Central Police Station, Declared monument in Central, Hong Kong
Central Police Station is a declared monument in Central, Hong Kong, originally serving as police headquarters, magistracy and prison during colonial rule. The compound includes more than a dozen buildings from different construction phases, arranged around several paved courtyards.
The compound's oldest building, the barrack block, was built in 1864 beside Victoria Prison; a fourth storey was added in 1905. The Headquarters Block facing Hollywood Road followed in 1919, and the Central Magistracy was built between 1912 and 1914. Japanese bombs damaged the police headquarters in December 1941, and the site was listed as a declared monument in 1995.
The Cantonese name Tai Kwun, meaning "big station", comes from the compound's former role as headquarters of the police force. Since reopening in May 2018, the site has hosted contemporary art exhibitions in the three-storey JC Contemporary, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, and film screenings and talks in the JC Cube. The former married inspectors' quarters, built in 1864, partly collapsed in 2016 during works and was rebuilt with modern elements so visitors can tell old from new.
The entrance is located on Hollywood Road in Central and can be reached on foot from Sheung Wan or Central metro stations. The grounds are partially accessible, though some paths cross steps and uneven cobblestones.
Two of the cell blocks are open for viewing and show the original bars and narrow rooms where inmates were held until closure. The restoration architects added modern glass pavilions that serve as exhibition spaces, contrasting with the old walls.
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