TOWER BLOCK
FOR
CIVIL SERVANTS
Offices have no internal columns
F
IN walls placed at an angle of 45 degrees to form a protection against the east and west sun will be a feature of a new 27-storey govern- ment office block, soon to be built in Garden Road, Hong Kong.
Designed to relieve the present shortage of office accommodation for government departments, the build- ing will be located opposite the east wing of the Central Government Offices. A flyover approach may be built at a later stage.
When completed, the building will be about 300 ft. high, including basements, and is the tallest so far planned by Hong Kong Government. It will occupy about 17,500 sq. ft. of the former detention barracks site at the steeply sloping southern end of Murray Barracks.
AV.
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CABINET RM
The structure will be entirely of reinforced concrete with a central core containing the lifts, staircases, lavatories, switch rooms and other utility rooms.
By making use of this design, the architect has provided around the central core unrestricted office space with no internal columns on any floor.
The offices are planned in a rec- tangular tower block, seated on a podium which will contain the en- trance as well as parking spaces. A semi-basement under the podium will provide additional parking for cars.
The position and orientation of the building has been dictated by the existence of a number of old and large kapok, Cassia Javanica and Chinese Hackberry trees. In order
OFFICES
OFFICES
CABINET RM.
LAV
A
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
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PLAN
DETAILS OF R. C. FINS
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BONES
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40 FT
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LIGHTING COMÔNCTER TAKE
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·STRUCTURAL PLOOR.
PON BOARD
Model of the 27-storey building
to preserve these trees, the parking and entrance podium has been de-- signed in such a way that their · growth will not be impeded.
This has been achieved by con- structing the podium around, the trees and leaving a free area for the admission of light, air and rain. Provision is included in the site for- mation contract for the protection and support the trees during the execution of the work.
Vehicular access to the tower block will be by way of a service road from the new proposed Kapok Drive. This will pass under the building to the entrance, which is situated at fourth floor level above the semi-basement. After discharging passengers, cars will go down two floors on a ramp within the tower block to the podium and thence to the semi-basement and exits.
Pedestrians will also have access to the buildings by a similar route. They can also enter the building at the podium entrance level by way of Kapok Drive.
The semi-basement will contain air-conditioning plant rooms and stores, in addition to parking spaces. The new building will provide about 228,000 sq. ft. of office accom- modation. This includes circulation space but excludes the area for the central core.
Tenders have been invited for the site formation work but the main construction is not expected to start until early 1966.
Plans
are by the Architectural Office of the Public Works Depart- ment (Project architect: Mr. R. J. Phillips, ARIBA).
Far East Architect & Builder April, 1965
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