CO129-593-6 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45- Advisory Committee papers 1-1-1939 - 31-12-1946 — Page 129

HONG KONG UNIVERSITY ADVISO

KAMITTEE.

12

129

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CONFIDENTIAL.

HKUAC. 12.

A later Memorandum by Dr. Gordon King dated 8th December

1945, on the reconstitution of the University.

At first sight the amount of damage and wanton destruction done to the University would seem to be so great as to suggest the impossibility of restoring the Institution to its former.condition. The question inevitably arises as to whether the present time would not be the best one for carrying into effect the long cherished plan of transferring the University to another site. In the Report of a Committee on the Development of the University, published in March 1939, it was recomended that the question of transfer to a larger site outside the town should be immediately taken into consideration, but that new buildings projectsä or proposed in the Report should not be deferred until the transfer was made. Since the publication of the Report, one fine new building, the Northcote Science Block, was in fact completed, and had only been in use for a few months at the outbreak of the war,

Further reflection and more detailed examination of the Paiversity buildings lead to three very definite conclusions, (a) that the time required for the selection of a new site, preparation and approval of plans, and construction of new buildings would be very considerable (say three to five years), (b) that the cost of such a project would be very great, and might not even be approved after the preparation of plans and estimates, and (c) that the amount of damage done to the University is not nearly so great as appeared at first sight, and chat the rehabilitation of the various buildings could be carried out relatively quickly and at a coat infinitely less than would De required for complete rebuilding.

In order to obtain an unbiased opinion on the matter I requested Lt. Col. Amps (C.A., Works Branca), the architect of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building, to make an informal survey of the University property. He very kindly devoted a whole morning to this purpose and wrote a short report on his vie73. This report is appended (see Appendix I) but the conclusions reached vere briefly; that none of the bulldings had been appreciably damaged by bombing or gun fire: that structurally the majority of the buildings are in very good conditions; that destruction consists mainly in looting of wooden doors, windows, floor boards and joinery work, as well as lead piping, copper brass electrical and sanitary fittings: that the structures which remain represent assets of very considerable value to the University and that given the

ecessary teak wood for repair work and the requisite sanitary and electrical fittings, there should be little difficulty in restarting the University by September, 1946.

In order to illustrate some of these points and to give a more concrete idea of the actual condition of some of the buildings a series of photographs of the University was prepared. These appear as another appendix (see Appendix II). The general views (Nos. 1-3) give some impression of the value of the University site and the extent of the grounds, The damage to the Great Hali (Nov. 4 - 7) at first appears severe, but repair would be a relatively easy and rapid matter. The state of the Arts

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