T
Canopy between main block and dining rooms
locker rooms, games room, lounge, billiard room and, in the future, bowl- ing alleys, while the ground floor, which extends to the low block, contains the cafeteria catering for 600 in two sittings, kitchen, dining rooms, barber shop, bookshop and souvenir shop. Upper floors provide space for student union offices, club offices, reading, music appreciation and a dark room.
The surrounds are terraced and a turfed slope in front of and below the building will become the spectator stand of a future swimming pool to be constructed at a lower level.
Cafeteria-coffered ceiling is bush hammered
Modest finishes have been adopted throughout the building to keep it within its budgeted cost. Bush-ham mered and ribbed and hammered con- crete have been used extensively both externally and internally. These meth- ods of treating fair-face concrete, used by the same architects on other build- ings, have proved to be inexpensive and the treatment is particularly apt on this project as it adds a look of permanence and ruggedness that fits with the hillside environment. Concrete masonry is also introduced in the en- trance lobbies of the building.
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Total floor area of the centre is 44,000 sq. ft., of which some 30,000 sq. ft. is in the main block. The struc- ture is of in situ reinforced concrete construction, supported on spread foot- ings. Piling was necessary only on a very small filled portion of the formed site.
Building work took 11 months to complete and cost approximately HK$1,750,000, excluding professional fees.
The administrative block (B), to be tendered for soon, will be the next building to be completed on the cam- pus and work will start this summer on the Institute of Chinese Studies (G), to be followed later in the year by the university library building. These buildings are also designed by W. Szeto & Partners, who are the co-ordinating architects for the complete university project.
Contractors
Main contractor for the Ben Frank- lin Centre was Sing Fat Construction Co. Ltd.
Sub-contractors included:
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The China Engineers, Ltd. elec-
trical installation.
Petman Ltd.
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aluminium windows
Dreyer & Co. mastic asphalt
Hang Hing Engineering Co. Ltd. - kitchen equipment
Rigid Engineering Co. Ltd. - piling Victory Mfg. Co. fire services
Far East BUILDER, May 1969
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