Hong Kong Antiquities Advisory Board has assessed Queen's Pier, built in 1953-54, as a Grade I historic building, the Hong Kong Planning Department said Wednesday.

The grading will have no effect on the options of reassembling the pier, including the option of reassembling it at its original location.

The Planning Department has launched a public consultation on the location and design concepts for reassembling the pier. The advisory board said the grading has taken into account the views of non-governmental concern groups and professional bodies expressed at the public hearing session, in addition to the heritage assessment report the Antiquities & Monuments Office submitted.

The assessment criteria cover many aspects, including historical interest, architectural merit, rarity, group value, social value, collective memory, and authenticity. A Grade I historic building is defined as having outstanding merit and every effort should be made to preserve it, if possible.

The grading mechanism makes no specific requirement on how the built heritage should be preserved. The preservation option will depend on such factors as the building's structure, condition, and features, as well as the technical feasibility.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2007)