February_1966 — Page 53

Side elevation looking north

reception area spanned by a folded plate roof. The use of folded plate construction again does away with in- terior columns which hamper circula- tion in busy areas like the lobby.

Wall bracket lights and supports provide an interesting interplay of light and shadow at the lobby's ex- posed ceiling.

The interior partitions are a com- bination of wood, glass, aluminum and hollow blocks, and sound trans- mission between offices is minimized by acoustical treatment. Luminous ceiling diffusers, wood slats, tiles and plywood used for the suspended ceil-

ing are also acoustically treated to minimise the transmission of sound.

A paved court and reflecting pools are located in the centre of the de- velopment, providing light and venti- lation and a pleasant recreation area for the staff members during off-duty hours. A bridge divides the landscap- ed court into two and serves as a direct access to the service core of the office tower which is equipped with four high-speed elevators to the upper floors.

Special emphasis has been laid on accessibility. the various departments directly in contact with the public be-

ing located on the lower floors. These departments include member assist- ance, treasury, and the medical de- partment complete with laboratories, X-ray rooms and clinics, ali of which have an expected maximum traffic of 3,000 persons per four hours.

A conference hall, complete with translators' booths for seven languages and full facilities for press. radio and TV, is situated on the second floor. This hall, designed to accomodate 500 delegates and observers, has an ad- jacent lounge and office for the con- venience of delegates and, though having a completely separate

en-

Left: Interior of conference hall looking toward stage. Foreground shows a portion of the lobby with each balcony seat provided with earphone and a language selector switch which is con- nected to the translators' booths seen оп the upper left hand part of the picture. Across the hall, on the right, are radio, press and TV broadcasting facilities.

Inside the horse shoe conference table are chairs and tables for the secretariat and at the far end is an elevated stage provided with a curved table and chairs for the presiding officer and committee chairmen. Behind the stage is a plywood cyclorama extending to the ceiling. The presiding officer, delegates and secretaries and aides are each provided with ear- phones, language selector and microphone for use in their deliberations.

The hall is insulated from external sounds with a lining of 3 in. thick Styropor in the ceiling and acoustic pulp on all sides. Interior acoustics is controlled by wood veneer slats, an elaborate plywood panel- ing on the walls and wood baffles, and a floating ceiling below Styropor lining.

Far East Architect & Builder February, 1966

View from under the bridge of the inner court.

On the left is the two-storey wing and in the centre is the three-storey portion which houses the conference hall. The stairs shown lead to an open balcony just outside the corridor that serves as a direct access to the rest of the building. The precast gravita window panels can be seen in detail. Below the stairs are two lighted reflecting pools.

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