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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1976
THE NEW G.P.O. BUILDING WAS DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE OF THE P.W.D. IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OF THE POST OFFICE, AND P.W.D. CHIEF ARCHITECT, MR. K.M. TSENG, WAS THE PROJECT ARCHITECT.
MR. TSENG SAYS ITS MODERN DESIGN MAKES IT AN APPROPRIATE SYMBOL OF A DYNAMIC AND FAST-GROWING METROPOLIS - JUST AS ITS PREDECESSOR, THE 1911-VINTAGE VICTORIAN STYLE FORMER G.P.O. RECALLS THE HONG KONG OF AN ERA NOW PAST.
THE ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE OF THE P.W.D. HANDLED THE CONTRACT FOR POSTAL MECHANISATION INSTALLATION, AND THE POSTAL MECHANISATION SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED BY ENGINEERS FROM THE BRITISH POST OFFICE CONSULTANCY SERVICE.
OUTLINING THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT, MR. TSENG SAID THAT PLANNING FOR THE NEW G.P.O. BEGAN IN 1969 AND PILING AND CONSTRUCTION IN 1974. THE BUILDING ITSELF TOOK 21 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
MR. TSENG SAID MORE THAN 25 COMPANIES PARTICIPATED IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT CONTRACTS UNDER THE OVERALL SUPERVISION OF THE P.W.D. THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WAS TECHNIC CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD,
THE MAIN PUBLIC HALL OF THE NEW G.P.O. IS ON THE FIRST FLOOR WHERE WHITE MARBLE COUNTERS, FLOURESCENT LIGHTING, LIFTS AND ESCALATORS PROVIDE A BRIGHT, SPACIOUS ENVIRONMENT. IN ADDITION TO STAMP SALES COUNTERS, THIS FLOOR PROVIDES 12,400 POST OFFICE BOXES, NEARLY TWICE THE NUMBER OF THE OLD G.P.O.
A MODEL OF THE NEW BUILDING AND SURROUNDING AREA AS WELL AS PHOTOGRAPHS OF HONG KONG'S POSTAL HISTORY ARE CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY IN THE MAIN PUBLIC HALL.
ACCORDING TO MR. TSENG, THE EXTERIOR WALLS OF THE BUILDING ARE FINISHED IN WHITE GLASS MOSAIC AND FITTED WITH TINTED GLASS AND ANODISED ALUMINIUM WINDOWS. HE SAYS AT NIGHT THESE WILL BE ILLUMINATED WITH SODIOUM YELLOW-CAST LAMPS TO CONTRAST WITH THE WHITE FLOODLIGHTING OF THE CONNAUGHT CENTRE.
COMPANIES FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT CONTRACTS. APART FROM THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR, TECHNIC CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD. WHICH IS A HONG KONG CONCERN, SUBSTANTIAL ORDERS WERE ALSO WON BY FIRMS FROM BRITAIN, JAPAN, HOLLAND AND MALAYSIA, PRINCIPALLY THROUGH HONG KONG-BASED SUBSIDIARIES OR REPRESENTATIVES.
BRITAIN SUPPLIED THE SPECIALIST CONVEYORS AND ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL CONTROLS THROUGH A CONSORTIUM PUT TOGETHER BY JARDINE ENGINEERING CORP. COMPRISING VICKERS, MANUFACTURERS EQUIPMENT, GEORGE ROBSON, DAVIS PRITCHARD AND RICHMOND AND MIDLAND DYNAMO UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF THE BRITISH POST OFFICE CONSULTANCY SERVICE.
/GENERAL