So Uk Estate
So Uk Estate (Chinese: 蘇屋邨) is an early public housing estate in So Uk, a hillside area of Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The estate is now undergoing redevelopment, and new housing blocks are being built in place of the ones demolished.
The estate was built on the site of squatter areas which were demolished for the construction of the estate of 16 blocks from 1955–1963. The blocks were called "Houses" and named after varieties of flowers. Unlike many highly standardised public housing estates built afterward, the architectural design of the estate was unique in Hong Kong. There were 5,316 flats in the original estate, with areas ranging from 19.5 to 49.1m2, with capacity of 15,200.
The estate was the home of many famous individuals during their youth in Hong Kong, for example, Sam Hui and his brothers, Wong Ka Kui and his brother in the band Beyond, and many others.
By 2008, after 48 years, the estate was still in good condition but its estimated high maintenance cost made the Hong Kong Housing Authority decide to demolish the six blocks in March 2012 . The Authority will compensate residents and aid in their move. It has also allowed residents the option of moving into Un Chau Estate Phases 2, 4, and 5 in Sham Shui Po.
A foundation titled, "Farewell So Uk" was established as a historical archive for the Estate and to document its history of its residents. It was sponsored by the Salvation Army of Hong Kong and the Salisbury YMCA.
As of 2015, construction of the new So Uk Estate is well underway. The new estate will comprise 14 blocks ranging from 21 to 41 storeys high with nearly 7,000 flats. The Housing Department won a Merit Award from the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design in 2014 for their community-minded redevelopment approach.
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Wikipedia