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(Above) Photograph of the architect's model. (Left) Ground floor plan.
The development of the land origin- clear floor areas required in the up- ally belonging to the Asiatic Petroleum per floors of the building. Company, situated between Electric
On the other side of the lift, and opening off the entrance hall is a lobby giving access to the printing department, which takes up more
Road and King's Road in the Cause- For the sake of convenience, the way Bay district, is proceeding business department will be located than half of the ground floor. There rapidly. Just to the north of the on the ground floor at the front of are two outside doors to the printing new office building for the National the building. Because of the heavy department at the south-west corner Cash Register Company (previously machinery to be installed, the print of the building, one leading to Shell reviewed) is another impressive com- ing department will also be located Street and the other to Merlin mercial building for the Sing Pao on the ground floor. This will reduce Street; both of these are large enough Daily News, a local Chinese newspa- to a minimum the handling of the to accommodate trucks delivering per with a large daily circulation of heavy rolls of newsprint, each 80.000 copies. This new structure which weighs some 500.700 pounds. A will not only house the business of newspaper with as large a circulation fices of the company, but will also as the Sing Pao Daily News will accommodate its editorial offices, use about nine of these rolls every printing and type-setting depart- day. ments, and provide quarters for the staff.
of
On the mezzanine floor there will be offices. The first floor will be The site, which is a little over 4,500 mainly occupied by the type-setting square feet in area, has its main department, the second floor by the
on department, and
the frontage on King's Road to the east; editorial to the south and west are newly third floor, a reception hall, meeting formed roads which have been named room and additional offices. The re- Shell Street and Merlin Steet respec- mainder of the building will be used tively. The site thus formed by for staff recreation and quarters. the adjoining properties is quite ir- regular in shape, and because of this fact considerable ingenuity has had to be exercised in the designing of the building to make the utmost use of this valuable land.
The main
corner entrance
newsprint and other supplies or de- parting with newspapers. There is а further entrance for personnel alongside the truck entrance on Merlin Street; from this entrance access may be had directly to the upper storeys by means of a second- ary staircase. In one corner of the printing department is a casting room fitted with an extractor fan to the yard.
Most of the printing department has a height of 19' 6", but there is a mezzanine floor over the rest of the ground floor intended for offices. The entire first floor is occupied by the type-setting department with a type melting room over the casting room on the ground floor, and similarly
fitted with an extractor fan over the window to the yard. The editing de- partment takes up most of the second floor, with the Chief Editor's office. a filing and record room and a small store occupying the remainder of the
will consist of a large stair and lift hall leading to the business department at the front of the building which will have a long counter separating the public space from the staff work The shape of the site, and the fact ing section. From the staff area in that the building will be located on the business department, doors lead the corner of a main road and an to a store and to a yard opening to important secondary road, largely in- a scavenging lane at the rear of the fluenced the architect's decision to premises. In this yard will be the Second and third floors will be place the main entrance on this cor- lavatories, and a dangerous goods installed with the most modern ner. Another deciding factor was the store for the storage of inflammable cooling system. The International consideration that with a corner en- liquids and printing inks with steel Engineering Ltd., of 321, Edinburgh trance the staircase and the lift hall safety doors and a special provision House, has been entrusted with the would least interfere with the large for free ventilation.
work.
floor area.
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