Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date closed / demolished
(Day & Month are approximate.)
There are a few examples along this part of Des Voeux Road, but these are the only ones I know the exact position of. These ones are in the need of some serious TLC.
14-08-2013 EDIT:[looks like one of them, at least is about to be demolished]
Photos that show this Place
2009
2009
2009
Comments
Des Voeux Road West Shop Houses
Hi there,
I know there is another one at Central & Des Voeux on the east bound side. It used to be a Traditional Rice Wine store.
Thanks, I will try and check it out this week.
I think there is one that is now a 7-11 somewhere between Gillman and Wing Kut Streets, though the columns have been covered in some metal plating.
And of course there is a large row of them Prince Edward Road in Mongkok now part of the flower market, filled with...flower shops. Not much of a flower person myself, but my kids' school uniform shop is at the end of that particular ro.
Traditional Canton style houses
Hi there,
These [Shop Houses] you mentioned was actually a continuation of the style of houses in Guangzhou (then Canton). If you go back to the 1941 Hong Kong Harrison Forman Collection they were everywhere.
Also, previously I have posted another pawn shop at Marsh & Hennesy which could be classified as this type of houses. There is yet another smaller pawn shop in Wanchai Road at Wanchai & Johnston. This one is just a single block. There are still a few scattered blocks along Wanchai Road between Johnston and Queen's Road East.
You might have heard of the Blue block, the Green block in Wanchai. Look around the Blue block and you should be able to see some others. As for the green block, it is located near the Caltax Gas Station and the Government will soon have it renovated. I don't know what would the damage become as the Government is well known to do more harm than good on these antiques. Let's hope the damage would be minimum.
On the Kowloon side you should find one of these in Nathan Road north bound near Mongkok Road. Another block could also be see at Yen Chau Street east bound, right opposite the Golden Shopping Centre.
67-69 De Voeux Road West
Finally managed to get a photo of these ones. Actually, they are pretty dilapidated compared to many others.
Shop Houses
My comments is of general nature and are not referring to this particular place.
Years ago when living on the 3rd floor on Kilung Street, I found the factory owner above me has installed a locked door between the 3rd and 4th floors. His factory has extended to the stairs and he didn't want any foreign traffic. This practice likely still exists today. Between adjacent units on the second floor, these shop houses typically had large openings at the front that enable occupants to escape to the next door units in case the stairs are block by fire. These openings are bricked/concreted up when new buildings are built next to them. With locked iron door on the stairs at street level and squeezed in between two high rises at roof top, isn't safety a concern?
Just wondering!
67-69 Des Voeux Rd West
Taking a taxi along the Connaught Rd flyover, I spotted a building with a sloping tiled roof. They aren't very common, so I went back for a closer look, and it turned out to be this same pair of shophouses.
Here's the ground-level view from Connaught Rd, where you can just make out the sloping roof:
Looking from the back, the western half has been 'modernised':
But the estern half still has an old, wooden staircase:
Around the front:
Looking up from the pavement, and the wooden boards are plain to see:
I thought there would be a wooden staircase at the front too, but surprisingly it is stone / concrete:
The pillars are very solid, carved from stone. The upper sections are covered with years of paint. If you could peel off the paint a layer at a time, would you see the names of all the shops that had used this building?
The buildings are empty, locked-up, and I guess are waiting for demolition.
De Voeux Road Shophouse
The one on the right is currently now sitting behind a protetctive hoarding and looks as though it is going to be demolished (although I am always hoping someone is taking the initiative to renovate) :-(
#67, RIP
I walked along here last week, and there's just a gap where 67 used to be.
both now demolished
both #67 and #69 now demolished
#67 DVW
Hi There,
Only one pillar left, all boarded up.
T