HONG KONG, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- A 1930s neoclassical building at No. 123 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, has long been a witness to Hong Kong's evolution. Once the old Wan Chai Police Station, this 1,950-square-meter structure now houses the headquarters of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), a landmark shift that blends the city's history with its emerging role in global governance.
For Wong Kai Wing Terence, now a neighborhood police coordinator with the Mong Kok District Police Community Relations Office, who joined the police force in 1992, the building is more than brick and mortar. It was his first posting, where he served for a decade and witnessed Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997.
"Tens of thousands gathered at the nearby ferry terminal that night," he recalled. "At midnight, we changed our Royal Hong Kong Police Force badges to Hong Kong Police Force ones, with the crown on top replaced by a bauhinia. This building was part of that historic moment."
The station's heyday reflected Wan Chai's status as a bustling transport and commercial hub. "The station was old but full of character," Wong noted. "Its wooden stairs creaked with every step. The layout was compact, with the report room, briefing room and armory all close by, so colleagues crossed paths constantly and built tight-knit bonds. There were no elevators -- everyone, including senior officers, had to climb the stairs on foot."
The old Wan Chai Police Station is among the few pre-WWII police stations still standing in Hong Kong. Completed in 1932, it once overlooked Victoria Harbor; land reclamation in the 1960s and 1970s surrounded it with skyscrapers, dimming its harbour-view appeal. By 2010, outdated facilities and high maintenance costs forced a relocation to nearby Arsenal Street. For over a decade, revitalization plans stalled, until 2024, when IOMed negotiators chose it as the organization's headquarters. The IOMed was officially inaugurated on Oct. 20, 2025.
The renovation, carried out between April 2024 and June 2025, balances preservation and modernization. The exterior, a Grade-2 historic building, retains its marble columns and brick details; the blue-gray facade has been refreshed to white, and elevators have been added. Inside, the changes are symbolic of the building's new mission.
"The overarching concept of the renovation is to breathe new life into historical heritage, integrating international grandeur with Chinese cultural essence," said Luo Wei, deputy director of the Department of Public Relations of the IOMed Secretariat.
Luo noted that the interior incorporates numerous elements reflecting mediation culture and values. For instance, the "World Mediation Corridor" on the first floor displays such core principles of mediation as peace, voluntariness, equality and flexibility in multiple languages.
This fusion of culture and function is inspiring. The IOMed is the world's first intergovernmental legal organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, and the first such body to base its headquarters in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
In a previous interview with Xinhua, Teresa Cheng, the organization's secretary-general, underscored the building's design and role in fostering dialogue: "A harmonious, elegant setting helps parties approach negotiations with calm."
Having known this building like the back of his hand, Wong suggested a visitor route covering its highlights: the classic marble columns at the Gloucester Road main entrance, the lobby, the well-preserved armory, and the historic guard tower and old perimeter walls at the Jaffe Road back entrance.
"This building survived heavy Japanese artillery fire during WWII and stood tall again after extensive renovations," he said, running his hand along the wall. "This building has always had a mission. First policing, now peacemaking. Its work isn't done."
