Mei Ho House

History

After a devastating fire in December 1953 that left thousands homeless, the colonial government built a 29-block resettlement estate on the site of the burnt-down shanties to house the homeless victims.{{Cite web | access-date = 7 February 2007 }} Eight blocks (Blocks A to H), later renumbered as Blocks 10 through 13 and 35 through to 41, were constructed with the financial aid of the United Nations (Mei Ho House is Block H, later Block 41). These 7-storey blocks were constructed in the Bauhaus architectural style with an 'H' configuration consisting of 2 residential wings, with communal sanitary facilities linking them.

During the Hong Kong 1956 riots, the building was used as one of the bases for the rioters.

Preservation

The building has been preserved as a record of Hong Kong's public housing development. It was listed as a Grade I historic building in 2005 and as a Grade II historic building in 2010.

In 2008, it was part of the seven buildings of Batch I of the Hong Kong Government's Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme. On 17 February 2009, the government declared that the building would be used by the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association as "City Hostel". The capital cost of the project was estimated at HK$192.3 million. Estimated completion time was 2012. The hostel would also have an exhibition area with guided tour detailing the living environment of public housing units in the past.

The renovation project received an Honourable Mention in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2015.

Youth Hostel

Mei Ho House Youth Hostel was open for business from 24 October 2013. A double room costs from HK$680 per night while a family room costs from HK$1,320. At the opening, Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam described it as a "pioneering renovation project" for a public housing estate and "very meaningful."

Gallery

HK MeiHoHouse2007.jpg|Mei Ho House in 2007 File:HK Shek Kip Mei Estate Mei Ho House Big H roof.JPG|Mei Ho House in 2009 File:Mei Ho House View 2 200907.jpg|2009 File:Mei Ho House Overview1 200907.jpg|2009 File:Mei Ho House View4 200907.jpg|2009 File:Mei Ho House View3 200907.jpg|2009 File:Mei Ho House Stairs 200907.jpg|2009 File:HK MeiHoHouse 201208.JPG|Undergoing renovation in 2012

References

References

1. "Project profiles for 2015 UNESCO Heritage Award winners". [[UNESCO]].
2. (9 November 2021). "Why Hong Kong is Building Apartments the Size of Parking Spaces". Bloomberg.com.
3. (23 December 2013). "Hong Kong's Mei Ho House Museum and Hostel Brings New Life to Shek Kip Mei - WSJ". Wall Street Journal.
4. [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/Monument/form/AAB-SM-chi.pdf List of the Historic Buildings in Building Assessment] {{webarchive. link. (22 September 2013)
5. [http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/rhbtp/buildings.htm Conserve and Revitalise Hong Kong Heritage: Batch I of Revitalisation Scheme]
6. [http://www.heritage.gov.hk/en/rhbtp/ProgressResult_Mei_Ho_House.htm Batch I of Revitalisation Scheme – Result of Selection – Mei Ho House as City Hostel]
7. "Mei Ho House of Livelihood". Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association.
8. Qi Luo. (22 October 2013). "Hostel brings new life to estate block". [[The Standard (Hong Kong).