MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1982
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HE SAID THE $125 MILLION TUEN MUN TOWN HALL- SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN EARLY 1985. WOULD PROVIDE AN AUDITORIUM SEATING 1 450 PERSONS, BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR LARGE-SCALE ORCHESTRAL, OPERATIC, DANCE AND THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES.
IT WOULD BE A FIRST-CLASS VENUE THAT OFFERED GOOD SEATING, ACOUSTICS, LIGHTING, SOUND AMPLIFICATION, STORAGE SPACE AND OF COURSE AIR-CONDITIONING.
IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN AUDITORIUM, THERE WOULD BE MEDIUM-SIZED, MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ROOMS WHICH WOULD BE USED FOR REHEARSALS, PRACTICE, EXHIBITIONS AND SMALL-SCALE PERFORMANCES.
MR WILSON SAID A CONFERENCE ROOM SEATING UP TO 50 PERSONS WITH A SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION SYSTEM WOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED AT THE REQUEST OF TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD.
HE SAID PROVISIONS OF TOWN HALLS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD NOT BEEN AN EASY TASK IN COMPETITION WITH THE MAJOR REQUIREMENTS OF HOUSING AND INDUSTRY.
+ IT HAS IN FACT BEEN LARGELY YOUR EXCELLENCY'S SUPPORT THAT HAS RESULTED IN THESE TOWN HALLS, INCLUDING THE ONE AT SHA TIN.
+WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT AND THE PATRONAGE THAT YOUR EXCELLENCY HAS BESTOWED ON CULTURAL FUNCTIONS IN THE NT, THESE TOWN HALLS MIGHT HAVE LANGUISHED AS A DISTANT HOPE, HE SAID.
THE GOVERNOR THEN LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE AND SAW A MODEL OF THE FINISHED COMPLEX, THE DETAILS OF WHICH WERE EXPLAINED BY THE PROJECT ARCHITECT, MR DAVID BOOTH.
THE TOWN HALL WILL BE IN THE TOWN CENTRE ON A 40 000 SQUARE METRE SITE CLOSE TO THE PARK.
FACILITIES WILL INCLUDE CHINESE AND EUROPEAN RESTAURANTS, A MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK FOR 850 VEHICLES, A LIBRARY, A POST OFFICE, A MARRIAGE REGISTRY AND A BUS STATION WHICH WILL BE COVERED TO ENSURE SOUND ISOLATION FOR THE AUDITORIUM.
THESE ARE DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN PHASE II OF THE PROJECT.
PILING WORK ON THE AUDITORIUM BLOCK STARTED LAST NOVEMBER.
TUEN MUN, WHICH ORIGINALLY HAD A POPULATION OF 40 000, NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 140 000 RESIDENTS, MOSTLY IN PUBLIC HOUSING, THE POPULATION WILL INCREASE TO 200 000 THIS YEAR AND TO NEARLY 600 000 WHEN THE NEW TOWN IS COMPLETED BY EARLY 1990S.
THE GOVERNOR NEXT WENT TO SHEUNG SHUI TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE TOWN HALL THERE,
THE PROGRAMME OF UPGRADING INCLUDES IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LIGHTING AND SOUND SYSTEMS AND THE FIRE SERVICES INSTALLATIONS, ADDITIONAL STAGE EQUIPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF A DANCE STUDIO.
/SIR MURRAY