The Central Police Station, the Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison have stood in the commercial heart of Hong Kong Island since 1841, when the British set them up. After the compound closed in 2006, it was left as a rare courtyard inside a dense city. Herzog & de Meuron turned it into a heritage and art centre, with Purcell as conservation architect and the Hong Kong Jockey Club as client.
Two new volumes now hover above the old buildings. They are clad in recycled cast aluminum units that refer to the site's granite blocks. The surface is textured, so it cuts glare during the day and partly screens the light from inside at night.
