Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme: A case study of the Mei Ho House in Hong Kong

Abstract

Purpose

Hong Kong has undergone a rapid transformation from a small fishing village to one of Asia's top commercial cities. With the booming economic development that it has undergone, heritage has been criticised as largely neglected. To respond to this criticism proactively, the local government introduced a “Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme” which is considered an innovative social public‐private partnership initiative. However, it is still early stages and the effectiveness of this scheme is yet to be evaluated. The purpose of this paper is therefore to evaluate the success of this innovative scheme by means of a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study approach has been adopted to analyse the effectiveness of this scheme. The Mei Ho House is a Grade I listed building marking the history of early public housing in Hong Kong. This project was studied thoroughly by looking at the historical background, the selected service provider, project details, historical significance, social benefits and public opinion.

Findings

The findings indicate that the scheme has been implemented effectively to revitalize historical buildings such as Mei Ho House. Efforts have been made to preserve these buildings into innovative use, uplift local culture and social benefits. In addition, an effective partnership arrangement between the public and private parties has been established.

Originality/value

The analyses will help to assess whether the proposed scheme has been successfully implemented. As a result, the suitability of using this scheme for future projects in Hong Kong or even other jurisdictions will be recommended. The proposed scheme will be an innovative and alternative approach for preserving and restoring historical buildings if proved to be feasible.

Citation

Cheung, E. and Chan, A.P.C. (2012), "Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme: A case study of the Mei Ho House in Hong Kong", Property Management, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 176-189. https://doi.org/10.1108/02637471211213415