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SUNDAY, JULY 7, 1985
THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONS OF THE BUILDING ARE ALSO BEING IMPROVED IN A MANNER APPROPRIATE TO THE PRECINCTS OF THE BUILDING, WHICH WILL BE DEFINED BY MEANS OF CAST-IRON EDWARDIAN LAMP STANDARDS AND BOLLARDS. AND WITHIN THE PRECINCTS, THERE WILL BE REMODELLING, USING MOSTLY HARD LANDSCAPE, BUT WITH SOME TREES.
ORIGINALLY DESIGNATED THE COURTS OF JUSTICE, THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED DURING THE PERIOD 1899-1910. A MEMORIAL STONE WAS LAID IN NOVEMBER 1903 BY THE THEN GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, SIR
Y ARTHUR BLAKE.
THE BUILDING WAS OCCUPIED IN JANUARY 1912 AND SINCE THEN HAS HAD A SPECIAL POSITION AS THE CENTRE OF LEGAL AND JUDICIAL LIFE IN HONG KONG, IN ADDITION TO BEING A FAMILIAR LANDMARK.
IT WAS DESIGNED IN LONDON BY ARCHITECTS ASTON WEBB AND INGRESS BELL.
THE STYLE OF THE BUILDING IS +ECLECTIC+ - COMBINING FEATURES BELONGING TO THE +ENGLISH SCHOOL+ WITH ELEMENTS OF GREEK ARCHITECTURE.
THE BUILDING IS SURROUNDED BY TALL GRANITE COLUMNS SIMILAR TO IONIC ORDER, 18 METRES HIGH, AND AN ORNAMENTAL BALUSTRADE.
THE CENTRAL PORTION IS SURMOUNTED BY A PEDIMENT CONTAINING A SEMI-CIRCULAR OPENING AROUND WHICH ARE GROUPED THE ROYAL ARMS AND THE FIGURES OF MERCY AND TRUTH. ABOVE THE PEDIMENT IS A STATUE OF THE GREEK GODDESS +THEMIS+, DENOTING JUSTICE, WHICH STANDS THREE METRES HIGH.
THE WHOLE BUILDING IS FACED WITH GRANITE AND IS CROWNED BY A GRACEFUL DOME WITH FOUR PINNACLES AT EACH CORNER.
LARGE TILED ROOFS WITH GENEROUS EAVES SUPPORTED ON BLACK PAINTED TIMBER BRACKETS COVER THE REST OF THE BUILDING.
DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE THREE LARGE COURTS, THE BUILDING HAS BEEN MODIFIED INTERNALLY SEVERAL TIMES SINCE IT WAS COMPLETED TO HOUSE A TOTAL OF 10 COURTROOMS AND IT WAS IN THIS CONDITION THAT THE JUDICIARY SURRENDERED THE BUILDING.
ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE MAIN ROOMS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL STYLES, OTHERS HAVE BEEN ALTERED TO SUIT MODERN NEEDS. WORK ON THE EXTERIOR, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN PRIMARILY OF A RESTORATIVE NATURE TO PRÉSERVE THE HISTORIC VALUE OF THE BUILDING.
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