The right to landscape: Social sustainability and the conservation of the State Theatre, Hong Kong

Abstract

This study analyses research gaps and identifies potential new research topics concerning the adoption of social sustainability values when conserving historic buildings, with a focus on the State Theatre (the Theatre) in Hong Kong. Despite becoming a Grade 1 historic building in March 2017, the Theatre has since faced an uphill battle, sustained only through public participation and widespread pressure on heritage authorities. In the process, problems with local heritage policy and the bureaucratic procedures of technocratic administrative bodies have been brought to light. Based on in-depth interviews with members of the local community, stakeholders, non-governmental organisations and heritage consultants, and using government policies and media reports, this study unveils and analyses issues related to the conservation of the Theatre using a humanised anthropological approach. The results highlight the need for a more socially sustainable future for cultural capital by integrating the notion of the cultural landscape with heritage conservation in Hong Kong.