THE HONG KONG AND FAR EAST BUILDER
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HONG KONG PUBLIC WORKS LEPARTMENT A Review of Work Accomplished January to September 1948
ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE
The first nine months of 1948 was an extremely busy period for the Architectural Office, during which time many important new Government buildings were started and many more planned, ready for development as soon as circumstances permit.
This period marks the completion of the Leighton Hill Flats, the prototype of many similar buildings erected in Hong Kong and Kowloon which are being proceeded with an effort to relieve the housing shortage for Government servants of all grades.
Leighton Hill Flats At the beginning of January, work had only started on the third floor slab of the North Block and work was in progress on the second floor slab of the middle one. By the end of September the flats were practically ready for occupation with the exception of the lifts, all parts for which had not yet arrived, and tenants started to move in by the end of October.
Peak Pavilion Flats This building, similar in design and construction to the Leighton Hill Flats, was started towards the end of 1947, and the foundations completed during January of this year. The concreting of the roof was completed in July, all brickwork and wall concreting work by the end of September, at which time joinery work and fittings were well in hand.
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Queen's Garden Flats · The bill of quantities for this project was prepared in January, tenders approved in June, and by the end of September sixty per cent of the building up to first floor level was completed. This building is also similar in design to the two buildings mentioned above. Progress in this instance is very rapid, due no doubt to the experience gained in the construction of the other two buildings.
King's Park Flats In Kowloon, a large project for the erection of buildings similar to the above is on its way. The contract for the road and retaining wall was let in January, and completed in May. Excavation for site clear- ance then started and all the site formation work was com- pleted by the end of September.
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Old Victoria Hospital The completely looted build- ings which comprise the Victoria Hospital on Barker Road were rehabilitated and redesigned as residential flats of which there are five. Entire work was completed in the early part of 1948 and occupied by families greatly in need of this accommodation.
Other projects carried out during this period were rehabilitation work on No. 361 The Peak, work on which was started in May and almost completed by the end of September; No. 406 The Peak, work on which was started in May and completed and occupied in August; No. 407 The Peak, started early in the year and ready for occupation in May.
In addition, demolition work is in progress and in some cases completed on the important Government properties of Tandaragee, Lysholt, Vila Miramere and Harford, plans for reconstruction of which are under consideration.
Scheme for the new buildings on the site formerly occupied by Nos. 403, 404 and 405 Severn Road is also being considered.
Schools The importance of Hong Kong as an educational centre has always received official recognition. The restoration of school premises so extensively damaged during the occupation has had priority over many other important projects and re-building of schools are now proceeding throughout the Colony. Plans for the new Gap Road School, King's College and Kowloon Junior School are being prepared whilst work on the extension of King George V School was started in the beginning of October.
Police Stations Since law and order is the main- spring of the successful rehabilitation of Hong Kong, the rehabilitation of Police Stations was naturally at the head of the list of P.W.D. planning. Police Stations seem to have been the particular target of mob violence, and, as a result, in addition to the extensive repairs needed for all Police Stations, it was found that new buildings were necessary for the precincts at Gough Hill, Bayview, Shaukiwan, Hunghom and Kowloon City. Plans of these buildings are well advanced and the site formation work on the Shaukiwan Police Station was actually started in September.
The Police Training School at Aberdeen, upon which the future efficiency of the force depends, was completed during June.
In connection with the efficient policing of the Colony, protection against marauders at the Border and the control of undesirables within, surveys were made in conjunction with the Military Authorities, for the construction of block- houses in the New Territories and for a prison camp site at Pingshan. These projects are under active consider- ation and plans are being prepared.
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Markets Another important activity on which the prosperity of the Colony depends is the ample and judicious distribution of markets, and in this connection new market buildings at Taipo and Cheungshawan are being planned while work on a wholesale vegetable market in Kowloon began in April and was completed in July.
As a result of the tremendous growth of the Colony both in population and in wealth, the amount of office space required by all Government Departments is far in excess of pre-war demands. This, combined with the fact that the Offices of the P.W.D. were entirely destroyed, has resulted in the requisition of extensive areas in private office build- ings. The resulting serious curtailment of space required for commercial enterprises has aroused a great deal of public resentment and, in addition, has meant the indis- criminate and inconvenient dissemination of Government offices all over the city. In an effort to improve the situation, more or less temporary offices for the P.W.D. were erected on the site of the former buildings of this Department. At the present time schemes are in prepara- tion for an office block on the site of the former Beaconsfield Arcade, while new offices for the Garden Department and Health Authorities are also being planned,
Finally, amongst other projects receiving attention of this Department may be mentioned the extensions to Queen Mary Hospital and Kowloon Hospital, scheme for develop- ment of bathing pavilions at Repulse Bay and other beaches, a new sub Post Office at Shamshuipo, and a Third Court at the Supreme Court.
BUILDING AUTHORITY'S OFFICE
Tabulated Summary of Activities—January to September, 1948.
Total
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
No. of Plans Received
2302
June July Aug. Sept.
298 182 288 288 257 300 240 214 235
No. of Houses and Other Buildings covered by plans received
No. of Plans approved
3603
+98 299 421 445 434 483 377 311 +35
3490
431 298 484 463 383 322 438 288 383
No. of Houses and Other Buildings covered by plans approved
6221
642
498
865 830
631
712
802 545 696