XN000022-1983-05-27 — Page 9

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1983

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SUPREME COURT BUILDING DECLARED HISTORICAL

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THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE DECLARATION OF THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING AS A HISTORICAL BUILDING.

APPROVAL HAS ALSO BEEN GIVEN FOR THE BUILDING TO BE

CONVERTED FOR USE AS THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER AND FOR ASSOCIATED PURPOSES.

THE DECLARATION OF THE SUPREME COURT AS A HISTORICAL BUILDING ON A DATE TO BE NOTIFIED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE ANTIQUITIES ADVISORY BOARD.

THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE BUILDING, WHICH REPLACED AN EARLIER SUPREME COURT LOCATED IN QUEEN'S ROAD, WAS LAID IN NOVEMBER 1903. 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.

THE PLANS FOR THE BUILDING WERE DRAWN UP BY THE LONDON FIRM OF WEBB AND BELL AND IT WAS CONSTRUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ARCHITECT OF THE THEN PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, H.A. FORESTER,

THE STYLE OF THE BUILDING BELONGS TO THE ENGLISH SCHOOL WITH SOME ELEMENTS OF GREEK ARCHITECTURE.

THE BUILDING IS SURROUNDED BY TALL GRANITE COLUMNS OF IONIC ORDER, 18 METRES HIGH, AND AN ORNAMENTAL BALUSTRADE. THE CENTRE 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 JUSTICE WHICH STANDS THREE METRES HIGH. THE WHOLE BUILDING, WHICH IS FACED WITH STONE, IS CROWNED BY A GRACEFUL DOME WITH FOUR PINNACLES AT EACH ANGLE,

THE SUPREME COURT WAS VACATED IN JULY 1978 FOLLOWING SETTLEMENT OF THE BUILDING CAUSED BY MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WORKS IN THE VICINITY. THE BUILDING WAS RE-OCCUPIED BY THE JUDICIARY AFTER THE COMPLETION OF REINSTATEMENT WORKS IN OCTOBER 1982.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE BUILDING HAD SUFFERED NO IRREPARABLE DAMAGE AND BOTH THE FOUNDATIONS AND SUPERSTRUCTURE WERE SOUND.

CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE PERMANENT, ALTERNATIVE USE OF THE BUILDING AS THE JUDICIARY IS DUE TO MOVE TO THE NEW SUPREME COURT IN QUEENSWAY WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN MID-1984.

THE OLD SUPREME COURT BUILDING HAS SEVERAL LARGE ROOMS AND IS IDEALLY SUITED FOR USE AS THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER. IT IS INTENDED THAT THE BUILDING SHOULD ALSO HOUSE THE UMELCO OFFICE, COMMON ROOMS AND ACCOMMODATION FOR ITS SUPPORTING STAFF AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SECTION OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.

/-THE MOVE