舊精神病院立面歷史悠久,見證香港精神科醫療服務的發展。此外,大樓又稱為「高街鬼屋」。這類早期巴洛克式地標建築,使用本地物料,造工精準,在香港亦非常罕見。
位於高街2號的舊精神病院於1892年落成,最初是設計及建造為國家醫院人員住所。1939年,為紓緩鄰近的精神病院的擠迫情況,大樓改建為精神病院女病房,因此大樓同樣被稱為「精神病院」。1961年,隨着青山醫院於同年正式啟用,大樓改為日間精神科門診部。1971-1998年間大樓一度空置,1998年重建為西營盤社區綜合大樓,保留了極為罕有的花崗石立面。由於大樓在1939至1961年曾用作精神病院的新增病房。
現時,舊精神病院立面呈L形,內有寬闊的遊廊,較長的一邊面向高街。這座建築大量採用早期巴洛克式細節,包括寬闊的拱形遊廊和下方的粗琢花崗石塊,予人剛健有力、堅不可摧之感。外牆的磨光琢石線腳、檐口、隅石、腰線精巧雅緻,與厚重粗琢花崗石塊對比鮮明。此外,山牆、小尖塔、裝飾性的女兒牆和遊廊的熟鐵欄杆扶手裝飾,使大樓更見優雅。於2015年列為古蹟。
The facade of the Old Mental Hospital is one of the oldest surviving structures testifying the development of mental care services in Hong Kong. It is also affectionately known as the “High Street Haunted House”. Its style of monumental Early-Baroque architecture is rare in Hong Kong, particularly as it is so accurately constructed, using local materials.
Completed in 1892, the Old Mental Hospital at No. 2 High Street was originally designed and constructed as the Medical Staff Quarters of the Government Civil Hospital. In 1939, the Building was converted into the wards for the mentally-ill female patients in order to relieve the overcrowding of the Mental Hospital in its vicinity. In 1961, it became an out-patient clinic for the mentally-ill after the opening of the Castle Peak Hospital in the same year, and was left vacant from 1971 until 1998. In 1998, works commenced to redevelop the site into Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, with the exceptional granite facade of the Building preserved intact. It served as the additional wards of the Mental Hospital from 1939 to 1961.
The existing facade of the Old Mental Hospital is L-shaped in plan, and comprises a wide verandah along the long side facing High Street. The heavy Early-Baroque features, including wide arched verandah and lower level of rusticated granite blocks together create an appearance of strength and impregnability. The fine dressed ashlar mouldings, cornices, quoins and band courses provide an elegant contrast to the heavy rusticated granite blocks. Further graceful effects are achieved by the use of pediments, pinnacles, decorative parapets and ornamental wrought-ironwork balustrading to the verandahs.
It was declared a monument in 2015.