The European-style building at 128 Pok Fu Lam Road, including its garden and access road, has been declared a proposed monument for 12 months to negotiate with the owner to reach a consensus on its preservation, the Home Affairs Bureau says.

This will give the building temporary statutory protection from demolition and allow time for the Antiquities Authority to fully consider whether a declaration of monument should be made.

Rare example

The building at 128 Pok Fu Lam Road is a rare surviving example of European-style mansions in the Southern District. It is of Italian Renaissance architectural style with interesting art deco variations, elaborate in design, decoration and craftsmanship. Set against a background of pleasant greenery, it presents a gracious cultural landscape, which is rare in highly urbanised Hong Kong.

The building was built around 1931 by William Ngar Tse Thomas Tam who was a barrister and well-known social figure in Hong Kong at the time. He was appointed as a Magistrate in 1947 and was enthusiastic in social services. The Jessie & Thomas Tam Centre of the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care, a charitable organisation, was named after him and his wife.

Preservation plan

The building owner filed an application to the Buildings Department in March to demolish the building. During the effective period of the declaration, no demolition works can be carried out on the building except with a permit from the Antiquities Authority.

The bureau hopes a mutually acceptable preservation plan canbe worked out with the owner.