The custodians' destiny : the challenges site managers face in the conservation of built heritage in Hong Kong : a case study of the Helena May

Abstract

Heritage conservation has long been a hot topic all over the world. This is especially true for cosmopolitan cities where population density is high and the land resources are in shortage. Hong Kong, a city located on the southern coast of China at the junction of the Pearl River Estuary and the South China Sea, has one of the highest population density in the world. Continued existence of historic building is a difficult achievement, but there is a rare case at The Helena May, a private membership clubhouse which has stood for almost a century. Every heritage monument, site, artefact, and object is owned by, occupied by, or is the responsibility of some individuals. They are the site managers – the custodians of the heritage. This research aims at examining the challenges in managing a heritage site from the perspectives of the custodians. As the custodians of the heritage buildings, site managers are playing an increasingly important role in operationally sustaining and maintaining the building. The continuous survival of The Helena May is a very rare case in Hong Kong. The secrets behind the management and conservation of this heritage building would provide guidance for the custodians of other heritage buildings in Hong Kong in their quest to adapting to the ever-changing social and economic environment in the city. Through this research, the importance of intangible considerations in the process of conditional survey will be emphasised. Apart from the external requirements by the government and the existing physical conditions of the building, the significance and values of the building, and the roles of stakeholders also play their important roles in determining the conservation plan of the historic building. The framework of this research is based on the Process of Formulating a Conservation Plan (see Table 1) in the publication: The Conservation Plan.1 A thorough condition survey of The Helena May will be conducted to demonstrate the challenges faced by the site managers in managing a historic building in Hong Kong. This research will also form the basis for future researches on similar historic buildings in Hong Kong and other World Heritage Site.

1 Kerr, J.S. The Conservation Plan. Australia: The National Trust of Australia (NSW), 1982. ---------------

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