Wan Chai Market

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The Wan Chai Market was constructed in 1937.It is located at 264 Queen's Road East Wan Chai,Hong Kong Island^[1]. It is a Grade III Historic Building.^[2]

Its architectural style is influenced by Streamline Moderne (also known as Streamlined Moderne or Art Moderne) architecture, a popular style of building of the 1930s. It is often erroneously referred to as a Bauhaus-style building. ^[3]

1 History
2 Facilities
3 In Popular Culture
4 Gallery
5 References

[edit] History

During Japanese occupation, the basement of the Wan Chai Market was occupied by the Japanese troop for the storage of corpses. ^[2]

In 1961, the Market underwent a renovation to improve its facilities and environment so that the Market could compete with other market places in the district.^[2]

The Land Development Corporation obtained approval from the Executive Council to acquire land in Wan Chai, including this site, for redevelopment as part of an urban renewal project. A consortium was formed comprising Chinese Estates (40%), Kwong Sang Hong (25%), Chi Cheung Investment (20%) and Peregrine Group (15%).^[4]

Chinese Estates, controlled by Joseph Lau Luen-hung, agreed with the Urban Renewal Authority in 1996 to jointly redevelop the site into a luxury residential-commercial complex. Phase two of the project, which requires the demolition of the building, was scheduled to start early 2008 and completion by mid-2011.^[5]

In 2007, the Urban Renewal Authority and the Development Bureau jointly announced that the facade and the front part of the historic market building will be preserved in the redevelopment project; the front part will be used as a shopping centre. A residential building will stand at the back of the market building.^[6]