Poll to decide Hong Kong's most liked architecture of the last century

Despite the dazzling skyline around Victoria Harbour and soaring towers everywhere, Hong Kong doesn't celebrate its architecture the way cities such as Barcelona, Chicago, Istanbul, London, Rome and Tel Aviv do.

An ongoing campaign, "My 10 Most Liked Hong Kong Architecture of the Century", aims to change that. Organised by the Hong Kong Architecture Centre, a non-profit that seeks to promote appreciation of the city's buildings, it has shortlisted 100 sites for which people vote.

"Sometimes we forget to look at our city, which actually has a lot of great architecture," says Corrin Chan Chui-yi, the chairwoman of the organising committee. "By launching this initiative we want to increase society's awareness of our architectural heritage."

The public vote also reflects today's social climate, says Chan, an architect who trained in Hong Kong and the US. "While much of the older generation came from the mainland and saw the city as a temporary refuge, many younger people call Hong Kong home, and are keen to take part in social affairs," she says.

When the Architecture Centre began selecting candidates for its poll last autumn, it received more than 350 nominations. A panel of 12 architects, engineers, historians, academics and cultural leaders whittled these down to the shortlist of 100 sites.

Their campaign probably wouldn't have drawn the same response if it had been organised a decade or two earlier, when historic sites could be demolished without much protest, Chan says.