Civic treasures must be spared

Earlier this month I sent an e-mail to my good friend Bernard Chan, chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, about the buildings at 6 and 8 Kennedy Road ('Historic homes lie empty as fears of wrecking ball grow', February 8).Members of my family were frequent visitors to Manks [in a two-storey annex on the site], an upmarket furniture boutique featuring designer pieces from Scandinavian countries.

We would spend hours inside this absolutely magnificent building.

Its architectural features remind us of Hong Kong's colonial past while also offering a glimpse of the way the wealthy locals lived in the 1940s and 1950s.

Across from Manks are two neo-Gothic-style mansions gently laced with old Chinese design elements. I would respectfully urge members of the board to think carefully before deciding on the fate of 6 and 8 Kennedy Road and the annex.

As a Hongkonger who loves the arts, culture and period architecture, all I can say is that tearing these buildings down would be a grave mistake, similar to the destruction of landmarks such as the old Gloucester Building and the General Post Office.

Haven't we done enough damage already? Aren't there painful lessons out there to be learned? When do we learn them?