BOAF

Adjacent to Yuen Po Street Bird Garden and Mong Kok Flower Market, 190–204 Prince Edward Road West is the largest surviving continuous tenement row in urban Hong Kong and one of the city’s earliest reinforced concrete structures. Designed in 1932 by Belgian architect Gabriel Van Wylick and dubbed the “Modern Flats”, the Streamline Moderne complex features geometric wave-pattern reliefs and curved cantilevered balconies. Its distinct character drew notable filmmakers: local director John Woo once set up his studio here, while Fruit Chan shot rooftop scenes on the building for his indie classic Made in Hong Kong.

To preserve this historical streetscape, the Urban Renewal Authority launched a revitalisation project in 2008, restoring the building’s facade and verandahs before repurposing the space for cultural organisations and social enterprises. Among the tenants is BOAF (short for “Birds of a Feather”), a non-profit community space envisioned as an “offline oasis”. By redesigning workshops on traditional crafts, visitors are invited to connect with the local community through hands-on creation.

Address: 1/F, 190 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon

Photo courtesy of John Ho