conditions when the site was sold, rapid circulation and dispersal of dark coloured to enhance the overall Italian Saivo Glass Mosaics which included hotel premises, it was of pedestrians. From the 4th floor up effect.
be used in various colour finally learned that the new building there will be office space around the will would provide shops and offices only. central perimeter corridor with the combinations for facing the exterior The building is being erected in two partitioning of the offices so arranged walls to obtain the desired artistic sections. The Queen's Road half to as to enable units to be rented rang- effects and to provide a permanent stand until the first section is com- ing in area from about 170 square finish which will require the minimum of maintenance. The ground floor and pleted. This first section is now in feet and upwards. course of erection and it is expected In the basement in the first portion, the two floors above being the shop to be completed about the end of there will be a huge airconditioning fronts will have huge panes of plate- March next year. There was consider- room, a boiler room, and an electrical glass extending full length between the This will give an able delay in starting the project substation and eventually, when the vertical columns. partly, because of the expected chan- building is completed, additional shops impression of lightness to the base of ges in the building regulations which will be provided, also around a central the building in contrast to the close would permit of a higher structure arcade on this floor as well.
and heavy webbing of the upper
than was originally visualized and Another feature which places this portion of the facade. partly on account of the aforemention- building amongst the highest ranks of The pilasters to the shopping arcade ed negotiations. When the new build- commercial structures is the fact that will be in "Negro Marquina". a black ing was finally started, considerable it will be centrally airconditioned up Spanish marble with white veining, difficulties were encountered in the to and including the twelfth floor. which will extend to the ceiling. Some excavation of the foundations owing Above this, individual cooling units contrast will be given by a 4" skirt-
ESCALATORE
Sketch view of the arcade arrangement, looking towards the escalators. to the amount of rock which was will be used as desired by each tenant. quite unexpectedly encountered. This There will be a total of 8 passenger part of the construction work took lifts in the new building, concentrated almost year to complete, but once about the two entrances at the back. the initial difficulties were overcome, In addition there will be a large the erection of the building itself has service and goods lift accessible only been proceeding at a good rate. from the new private lane, and a The total height of the building will loading platform in the northeast be seventeen floors with a penthouse corner of the building which will above and the unusual feature of the enable trucks to load and unload planning will be the huge shopping goods without blocking the carriage- centre comprising the first four floors, way. from the basement to the second floor
The eight passenger lifts will be of which will be devoted to shops, laid extra large capacity operating at 700 out about an arcade with all four feet per minute, and will be electroni- floors connected by a series of escala- cally controlled to reduce waiting time tors, wide stairways and rapid moving to a minimum. lifts.
Architecturally, the exterior of the A wide private lane which will con- building will be very attractive, partic- nect to both Queen's Road and Des ularly on the west side, which is the Voeux Road is being provided between main elevation. Every window will the new building and Marina House be protected from the direct sunlight onto which there will be two large with concrete sun louvers designed to entrances on the ground floor leading shade the offices yet provide an in- into the lane from the building. These direct soft reflected natural light. The will be in addition to the main en- horizontal fascia below windows at trance from Pedder Street and from each floor level will be flush with the Queen's Road and will facilitate the outside to the brise soleil and will be
32
ing in a German brownish gray marble.
When the first part of the building is completed, the tenants of the old building will be moved into it and demolition will start immediately. If the foundations do not take longer than the estimated nine months to complete, this second section should be ready for occupation early in 1960. The total cost of the completed build- ing is estimated to be ten million dollars.
The architect is Mr. Fung Tsun A.R.I.B.A., F.I.A.A., and Mr. Eric Cumine F.R.I.B.A., A.A.DIP., A.I. A.A. is the consultant for the eleva- tion design.
Contractors & Suppliers
section:
for first
General Contractors: Paul Y. Con-
struction Co.
Carrier Air-Conditioning: Interna-
tional Engineering Ltd.
Franki Piling: Hong Kong Engineer-
ing & Construction Co., Ltd. Aluminium Shop-Fronts: Hong
Kong Aluminium Ltd. Electrical Installations:
Jardine Engineering Corporation Ltd. Plumbing & Sanitary Fixtures:
Dodwell & Co., Ltd.
Sloan Naval Flush Valves: Inniss
& Riddle (China) Ltd. Steel Windows: Canton Metal Win-
dow Mfg. Co., Ltd.
Fire Fighting Installations: Victory
Manufacturing Co.
Hardware: Shewan, Tomes & Co.,
Ltd.
Saivo Glass Mosaic Facing Tiles: Demig Trading Co., (Far East) Ltd. Elevators: Otis Elevator Co. Marble: Raoul Bigazzi