Yau Ma Tei Police Station was built in 1922. Additions were made after World War II, including a 1957 extension wing to serve as barracks and an accommodation block, to the west of the existing station. During the 1966 riots the police station was attacked by a mob but the police managed to suppress it rapidly.
Architecture
The neoclassical Main Block is built in EdwardianFree Style. There is a traditional portico on both sides of Canton Road and Public Square Street. The main entrance is a semi-circular portico set in the indented corner at the junction of Public Square Street and Canton Road. Such indented corners are features often used for feng shui reasons.
Conservation status
On 18 December 2009 the building was classified as a Grade 2historic building. Part of the new wing which was constructed in 1950's is proposed to be underpinned as part of the reprovisioning works associated with the construction of the three-laned Central Kowloon Route in order to retain the structure of the existing structural form for the benefit of future generations. The original building has a large side gate opening onto Public Square Street, to the right of the main entrance. This gate has been permanently locked since at least the late 1970s, because opening is deemed unlucky after a number of shooting incidents involving officers who left the station via the gate. In one corner of the compound there is a small shrine to ward off the bad fung-shui which some believe to be created by the adjacent Gascoigne Road Flyover. In the wake of growing heritage conservation awareness following the demolition of the Star Ferry Pier in Edinburgh Place, lawmakers are threatening to block funding of the project.
Cultural appearances
The Yau Ma Tei Police Station is the location of a scene of the 2001 filmRush Hour 2. However, because the scene called for an explosion, the real filming had to be done in a movie studio, where wires and other special effects could be used. The station was also featured in the 2007 TVB programme On the First Beat. It was used multiple times for shots of the canteen, locker rooms, and other locations.
