XN000022-1976-02-01 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1976

THE NEW APPROACH WAS FIRST APPLIED TO THE MASSIVE LEK YUEN ESTATE AT SHA TIN,WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY HOUSE 22,000 PEOPLE. TWO OF THE SEVEN BLOCKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED AND HANDED OVER TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE FIRST TENANTS HAVE ALREADY MOVED IN.

WORK IS PROGRESSING ON THE REMAINING FIVE BLOCKS, A COMMERCIAL CENTRE, TWO SCHOOLS AND A CLINIC AND SHOULD BE FINISHED BY MARCH THIS YEAR.

THE BALANCE OF LEI MUK SHUE ESTATE AT TSUEN WAN WAS FULLY COMPLETED IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR AND HANDED OVER TO THE AUTHORITY, THE BALANCE OF THE WORK INVOLVED SIX ADDITIONAL DOMESTIC BLOCKS FOR 17,500 PEOPLE, THREE SCHOOLS, A MODULAR MARKET, DEPARTMENT STORE, A LARGE RESTAURANT, WELFARE HALL AND COVERED CARPARK.

THREE OTHERS-HING WAH ESTATE AT CHAI WAN, AND KWAI SHING AND LAI KING ESTATES BOTH AT KWAI CHUNG ARE NEARING COMPLETION AND SHOULD BE READY DURING THIS YEAR.

TOGETHER, THESE THREE ESTATES WILL PROVIDE HOMES FOR SOME 87,000 PEOPLE.

IN TERMS OF SIZE, KWAI SHING ESTATE WILL BE THE LARGEST, THERE WILL BE 10 DOMESTIC BLOCKS ACCOMMODATING SOME 37,000 PEOPLE. IT WILL BE SERVED BY A LARGE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX WITH VARIOUS FACILITIES, INCLUDING SHOPS, RESTAURANT, MODULAR MARKET, PARKING SPACES, AND BUS AND PLB TERMINI.

THERE WILL BE NEARLY SEVEN ACRES OF RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACE PLUS THREE ESTATE SCHOOLS AND THREE KINDERGARTENS WITHIN EASY WALKING DISTANCE.

CONSTRUCTION IS ALSO PROGRESSING WELL ON TAI HING ESTATE AT TUEN MUN AND ANOTHER AT CHAI WAN (AREA 6) ON HONG KONG ISLAND, BOTH OF WHICH ARE DUE FOR COMPLETION NEXT YEAR.

IN TERMS OF POPULATION, THE TAI HING ESTATE IS THE LARGEST IN THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING PROGRAMME.

IT CONSISTS OF FIVE 30-STOREY CRUCIFORM DOMESTIC BLOCKS AND A SEVEN-STOREY DOMESTIC BLOCK ALL LINKED BY COVERED WALKWAYS TO A HUGE COMMERCIAL AND MARKET COMPLEX IN THE CENTRE OF THE ESTATE. SOME $1,000 PEOPLE WILL LIVE THERE.

THE CRUCIFORM DESIGN, DEVELOPED BY PWD ARCHITECTS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ENABLES BUILDING WORK TO PROCEED FASTER THROUGH SEMI- MECHANISED BUILDING METHODS IN WHICH TOWERING CRANES ARE USED TO LIFT PREFABRICATED WALL AND FLOOR COMPONENTS, CAST ON SITE, INTO PLACE.

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANTAGE IS THAT THE BUILDING AREA WAS BEEN VASTLY REDUCED THUS MAKING MORE LAND AVAILABLE FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.

THE HIGH-RISE .............