Hong Kong Builder
ROYAL HONG KONG YACHT CLUB
Kellett Island
Architects:
Messrs. Leigh & Orange.
9
The Clubhouse from the Lyemun approach as it will look when completed. Photographed from the Model.
Kellett Island, the site for the new headquarters of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, lies some 800 feet from the sea wall at the end of Percival Street, and the problem was to develop the rocky island with its existing buildings and magazines to make the fullest use of the potentialities as a Clubhouse.
On the island were two blocks of ammunition maga- zines, separated and inclined to one another at an acute angle. The angle was filled by a rocky knoll. In addition, there were two blocks of buildings with blue brick walls and China tile roofs, both of which had suffered consider- able damage from the 1937 typhoon. The walls of the
magazines on the seaward sides were 14 ft. 6 in. thick,
built of squared granite blocks, the other wall being a bare 6 ft. thick. They were roofed by arches, 5 ft. 9 in. high at the springing and 9 ft. at the crown, and covered by two feet of earth.
The plan adopted consisted in outline of converting the magazine block facing west into Boathouses, that facing north-east into Changing Rooms, and joining the two with the Clubrooms. This has been done by making the main rooms circular in plan, which not only solves the problem of forming the junction of the two wings most comfortably, but also allows the whole of the sailing waters of the Harbour to be in view from the Main Lounge or the Verandah. The level of the knoll joining the magazines was reduced and the spoil dumped into
forming a small sheltered harbour for the landing of dinghies and the launching of rowing boats. The three access doors into the new boathouses through the 14 foot granite walling provided the masonry for the breakwater and launching slipway.
Access to the Club after landing at the granite steps opposite Percival Street is by a flight of steps onto the western magazines, and by a covered Loggia over the Boathouses to the main Entrance Hall. The Entrance Ha gives onto a Men's Cloak Room on the right and to four Bowling Alleys on the left, which have been con- structed over the Boathouses, and extend over the
Servants' Quarters block which is planned at the boathouse
level. The Alleys are at two levels, two alleys being over the existing arches of the Boathouses, and two 6 ft. 8 in. lower, at the level of the entrance to the Boathouses, From the lower pair of formed in the granite wall. Bowling Alleys a staircase gives access to a gallery lead- ing to the Changing Rooms in the north-east wing. Space has been found in this block for two Squash Courts in addition to Men's and Ladies' Changing Rooms, Shower Room and Lavatories, and the Heating Chamber. A staircase up to the Squash Court gallery also gives access to the Ladies' Changing Room. A secondary access to this Changing Room is also arranged from a covered way leading from the main Verandah of the Clubhouse.