The revitalized CLP Clock Tower in Argyle Street - accorded grade one historic building status in 2018 - will reopen to the public today with three exhibition galleries introducing the power giant's history and the role of electricity in smart city development.
Named CLP Pulse and operated by the power giant as a non-profit service, the 870-square-meter museum aims to inherit and promote the history and culture of Hong Kong, thus educating the public on the importance of sustainable development.
Free admission walk-ins are welcomed during opening hours every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 10am to 6pm. Both complimentary guided tours and experiential activities are free-of-charge, which are available upon booking.
The exhibitions aim to showcase the significance of CLP's development to the modernization of Hong Kong and its smart city development, the Kadoorie family's connection to CLP and the city, as well as a range of local intangible cultural heritage items.
Visitors can learn about energy planning and climate change through a range of interactive games and immersive experiences.
Organized by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, the intangible items are presented in three sections - including apparel and footwear, words and sounds and ornaments and decorations - which feature the works of local artists.
The original clockwork and clock hands that are no longer in use are displayed, along with some of the original exterior wall tiles in a Flemish bond pattern.
Multipurpose rooms are available for local cultural organizations and non-governmental organizations to hold activities.
A retired fifth generation peak tram is displayed in the garden on the first floor with light refreshments available at the adjacent cafe.
There will be an array of souvenirs such as clock tower key chains, eyeglass cloths and blind boxes.
The CLP clock tower building was completed in 1940 and served as the headquarters of the power business for over 70 years. The company relocated its headquarters to Hung Hom in 2012 due to business needs.
The tower design adopted an international modernist architectural style - which emerged in Europe after the First World War - emphasizing simple, symmetrical and geometric elements. The exterior walls are covered with reddish-brown glazed ceramic tiles and feature three electric turret clocks.
The building also retained some rare modernist embellishments, including iron window frames, joints, glass panels and arch-shaped concrete walls.
The building was listed as a grade one historic building by the Antiquities and Monuments Office in 2018.
"The clock tower is a landmark of Kowloon district and is a collective memory of many," said Quince Chong Wai-yan, chief corporate development officer at CLP Power. "We believe the museum can tell old Hong Kong stories.
"We also hope to showcase the development of electricity supply in Hong Kong and its inseparable relationship with the city's socioeconomic development," Chong added.