GOVERNOR APPEALS FORI
H. K. BEAUTIFICATION
OME Hong Kong streets were being lined with buildings which lacked any architectural merit, the Governor (Sir David Trench) told a gathering of architects last month.
He was speaking at the annual dinner of the Hong Kong Society of Architects.
The Governor said this was unfor- tunate and that the finish and detail on these buildings was "not all it might be."
He said there were excellent in- dividual examples of architectural skill, such as high density Govern- ment and Government aided housing schemes and new schools.
"Where we fail is in some of our urban development and redevelop-
CAVE MEN & ARCHITECTS HONG KONG Governor (Sir
David Trench) came out in defence of architects recently... with a story about cave-men.
The story went like this:
"Architecture is one of the professions, I am afraid, whose handiwork everyone feels free to air their views on, however little they know about it.
"I expect the first man who
ever
came out of his cave and built a log hut was instantly told by his neighbour that the pro- portions were all wrong, and that the hideous thing was spoiling the view.
"His wife probably told him that no self-respecting woman could work properly in the in- commodious corner he had the nerve to call a kitchen and besides, the wind blew through the chinks in the logs.
"His chief then probably came along and said the structure was dangerous and must be streng- thened; at the same time de- manding a tax of five dinosaur's teeth because the hut was cupying clan land.
OC-
"These are the hazards archi- tects still have to face; but the measure of their profession's success is the plain fact that we do not all still live in caves."
ment: some streets are unfortunately being lined with buildings which, I think we must admit, do lack any particular architectural interest or merit and where the finish and detail is not all it might be.
"Efforts have been made to im- prove standards of designs in new town centres at Kwun Tong and San Po Kong, but I cannot say they have entirely met with the success hoped for Sir David said.
"Nethertheless let me hasten to add that even in the field of urban redevelopment there are noteworthy exceptions, and it would be unrealis- tic to pretend that economic and other pressures on client and architect do not often hamper the architect and make it difficult for him to produce his best work”.
The Governor appealed to the architects present to use their pro- fessional weight and influence "to resist undesirable influences" and to see that "the great opportunity pre- sented to us of beautifying Hong Kong architecturally is not lost."
"We do not want future genera- tions to revile us as mere developers, if we can possibly help it" he said.
The Governor said Hong Kong was certainly not without good archi- tecture: "but I do not think anyone would wish to claim that the general standard is uniformly high."
Speaking on the presentation of the Bronze Medal Sir David said: "The jury who awarded this could not have found their task an easy one. This is a great honour to all concerned with the design and con- struction of Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
"The object of this award is to recognise what is good in local archi- tecture as well as to stimulate an improvement in the general standard of architectural design and construc- tion.
"To the architects the Architect- tural Office of the Public Works Department and in particular Messrs. Hirst and Wong; and to their asso- ciated architects, Messrs. Easton and Robertson to the general Contrac- tor Messrs. Fook Lee and Company, including in particular Mr. Ho Sai- chu; and to the clients, the medical department, particularly Dr. Hollway who spent several months working with the architects, I extend my con- gratulations" the Governor said.
THE HONG KỘNG & FAR EAST BUILDER-VOLUME 19, NUMBER 4
New President
Mr. Astbury
AN architect with 10 years ex-
perience in the Far East has been elected the 1965 President of the Hong Kong Society of Architects.
He is Mr. Hugh Cedric Astbury, 41, an architect with the Public Works Department.
Mr. Astbury is the third P.W.D. man to be elected president of the Society. There have been four other presidents.
He has been with the P.W.D. in Hong Kong since 1959, and before that spent more than four years with the P.W.D. in Singapore and several years in private practices in England. He studied at the Architectural Association School, London, after serving in the Royal Artillary during the War.
Last year he was Honorary Secret- ary of the Society. There are 230 members.
"In the last year the Society made further good progress, and I hope this progress will be maintained during my term. Our main aim will be to further the aims of our Society
'the encouragement of the study of Architecture and of the arts and sciences connected therewith"" Mr. Astbury said in an interview.
At the moment the new president is working on the layout of three parks in a new housing estate: em- ployee quarters; and extensive altera- tions to government offices.
He is married with two children. The retiring president is Mr. Edward W.K. Lee. Mr. Stanley Kwok was elected Vice-president: Mr. Christopher Haffner Hon. Secre- tary: and Mr. Jackson Wong, Hon. Treasurer.
Council members elected are: Jack Faber, Patricia Mayne, Joseph Lei F. de Paula Baptista. Alan Fitch. and Alfred Alvares.
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