HONG KONG
Ocean Terminal
Approaches and main entrance
F
ACTUAL articles on Hong Kong's new Ocean Terminal have pre- viously appeared in this journal and it is not intended here to describe the structure and engineering design but to sum up the feeling of the building to the user and to evaluate it in archi- tectural terms.
It
The terminal occupies what is prob- ably the central spot in the Colony so far as transport, commerce, shopping and entertainment are concerned. is next to the main ferry route be- tween Kowloon and Hong Kong Is- land and is close to the Colony's main shopping and entertainment area.
In the near future the terminal will be connected to more shops, a cinema and bowling centre to be incorporated in a new building now being erected on an adjacent site. Thus this part of Kowloon should readily attract large crowds of people who will make the terminal a really viable proposi-
tion.
It was many years ago that the owners, Hong Kong & Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co. conceived the idea of providing not only berth- ing facilities for the largest passenger ships and godown space, but a focal centre for tourists and residents with shops, restaurants and car parking for shoppers and commuters.
Mr. S.E. Faber was appointed con- sultant engineer in 1948 to draw up preliminary ideas, but the
some
Far East Architect & Builder July, 1966
OCEAN TERMINAL
an architectural evaluation
scheme remained dormant until 1962. Then Mr. Jon Prescott was appointed as architect to work with the engineer in drawing up designs to the owners requirements and to be responsible for the design of the fin- ishes.
The plans and structural form for the whole project were prepared by the engineer in consultation with the architect, while the tendering contrac- tors were left to decide what methods they would use to carry out the job. The construction contract was placed with Taylor Woodrow International, Ltd. in association with Paul Y Con- struction Co. in 1964 and the first pile was sunk in January 1965.
Many Changes
In designing the Ocean Terminal, a pier length sufficient to berth two medium-sized cargo ships, or slightly longer than the largest liners, was de- cided upon. This has not changed since the project got under way, but the design of the building on top of the pier and the interior facilities have undergone many changes.
Because of the amenities required
by Dean Sherwin
the building came to occupy almost the total length of the pier, with the transit godown occupying the whole of the lowest floor, shopping arcades on two levels and car parking at the fourth and roof levels.
Clear spaces as large as possible were required within the building and frames were placed at 25 ft. centres along the length. The centre span of the frames is 45 ft., with the spans on either side becoming progressively smaller.
The pier, which is also the floor of the godown, and the building above, are both supported on their own sets of foundations. Originally it was in- tended that the pier and the structure above shoud be completely detached from one another, but after work on the building had commenced it was decidel that this was unnecessary.
Before work started it was also de- cided to reduce the length of the building, but not of the pier, by 150 ft. This was in order to reduce costs. the shorter length being considered sufficient to include the optimum number of shops.
The length of the building, exclud- ing approaches, is now 1,000 ft, and
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