(the relocation of Hong Kong Clock Tower, from apple daily)
From the reading, Abbas argued that architectures play important role in scuplting holistic image of the city. I believe the claim is very true as in many films, architecture like skyscrapers has long been an indicator for Hong Kong. For example “Skyscrapers” casting Dwayne Jonhnson, having tall buildings as theme and therefore used Hong Kong as fliming location. Thus architectures are indeed importance for establishing identity of a city.
He also claimed that historical buildings not only give us “history in site but also in sight” (Abbas, 1997) This is also true british buildings in Hong Kong symbolised the colonial history, a mergence of the west and the east.
Nonetheless, similar to what Abbas said, in Hong Kong, where having deficit land supply, many historical buildings were forced to pull down or at least to reform for commercal use. For instance, the North Kowloon Magistacy, built since 1960 and shut down at 2005, is now reformed into Savannah College of Arts and Design (Hong Kong). This is the only way historical buildings can be preserved in Hong Kong.
On the other hand, building lacking economic value will soon be sifted out inevitably. For example, old tenement house, also known as Tong Lau, will surely soon fade out from Hong Kong along the reconstruction plans, the memories and historical values it carries will also died out from the city someday.
by Tong Kwan Yu 3035564392