BELCHER GARDENS ESTATE
:0:
CO-OPERATIVE
PROJECT
COMPLETED
(Above) View of the project taken from
the roof of the University Engineering School, looking in
a north-west direction.
(Right) Site plan of the project showing the arrangement and positions of the buildings.
When His Excellency the Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham, formally opened the Belcher Gardens Estate on 20th December, 1956, it marked the successful crowning of over four years of effort. The Hong Kong Civil Servants' Co-operative Building So- ciety, led by their Chairman Mr. F.K. Leung, started the planning of this scheme as long ago as the middle of 1953, and during that period almost insurmountable difficulties were over- come by the Society, ably aided by the architect Mr. W. Szeto, and by the contractors who undertook the work.
The main difficulty was presented by the site formation work on very rugged terrain, on which was formerly the old Belcher's Battery, and in the words of Mr. Leung "the geological features and impregnable cement con- crele structures presented great hin- east drances and difficulties in the course of construction.”
TAT
FU
LAKE
BELCHER'S
corner.
STREET
HOP
STREET
TURFED
TUNFLO
SLOPE
The
#III
TO:
TURVED
TURFLO
AREA
ARCHITECT:
W. SZETO, B.SC., M.I.C.E.
TURFED
|HOUSE
TYPE A
HOUSE
retained
HOUSE
FIRE-BRIGADE
CURVED
BOUNDARY
BUILDING
HOUSE
SLOPE
す
areas buildings.
were in two almost flat terraces with the exception of some isolat- The massive ruins of the old fort ed ruins of gun mountings. and its underground passages and entrance
to
The
24079
TURFED
HOUSE TYPE TAS
HOUSE
| HOLLE TYPE
TUAFLO
SLOPS
TURFED
PLAYGROUND
Drag mis
UNIVERSIT
SCIENCE
BOUNDARY
-
The topography of the site and the existing banked-up areas in the cen- tral portion of it, allowed for an an air-raid tunnel was economical terraced development, and structures were mainly located in the situated at the north-east corner of the enabled the site to be used to its central portion of the site at high site, at the junction of South Lane fullest extent for housing purposes, levels, and were contained by a and Yat Fu Lane; there were several while still possessing adequate open continuous loop of masonry retain- cther tunnels near the western boun-
spaces and playgrounds. ing walls. The ground towards the dary adjoining Belcher's Street, and northern and eastern boundaries was their direction and penetration were very steep, but there was a com- ascertained to make sure they would flats, paratively flat
affect the foundations of the "A" area near the north- not
The scheme consists of two types of "A" type and "B" type. The type flats are located on two
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