Tai Kwun – Wander through History and Arts

Tai Kwun, a site for historical and arts experience, a site that brings together the new and the old.

The opening of Tai Kwun attracts numerous of visitors every day. Intrigued by this new centre which brings together history and arts, people who want to make a visit during weekends need to reserve a pass at least two weeks in advance. Today, I could finally get to appreciate the beauty of the buildings up close.

tai kwan14

The Story of Tai Kwun
Let me first introduce Tai Kwun. Tai Kwun is formerly known as the Central Police Station Compound, comprising three declared monuments – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison. After years of revitalisation and restoration, 16 heritage buildings have been meticulously restored and two new additions dedicated to contemporary art and performing arts were added. Tai Kwun becomes a centre for heritage and arts through offering the public a glimpse of the history and art experiences. You can find an array of contemporary art exhibitions, art installations and performing arts programs in this historical compound.

The Beauty of Architecture 

tai kwan8 tai kwan29

tai kwan10

tai kwan31

When wandering through Tai Kwun, what impressed me most was the historic architecture. I even fell in love with the beauty of the alleys and staircases. Tai Kwun is like a historic art piece where the red brick walls and European buildings reflected the history of Hong Kong as a British colony. The stunning architecture of Tai Kwun is one of the reasons why most people come all the way long just to check-in and take great photos.

tai kwan21
tai kwan14
tai kwan11

The Headquarters Block is the most recognised building of the compound. The red brick walls, granite features and the imposing columns bring out the elegant and classic charm this late-Victorian style building holds within. What worth mentioning is that the ornade façade of the building: the side facing Hollywood Road is in crisp, clean white, while another is a distinctive red brick wall.

tai kwan12

tai kwan9

The four-storey Barrack Block is one of the oldest buildings in the site. It is notable for its Roman arch on the 1st and 2nd floor. Its granite walls give it an elegant and timeless appearance.
tai kwan24

The former Central Magistracy is a magnificent and imposing building of Greek-revival style.

tai kwan6

The wall at the Prison Yard strikes people with its imposing height. The rough and uneven surface of the wall was caused by bricks of different sizes and shapes which were used to increase the height of the wall over the years. To present the brick wall as the way it was in the past century, each brick was carefully numbered during renovation. A lot of effort was put into the brickworks.

tai kwan7
tai kwan

Inspired by the brickworks of the heritage buildings, the modern walls of the new buildings, JC Contemporary and JC Cube, are made of aluminium bricks recycled from alloy wheels. The contrasting architectural features between the new and old buildings make an interesting composition.

Art programs and exhibitions

Tai Kwun holds a myriad of contemporary art exhibitions with art installations in public space. It takes visitors on a fascinating journey through art and history.

 

tai kwan15

Screen Shot 2018-07-06 at 3.18.47 PM

The ‘100 Faces of Tai Kwun’ exhibition features illustrations by local artist flyingpig and Hong Kong’s famous signboards, immersing visitors into stories of 100 local neighbours with Tai Kwun in a sophisticated setting. Visitors can also sit in the cha chaan taeng to explore stories about this place.

tai kwan33

tai kwan34

‘Six-Part Practice’ by the new artist Wing Po So, who was born into a family with several generations of history as Chinese medical practitioners. She produced her innovative work using Chinese pharmacological herbs, engaging with the senses of visitors.

tai kwan18 tai kwan19

‘Dismantling the Scaffold’ is a collaborations of local and overseas artists, using the ‘scaffold’ as the main motif to offer visitors an insight into the various issues relating to the history and the community. Visitors can interact with some of the exhibits.

Other than the exhibitions above, Tai Kwun also holds plays, contemporary art performances and other activities. They could be nice leisure activities for your weekends!
tai kwan13

Visitors can enjoy movies at the semi-outdoor Laundry Steps every Sunday.

The ‘Sunday Movie Series’ theme from mid-July  to late August is ‘Animation Without Boundaries’, featuring animation works around the world. People who love animations should not miss it as you can enjoy screen gems in a police station compound.

22.07.2018 April and the Extraordinary World
29.07.2018 World Animation Shorts Compilation
05.08.2018 Ms Hokusai
12.08.2018 Loving Vincent
19.08.2018 Window Horses
26.08.2018 World Animation Shorts Compilation (II)

 

tai kwan27

As a part of the centre for arts, the Prison Yard holds different types of art performance.

Image: tai kwun / www. taikwun.hk
Image: tai kwun / www. taikwun.hk

‘Titus Andronicus 2.0’ will be held in the JC Cube from 27th to 29th July. As one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, ‘Titus Andronicus 2.0’ is made into a play with strong physical movements presented by Shu-wing Tang.

Image: tai kwun / www. taikwun.hk
Image: tai kwun / www. taikwun.hk

From now on to 15th August, you can enjoy the contemporary art performance ‘The Spectacle of Space Consumption’ in JC Contemporary, as well as freshly baked cookies during the performance!

Apart from regular exhibitions and performances, there are public art everywhere in Tai Kwun. Can you spot them when you pay it a visit?
tai kwan5

The colourful flags are designed by artist Gaylord Chan and produced by a group of women at the grassroots. The abstract and geometric designs on the flags symbolise the openness of the Prison Yard.

tai kwan26

Created by the Japanese artist Izumi Kato, these figures compiled from old bricks and blocks from Tai Kwun’s site can be found on the Prison Yard.

tai kwan25

The title on the wall is a language work which offers different possibilities in interpreting. ‘Hard stones’ could suggest the ‘hard stones’ of the brick, concrete and glass, while ‘soft earth’ might refer to the stories hidden and left behind in the history of the site.

tai kwan17

tai kwan32

If you take a closer look, the ‘Mind the step’ sign on the steps is an art piece too. It aims to play with the bureaucratic sense of order and standardisation. As one of the most ‘instagrammable spots’ in Tai Kwun, this spiral staircase is a great spot for photos, either taken from above or below.

tai kwan16

These murals on the wall of a prison chapel were discovered during renovation.

Art behind bars
tai kwan36

The original settings of the prison cells are well conserved to let visitors experience the authentic prison conditions. Visitors can also catch a glimpse of the everyday life of the prisoners, e.g. escaping the cells and tidying the beds, through the moving silhouette projected on the walls.

Restaurants and shops

Besides historic and art experiences, Tai Kwun also lets visitors enjoy delightful moments with friends and family in the shops, cafes and restaurants it houses.

tai kwan28

tai kwan30

Located within E-Hall, the interior of Behind Bars is like former interlinked jail cells with special lighting, as if to take visitors on a time machine travelling from the past to the future.

tai kwan23

Image: tai kwun / www. taikwun.hk

Inspired by a Parisian café, Café Claudel has a relaxing and cozy ambience, offering its guests Parisian lifestyle in the business hub.

tai kwan2

tai kwan3
Image: bonart / www.bonart-hk.com

bonart is a terrarium concept store which offers terrarium workshop for visitors, integrating green arts into our lives.

tai kwan4
Image: tai kwun / www.taikwun.hk

You can never miss Loveramics if you are an art lover. Loveramics is an international ceramics brand, providing lovely ceramics from tableware, kitchen tools to coffeemaking for everyone.

 

Located in the core business district, Tai Kwun offers us a break from the hustle and bustle to experience arts and history as we are immersed in a place of inspiration and enjoyment. You may gain new insights into your life here in Tai Kwun.

 

Address: 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm

Tai Kwun Official Website:
https://www.taikwun.hk/zh/

Post author