#Apartment block #Hong Kong #China #1954
70 Berwick St., Pak Tin, Sham Shui Po
Hong Kong,
China
Public transport: Mei Ho House 美荷樓
Access: Museum
Today's use: Youth Hostel and Museum
Description
This building, with its construction date of 1954, in terms of time frame no longer falls within our "target group", but due to its historical significance and being part of the first public housing estate, we decided to include it in our archive to show an example of modernist styled buildings in China.
Seen from above, Mei Ho House resembles the letter "H". Each unit in the house measured only 120 square feet (about 11 sqm) and was designed to accommodate five adults. The units lacked electricity and water supplies. Shared water taps, toilets, and shower areas were located at the central portions of the two wings, while the living units occupied the ends of the building, connected by long public corridors (known in Cantonese as “lang haang”). These communal corridors were not just passageways but also served as spaces for residents to cool off or socialize in the evenings.
For ventilation, small rectangular openings were built into the upper sections of walls separating units. Initially, the rent was set at HKD 10 per month, with an additional HKD 1 for water. In 1981, the building was upgraded to include individual kitchens and bathrooms.
Description
This building, with its construction date of 1954, in terms of time frame no longer falls within our "target group", but due to its historical significance and being part of the first public housing estate, we decided to include it in our archive to show an example of modernist styled buildings in China.
Seen from above, Mei Ho House resembles the letter "H". Each unit in the house measured only 120 square feet (about 11 sqm) and was designed to accommodate five adults. The units lacked electricity and water supplies. Shared water taps, toilets, and shower areas were located at the central portions of the two wings, while the living units occupied the ends of the building, connected by long public corridors (known in Cantonese as “lang haang”). These communal corridors were not just passageways but also served as spaces for residents to cool off or socialize in the evenings.
For ventilation, small rectangular openings were built into the upper sections of walls separating units. Initially, the rent was set at HKD 10 per month, with an additional HKD 1 for water. In 1981, the building was upgraded to include individual kitchens and bathrooms.
History
In the period surrounding the Chinese Civil War, a significant number of refugees from mainland China fled to Hong Kong. One of the resulting settlement areas was the Shek Kip Mei squatter area. On the night of December 25, 1953, a devastating fire swept through the area, leaving 58,203 people homeless.
In response, the British colonial government constructed a 29-block resettlement estate on the site of the destroyed shanties to provide housing for the victims. Eight of these blocks (Blocks A to H), later renumbered as Blocks 10 through 13 and 35 through 41, were built with financial assistance from the United Nations. Among them, Mei Ho House, originally Block H, became Block 41. These 6-story structures were designed in the Bauhaus architectural style, featuring an ‘H’ configuration, seen from above.
Unfortunately, we do not know who the architect(s) of the building are. It can only be speculated that the municipal building authority and the city architects were commissioned for the project.
During the Hong Kong riots of 1956, the building served as a base for some of the rioters.
Mei Ho House is the last remaining example in a single-block configuration. While the other buildings in the estate, originally constructed in the 1950s, have been demolished and replaced with newer structures, Mei Ho House was selected for preservation and reconstructed. In 2013, it was reopened as a youth hostel and heritage museum.
History
In the period surrounding the Chinese Civil War, a significant number of refugees from mainland China fled to Hong Kong. One of the resulting settlement areas was the Shek Kip Mei squatter area. On the night of December 25, 1953, a devastating fire swept through the area, leaving 58,203 people homeless.
In response, the British colonial government constructed a 29-block resettlement estate on the site of the destroyed shanties to provide housing for the victims. Eight of these blocks (Blocks A to H), later renumbered as Blocks 10 through 13 and 35 through 41, were built with financial assistance from the United Nations. Among them, Mei Ho House, originally Block H, became Block 41. These 6-story structures were designed in the Bauhaus architectural style, featuring an ‘H’ configuration, seen from above.
Unfortunately, we do not know who the architect(s) of the building are. It can only be speculated that the municipal building authority and the city architects were commissioned for the project.
During the Hong Kong riots of 1956, the building served as a base for some of the rioters.
Mei Ho House is the last remaining example in a single-block configuration. While the other buildings in the estate, originally constructed in the 1950s, have been demolished and replaced with newer structures, Mei Ho House was selected for preservation and reconstructed. In 2013, it was reopened as a youth hostel and heritage museum.
Sources
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