Episode 5: Old Supreme Court Building

The Old Supreme Court Building, also known as the Legislative Council Building, is one of the Declared Monuments in Hong Kong. Its design is a result of the fruitful collaboration between Aston Webb and Ingress Bell, two British architects, who are also famous for designing the facades of Buckingham Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The Old Supreme Court Building is a two-storey, granite construction, executed in the neo-classical style, which is an 18th century interpretation of antique architecture. Being one of the finest examples of neo-classicism in Hong Kong, the Old Supreme Court Building has highly distinctive features. For instance, its symmetrical and rectangular shape has Ionic columns and a striking central pediment, with a statue of Themis (the Greek goddess of Justice).The Old Supreme Court was built on reclamation land - ameliorated territory taken from the sea - and opened in 1912. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945, the building served as the Military Police headquarters. In 1978, its foundation was severely damaged by the construction of the underground. The building housed the Supreme Court of Hong Kong until 1985 and the Legislative Council until 1997. Currently, it is vacant and, unfortunately, closed to the public.
Photo Legislative Council Building HK by Craddocktm is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0