Central Police Station Compound
中央警署建築群
1840, Government 政府建築
Embodying 16 historic structures including Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison, Central Police Station Compound (the Compound) is a truthful and precious record of Hong Kong history.
In 1841 before the signing of the Treaty of Nanking and Sir Henry Pottinger assuming the role of the First Governor of Hong Kong, Captain William Caine, Hong Kong’s first Chief Magistrate, had already built a simple magistrate office and prison at the mid-levels of Central.
Victoria Prison is amongst the first structures to be developed, it had been altered and expanded throughout the years. D Hall, the current oldest remaining prison, was built in 1858 with granite.
The first Central Magistracy was constructed in1847 and have been replaced by the Neo-Classical red brick building since 1914.
Though the Royal Hong Kong Police Force was established in 1844, it was not until 1864 that the first police architecture appeared in the Compound. The Barrack Block, which is situated at the center of the site, was designed by Hong Kong’s second Surveyor General Charles St George Cleverly. However, the Police Headquarters Block built in 1919 by British architect Leslie Owen Ross with Edwardian architecture facing Hollywood Road is more commonly recognised.
Other architectures were gradually constructed. The “youngest” one was built in 1931 and revitalised into F Hall in post-war period.
Standing at the Mid-Levels in Central, this Compound has witnessed changes and evolution of the colonial city throughout decades. With funding from Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Compound is now being transformed into a cultural hub and is creating another new page on our history.
由中區警署、中央裁判司署及域多利監獄共有十六座歷史建築組成的中區警署建築群乘載的故事，相信幾本「電話簿」也不能盡錄。以下就當是這幾本電話簿的「序」吧。
早在一八四一年，南京條約還未正式簽署，第一任港䁂砵甸渣還未正式上任時，第一任裁判司威廉•堅已在中環半山上建了一座簡陋的裁判司辦公室及監倉，開啟了這建築群的歷史。最先發展起來的域多利監獄，經過不斷的改建和擴充，一八四一年那簡陋的監倉早已不在，現存最早的倉房要數建於一八五八年、用麻石興建的D倉。 第一代中央裁判司署則於一八四七年建成，並於一九一四年被現存的古典復興式紅磚建築所取代。另外，皇家香港警察雖早於一八四四年成立，但第一座警署建築要到一八六四年才出現在建築群內，它正是現位處於建築群中央、帶殖民地式風格的營房大樓（由香港第二任 Surveyor General Charles St George Cleverly 設計）。但比較面向荷里活道、由英國建築師 Leslie Owen Ross 設計、帶愛德華式風格的一九一九年總部大樓，後者更為人熟悉。
現在仍巍立於中環半山的建築群，是經歷多年沈澱、洗禮、變遷的結果。它乘載着香港百多年歷史，每一座建築、每一條石柱、每一塊磚頭，都代表着不同年代的印記。如果說，當初把警署、裁判署及監獄放在同一地方正正反映香港式一條龍服務的高效率 ; 那麼，現在把建築群改造成「文化藝術區」是否能代表香港人的靈活?且看本地建築師嚴迅奇連同外援Herzog & de Meuron (建築設計) 及 Purcell (建築保育) 如何續寫這本「電話簿」史記。
文及攝影：洪彬芬 (香港註冊建築師)
http://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/diva/art_hkac_detail.php?id=29001&page=5
