THE HONG KONG AND FAR EAST BUILDER
Items of Interest
Through the courtesy of Messrs. Davie, Boag & Co., Ltd., who are the local agents for Messrs. H. H. Robertson Co., we are able to present two photographs of historical interest to Hong Kong.
The photograph above is a picture taken of Kai Tak Aerodrome in 1931 and is an eloquent testimony to the progress this place has made as an airport centre during the past seventeen years. This R.F.C. hangar was the first building erected at Kai Tak, and in the construction thereof 82,196 square feet of 22 gauge Robertson V-Beam Sheeting was used,
The illustration on the left is of the section of the Kowloon Godowns which suffered from a dis- astrous fire a few months ago. The interest in this photograph centres in the resistance to the terrific heat generated during the fire displayed by the Ro- bertson ventilator which had been installed on the roof.
NEW PRODUCT
We have recently been shown a very attractive range of synthetic resin impregnated and ccated wall panels and veneered boards by Swire & MacLaine Ltd. These are made in an extraordinarily wide range of colours and finishes. The writer laid a burning cigarette on a table top for five minutes. At the end of that time there was a smudge on the surface which was rubbed away with the finger, leaving no visible mark. Besides a very wide range of attractive colours, a board is made incorporating a veneer of grained wood, walnut, mahogany, etc., covered with a layer of synthetic resin, which gives the appearance of the finest French polish whilst retaining hard-wearing proper- ties not possessed by French polish.
The prices seem somewhat high at first sight, but con- sidering the total costs of giving a normal wall a high class paint or other finish and the maintenance of this finish, these synthetic resin panels would appear to cost no more in the long run. Swire & MacLaine have some beautifully produced booklets showing a wide variety of application of these panels ranging from the "Queen Elizabeth" to a Lyons tea-shop which should offer many valuable suggestions to architects.
THE WIMPEY NEWS SHEET
We acknowledge the courtesy of George Wimpey & Co. Ltd. in sending us a number of copies of their periodical, "The Wimpey News Sheet." This is a monthly illustrated paper detailing the activities of the firm and of individuals in it in various parts of the world.
A feature that struck us is that most of the contents appear to be contributed voluntarily by the staff of the firm. There must be a brotherly spirit in Wimpey's which reflects great credit on the management.
Each issue of the periodical is full of excellent photo- graphs and descriptive articles of engineering and building work and peculiar difficulties met and overcome in many parts of the world.
Although Wimpey's are one of the famous British con- tracting firms in Europe and the Middle East they have only recently commenced operations in the Far East, having opened up a branch in Singapore. We welcome them to the Far East and wish them every success,
STALEY REALTY COMPANY
TEL. 26032
REAL ESTATE BROKERS AND VALUERS
ESTATE MANAGERS
708 MARINA HOUSE
HONG KONG
CABLES
"STALEY”'
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