Suanne C.
Yelp
Asia Society Center is definitely one of the rare successful cases in building conservation in Hong Kong, a secluded sanctuary. Formerly being Victoria Barracks and Explosives Magazine that dates back to 1843, it is a Grade 1 Heritage site (highest) and was revitalized by the renowned Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects from New York.
Exterior of the old military structures are mostly recovered, with minor alternations to improve weather tightness and allow air-conditioning. They are given a new use inside, housing exhibition spaces, lecture /theatre hall, etc. All new additions are less than three floors (you don't need to climb stairs that exhaust you), keeping the original horizontality of the place. You can see rail tracks in brown brass colour inscribed into the outdoor ground, which are the remains from the old magazine, for ease of transportation of the ammunitions by carts over rails. The green and grey tones of the stone used for the new building exudes a calming, almost meditative quality to the space.
Connectivity between the scattered barracks and storage huts is enhanced by covered walkways echoing the 'heritage rail tracks', and especially by the newly added double-deck walkway, tying in the whole complex, the low and high block, the new and the old.
Strolling through the building is like meandering through a series of routes with both permanent and temporarily installed artworks strategically placed along the way, reminding me of the experience of passing through a Suzhou Garden. I wonder if it is part of the inspiration for the designer?
I particularly love the treatment of the upper deck of the walkway, where there is a lowered strip of bench seating along the edge. This allows you to stop anywhere along the way, and have a seat to savor in the view down at admiralty and even out to the sea over some of the rooftops.
For the Center you can enter mostly for free except for some periodic special exhibitions (though I mostly go there for walks to enjoy the building itself instead), and if you feel like a drink, there is Ammo, a small yet refined bistro in the new block. (A stunner in interior design! For which I would have a separate review.)
( A little side note: Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects is the firm who designed the American Folk Art Museum in New York City right next to MOMA which, sadly, is to be demolished and make way for an extension of the MOMA, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) who's the designer behind the vibrant Highline Park in NYC. The decision is such a pity, even though I have much respect for DS+R as well... )