MENG KUNG MUR
SECONDARY SCHOOL
NEW ROAD
QUEEN'S
ROAD
EAST
NEW ROKO
Just
A
QUAR
GOVERNMENT
CAR PARK
Hall interior showing triangular fenestration below the folded roof
The provision of as much open playspace as possible on the rocky, 49,240 sq. ft. site was also a major consideration in laying out the school building. The solution was to contain all the accommodation in a single, long rectangular block, located east-west on the northern boundary, with its ground floor entirely devoted to play grounds.
In addition to the multi-purpose hall, the accommodation originally required by the clients was: 24 class- rooms each for 45 pupils, library, humanities room, art room staff room for 40 teachers, principal's room, general office, sitting room, medical inspection room, canteen and kitchen, caretakers' quarters for eight people, demonstration room, activities room
chapel for 100 people and head- master's quarters.
However due to a limited budget. certain accommodation had to be reduced. The headmaster's quarters and the chapel were omitted and cer- tain special rooms were combined. As a grant-in-aid school, it must comply with Government specifications and be kept within an approved budget. Sur- plus expenditure is paid by the school itself.
Location of the long block along the northern boundary gives the class- rooms an outlook over open space. Placed nearer the south they would face future industrial buildings. An open corridor on the south side of the block shields the classrooms from the
sun.
Ground floor open space below the classroom block
Block plan
There are 27 bays in the long block. Each day has a grid of 12 ft. 81⁄2 in., except for two bays of 12 ft. which are staircases. Two grids form a classroom 25 ft. 5 in. x 22 ft. 11⁄2 in.
One staircase is at the fourth bay from the east so cutting off a zone for teachers' rooms and prefects rooms. while the other is at the fifth bay from the west, cutting off a zone for special rooms. Classrooms occupy the first, second and third floors between the staircases. Special rooms occupy the fourth and fifth floors and the western ends of the lower floors. Lavatories are located at the two ends of the block. A reinforced concrete framed column and beam system was used for the school building. External walls are finished in cement and sand plaster covered with two coats of Durocrete. A washable distemper is applied over plaster on the internal walls, which have a in. x 4 in. dado of unglazed mosaic tiles.
In the classrooms the flooring is 1 in. trowelled grano with a 3 ft. 6 in. high grano dado, and in the hall the floor is 1/8 in. thick asphalt tiles. Win- dow frames are 14 in. section zinc- sprayed galvanised steel
Contractors
The contract sum for the school and auditorium was HK$2,172,310. Construction took 280 working days. Technic Investment & Construc- tion Co. was the main contractor. Sub- contractors included:
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Site formation Siu Kin & Co. Ltd.
Stage lighting and engineering equipment The Jardine Engineering Corporation Ltd.
Installation of public adress system - Philips Hong Kong Ltd.
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Built-in furniture Foo Wing Building Construction Co.
Movable furniture - Ying Kee Safe & Furniture Co. Ltd.
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Hall chairs Houtoku Furniture HK Ltd.
Far East BUILDER, August 1970
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