The Foundation
The Crescent Garden Foundation was established to advance philanthropy, scholarship and access in Architecture and the Built Environment.
The Foundation’s mission is to honour and perpetuate the Siu clan's 160-years of recorded legacy, whose multi-generational contributions have been important in shaping Hong Kong society through key architectural projects, urban development, and the preservation of architectural heritage.
Through successive generations, the clan has exemplified responsible custodianship and civic leadership that transcends any single lifetime. Reflecting the clan’s diaspora, the Foundation’s impact now extends internationally beyond Hong Kong.
By supporting Architecture and the Built Environment, as well as educational institutions and preservation initiatives, the Foundation affirms a belief that its efforts will increasingly be measured not in physical form, but in the permanence and stewardship of values established by its earliest recorded patriarch well over a century ago.
Philanthropic Mission
In tribute to the late Mr. Siu’s philanthropic vision, whose endowment in the 1920s facilitated the establishment of the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital, the Foundation remains guided by a spirit of enduring public service and civic responsibility.
Today, the Crescent Garden Foundation supports students, academic institutions, professional bodies, and cultural institutions engaged in advancing Architecture and the Built Environment, particularly in regions connected to the clan’s diaspora. Through awards, scholarships, and institutional partnerships, the Foundation seeks to promote excellence in architectural design, cultural preservation, and scholarly research, ensuring that the clan’s architectural and societal legacy continues to benefit communities worldwide.
THE CLAN’S HISTORIC iMPACT
The Pre-War Era
Our earliest recorded patriarch, the late Mr. Siu Un, had already earned a distinguished reputation as a reliable building contractor from the 1890s. He devoted himself to nurturing his children, who would later emerge as prominent figures in Hong Kong’s construction industry, while also expanding holdings through strategic land acquisitions in the modern-day Wan Chai and Happy Valley districts.
In the 1920s, during the final decade of his life, and at a time when access to modern medical care remained limited for the Chinese community in Hong Kong, Mr. Siu made a generous and far-sighted contribution towards the establishment of the Tung Wah Eastern Hospital. This early act of philanthropy not only addressed an urgent social need but also exemplified the clan’s enduring dedication to the welfare of the community it had long served.
The Grade II listed hospital stands as notable architecture today, where symmetry meets curves, verandahs and balanced colonnades. Its arched windows invite light and ventilation, while its well-proportioned form and aesthetic features reflect the ambition of British colonial architecture in the Far East.
The Post-War Reconstruction and
Development
In the decades following the Second World War, members of the clan contributed as architects, surveyors, engineers and contractors in supporting the city’s transformative post-war urban expansion.
Their accomplishments spanned industrial, commercial, and civic projects, contributing to the city’s modernisation while preserving heritage. These multi-generational architectural achievements reflect the clan’s expertise, civic stewardship and enduring influence.
The projects below represent a selection of key developments that members of the clan were involved with across generations.
South Sea Textile Manufacturing
Co. (Tsuen Wan, 1948):
A large-scale flagship facility that marked the inception of Hong Kong’s emergence as a textile manufacturing powerhouse of that era.
Printing house (duddell streeT, 1950):
Among the first large-scale printing establishments in Hong Kong. It catered to the expanding needs of local media, charitable and commercial enterprises.
State theatre (king’s road, formerly empire theatre, 1952):
A culturally and architecturally significant structure distinguished by the innovative use of parabolic concrete arches. In 2017, it was designated as a Grade I listed historic building.
Alexandra House (Des Voeux Road, 1952):
A technically challenging development in the Central business district, amalgamating historic sites including the Royal Buildings and Cecil Hotel. Alexandra House housed prominent British firms, and the offices of the family's architecture and construction businesses, Siu Kin & Co. and G.W. Grey & Co., on the 10th Floor of the building.
RAIMONDI COLLEGE PRIMARY SECTION (sTUBBS rOAD, 1966):
A project that supported the expansion of Catholic educational institutions in Hong Kong. Formerly housed St. Margaret’s College.
Catholic Mission School of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church (Rutter St, 1967):
A project that supported the expansion of Catholic educational institutions in Hong Kong.
