref> The hostel would also have an exhibition area with guided tour detailing the living environment of public housing units in the past.
HK MeiHoHouse2007.jpg, Mei Ho House in 2007
File:HK Shek Kip Mei Estate Mei Ho House Big H roof.JPG, Mei Ho House in 2009
File:Mei Ho House View 2 200907.jpg, 2009
File:Mei Ho House Overview1 200907.jpg, 2009
File:Mei Ho House View4 200907.jpg, 2009
File:Mei Ho House View3 200907.jpg, 2009
File:Mei Ho House Stairs 200907.jpg, 2009
File:HK MeiHoHouse 201208.JPG, Undergoing renovation in 2012
YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel website
*Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme
Mei Ho House Resource Kit
{{Hostels Public housing estates in Hong Kong Shek Kip Mei Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong Hostels Hotels in Hong Kong
Shek Kip Mei Estate
Shek Kip Mei Estate is the first public housing estate in Hong Kong. It is located in Sham Shui Po and is under the management of the Hong Kong Housing Authority. The estate was constructed as a result of a fire in Shek Kip Mei in 1953, to se ...
, Hong Kong, is the last remaining example of a "Mark I" building in a single-block configuration. While the other buildings of the estate dating from the 1950s have been demolished, being replaced by new ones, Mei Ho House was chosen to be preserved.
History
After a devastating fire in December 1953 that left thousands homeless, the Colonial government built a 29-block resettlement estate on the site of the burnt-down shanties to house the homeless victims. Eight blocks (Blocks A to H), later renumbered as Blocks 10 through 13 and 35 through to 41, were constructed with the financial aid of the United Nations (Mei Ho House is Block H, later Block 41). These 7-storey blocks were constructed in the Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
architectural style with an 'H' configuration consisting of 2 residential wings, with communal sanitary facilities linking them.
During the Hong Kong 1956 riots
The 1956 Hong Kong riots, also known as the Double Ten riots ( zh, t=ιεζ΄ε), were the result of escalating provocations between the pro-Kuomintang and pro-CCP camps on Double Ten Day, 10 October 1956.HKheadline.com.HKheadline.com" ''ι ...
, the building was used as one of the bases for the rioters.
Preservation
The building has been preserved as a record of Hong Kong's public housing development. It was listed as a Grade I historic building in 2005 and as a Grade II historic building in 2010.
In 2008, it was part of the seven buildings of Batch I of the Hong Kong Government's Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme
The Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme () is an initiative launched by the Hong Kong Government, part of a broader policy of heritage conservation in Hong Kong. In order to preserve and put historic buildings into good use ...
. On 17 February 2009, the government declared that the building would be used by the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association as "City Hostel". The capital cost of the project was estimated at HK$192.3 million. Estimated completion time was 2012.Batch I of Revitalisation Scheme β Result of Selection β Mei Ho House as City Hostel/ref> The hostel would also have an exhibition area with guided tour detailing the living environment of public housing units in the past.
Opening
Mei Ho House Youth Hostel was open for business from Thursday, 24 October 2013. A dormitory room with four bunk beds costs from HK$260 per person. A double room costs from HK$680 per night while a family room costs from HK$1,320. At the opening, Chief Secretary for AdministrationCarrie Lam
Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ( Cheng; ; born 13 May 1957) is a retired Hong Kong politician who served as the 4th Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022. She served as Chief Secretary for Administration between 2012 and 2017 and Secr ...
described it as a "pioneering renovation project" for a public housing estate and "very meaningful."
Gallery
See also
*North Kowloon Magistracy
The North Kowloon Magistracy (εδΉιΎθ£ε€ζ³ι’ / εδΉιΎθ£ε€εΈη½² before 1 July 1997) is a historic building and former Magistrate's Court located at No. 292, Tai Po Road, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
The building was erecte ...
, adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an existing building for a purpose other than which it was originally built or designed for. It is also known as recycling and conversion. Adaptive reuse is an effective strategy for optimizing the o ...
of a nearby historical building
References
External links
YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel website
*Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme
Mei Ho House Resource Kit
{{Hostels Public housing estates in Hong Kong Shek Kip Mei Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong Hostels Hotels in Hong Kong