Roberts Block Creative Arts Therapy Centre

Looking over Queensway from Kennedy Road, the Roberts Block stands prominently among the trees. Built in the early 20th century, it was an extension of the old Victoria Barracks and was originally known as the married soldiers' quarters ‘Block E’. Following the Second World War, it was renamed after then-Brigadier G.P. Roberts. Following the handover of the barracks to the government in 1979, the building served as a hostel for the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association from 1986 to 2013. In 2009, it was declared a Grade I historic building. 

The north elevation of the three-storey block is supported by red-brick square columns in elegant Edwardian Classical Revival style, with open verandahs stretching across every level in response to the heat and humidity in Hong Kong. The building still retains its original steel staircases, half-glazed wooden doors, and fanlights and currently operates as a creative arts therapy centre, supporting the mental, physical, and wholistic well-being of local residents. 

Address: 42A Kennedy Road, Central, Hong Kong

Photo courtesy of Roberts Block Creative Arts Therapy Centre