about people
By HUGH LUNN
Mr. Arthur May, the man who designed Hong Kong's traffic pagoda. His design has earned him а verbal gold medal
N
OT many men have made a world hit with their sole piece of architecture. Even less have received no acclaim for their accomplishment.
But such is the case with Mr. Arthur May the man who designed Hong Kong's famous police traffic stand, better known as the Pagoda.
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Mr. May, under his usual "unnamed" title the man who designed the Pagoda came into the news recently when Hong Kong University Professor of Architecture, Professor W.G. Gregory writing on Hong Kong architecture said "Contrast all this ("concrete jungle") with the one piece of real civic design, the point duty policeman's shelter, which has style, character, and a taste of the traditional. Whoever designed this deserves a gold medal."
"There are not many people who know I de- signed the Pagoda" Mr. May, now retired, said in an interview last month, "only the men I worked with in the Public Works Department, and Alex."
Alex was Mr. Alex Morrison, Hong Kong's Chief Superintendent of Traffic. Mr. Morrison had in fact told me that Mr. May was the Pagoda designer.
Traffic Pagoda
"We wanted something practical while retaining an Oriental character. Arthur May produced the Pagoda which
regard we
as the ideal combination" Mr. Morrison said.
Favourable Comments
"As well as proving ideal for the job, and offering proved protection it has become one of the most photo- graphed features of Hong Kong, and has been the subject of many favourable comments from tourists and locals over the years" he said.
He
Mr. May, a moustached, quiet, youthful-looking Englishman, has lived in Hong Kong for 26 years. retired three years ago to live in a comfortable apart- ment overlooking the harbour.
"I always had ambitions as an architect, but I was kept too busy" (as a Public Works Department electrical inspector).
From a small model of a Pagoda built for him by his colleagues, Mr. May explained why he designed the Pagoda the way he did:
"About 12 years ago Alex Morrison decided he needed something more than wooden boxes for point duty traffic control. As it would be in the public eye he wanted something aesthetic as well as practical.
Far East Architect & Builder January, 1965
"Because this was Hong Kong I decided an Oriental touch was a necessity thus the Pagoda-type roof.
"For aesthetic value and visibility, concrete was I decided ordinary water-pipes would be the most suitable superstructure.
out.
"Actually, the design was a practical one. The base was made 2 ft. 6 in. high so the policeman would be visible to motorists. A 2 ft. 10 in. railing was needed to keep the policeman safely inside. To allow free arm-swinging this was slanted outwards. For conformity, the four roof-holding pipes were slanted at a similiar angle.
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"A roof was necessary to protect the man from sun and rain and this was the obvious place to try some- thing in the way of eye-pleasing design But although the Pagoda roof was designed primarily for its aesthetic value, it also had a practical value. The six curved panels between the Pagoda horns carried rain water down in streams thus preventing the policeman from being surrounded by a wall of water during a storm," he said. One thing he did not want, he said, was a gutter and drain.
Insulated Roof
"Two things were included to help overcome Hong Kong's intense summer heat. The roof was insulated. and in some cases exhaust-type fans were installed in the timber floor.
"The curved pieces on the designed to set off the design with the six Pagoda roof ribs. purpose.
slanting steel base were six pieces to conform But these also had a
"Six lights under a steel skirt at the top of the base were to illuminate the slanting white base and also 'keep left' arrows in six perspex window. The lights were to flick on and off, creating the effect that the arrows were These six pieces prevented travelling around the base. the one bulb lighting up two arrows.
"However the arrows were not allowed because of an ordinance, and normal 'keep left' signs in both languages were installed" he said.
"The policeman was to be illuminated by a bulb set up inside the ceiling. This, while illuminating the man, kept the bulb invisible to the motorist thus preventing any glare. A flashing red light was built into the top of the Pagoda roof."
Mr. May explained that the roof was constructed so it could be removed by taking out one bolt. This was for "typhoon-time" when it could be taken away for safe keeping.
The roof is 6ft. 7in. in diameter, and 2ft. 11 in. high The Pagoda itself is 12ft. 10 in. high.
There are now 44 Pagodas in operation in Hong Kong.
FOOTNOTE: Mr. May has a further claim to fame for traffic design. He designed Hong Kong's spring-load- ed traffic bollards. These 3ft. high triangular traffic- directing posts now rarely break after being struck by a car. Three large springs underneath the bollard save it from smashing against the road,
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