District office of AIA in Penang which won the RIBA Bronze Medal Award
Situated on the corner of Bishop Street and Pitt Street in Penang, the building is an L-shaped two-storey struc- ture. According to Mr. William Chen of Palmer and Turner, winner of the award, the main principle under- lying the design of the building was that it was to be fore- most, a functional building designed with a tropical theme.
This has been achieved by open planning with ex- tensive tropical landscaping. A special feature of the building is the landscaped rock-garden over which the main steps leading to the building are suspended.
BUILDING PLANS APPROVED
THIRTY-TWO plans for new buildings of all types in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories were approved by the Building Authority in August as com pared with 46 in the preceding month and 49 in the corresponding month last year.
During the same month, 90 completed buildings were certified for occupation. Of these, 16 were buildings for domestic purposes. 20 for non-domestic purposes and 54 for combined domestic and non-domestic use. In addi- tion, the Building Authority approved the demolition of 32 buildings.
Cost of new building work in the Colony during August was HK$136,632,807. Another $8,676,722 was spent on site formation work. New buildings of all types erected in the same period totalled 113, including eight factories and godowns, four offices and shops, 95 houses and flats, and six buildings for residential purposes,
NORTH POINT DEVELOPMENT PLAN
An outline development plan of North Point, Hong Kong, prepared by the Town Planning Board has been approved by the Governor-in-Council. Replacing an earlier plan approved in 1957, the new plan envisages major revisions in the vicinity of Tin Hau Temple Road.
It aims at consolidating North Point as a residential area for the middle-income groups, and opening up a new area off Tin Hau Temple Road and its extension for re- sidential development. The majority of North Point has been gazetted as a smoke control area.
The existing built-up area will continue to be the chief high density residential section of the district while south of Tin Hau Temple Road a slightly lower density is recommended with some height restrictions imposed in the areas affected by the Mt. Butler Radio Station and the Kai Tak Airport approaches. A large proportion of the new land is to be devoted to educational use in order to balance the deficiency of schools in the existing built-up area.
Two sites for multi-storey car parks are reserved off King's Road and Java Road. The open space zone im- mediately north of Tin Hau Temple Road is intended to provide a "breathing space" between the high density re- sidential area off King's Road, and the medium density residential area to the south. Another green belt is plan- ned on the steep slopes on three sides of the Braemar Reservoir, and Sir Cecil's Ride.
Other open spaces provided in the outline plan in- clude two fairly large areas to the east and south of the
Far East Architect & Builder October, 1966
Vehicular Ferry Concourse and smaller areas located at Fortress Hill Road and Healthy Street Central.
On the provision of major traffic routes, the plan pro- poses a secondary east-west route for through traffic in view of the further development at Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan. The route recommended is the extension of Tin Hau Temple Road which is designed to link up with Island Road, possibly at the Chai Wan roundabout.
Proposals incorporated in the plan for the connection. of the new waterfront road with King's Road consist of a link via Wing Hing Street and an overpass above Tsing Fung Street. An overpass is also proposed to provide a link between Tin Hau Temple Road and the waterfront road over Lau Sin Street via Hing Fat Street. These proposals are aimed at relieving traffic congestion by con- structing roads at different levels where any adequate ground level scheme would result in prohibitive resump- tion costs and social disturbance.
A further link between Tin Hau Temple Road and King's Road is shown on the plan; sited to serve the new vehicular ferry concourse which is to be located between Tin Chiu Street and Healthy Street West on the water- front.
ERIC CUMINE ASSOCIATES
ARCHITECT Eric Cumine, FRIBA., AA Dip, has taken four members of his staff into partnership with effect from October 1. 1966.
They are: Mr. William Wei-Li Ling, authorised archi- tect; Mr. Stanley Tun-Li Kwok, B Arch. AA Dip, ARIBA: Mr. Breton Clyde Penman, B Arch (Auck). ARIBA. ANZIA, Dip.Urb.Val; Mr. Stanley Joseph Slade Webber, B Sc Hons, MICE, MI Struct E; and Mr. Thomas Allen Roberts, ARICS, AIAS, AVI,
The partnership will be known as Eric Cumine Associates, and will practice from Lee Gardens, Hysan Avenue, Hong Kong. Among the projects on which the firm is presently engaged are the Macao Casino and Hotel Lisboa, the British Military Hospital. Kowloon, and the Kowloon television studio complex for Television Broad- casts. Ltd.
CODES IN ONE VOLUME
HONG KONG's "Code of Practice under the Buildings Or- dinance No. 68 of 1955 on Wind Effects" and "Code of Practice on Provision of Means of Escape in Case of Fire. and Allied Requirements" have been revised and reprinted in one volume.
Copies of the new booklet combining the two Codes may be purchased from the head offices of the Govern- ment Printing Department, 81-115 Java Road, North Point, at HK$1 per copy.
HOUSING TRENDS EXHIBITION
A "HOUSE ANd Home" exhibition will be held at Singapore Badminton Hall from Nov. 4 to 13 to show ideas and trends related to houses and homes of today and tomor-
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