January_1966 — Page 41

Artist's sketch of new Sarawak General Hospital

000. This is the biggest Government contract ever placed in the Borneo Territories.

The project. which is under the overall control of the Public Works Department. Sarawak, was planned by Australian architects, Leighton, Irwin and Co., Melbourne.

Construction will be carried out in two phases, the present contract covering phase 1. This will comprise

more than two-thirds of the total scheme. Phase II will in- clude additional ward accommodation for medical, gynae- cology, paediatric, geriatric and tuberculosis patients, as well as staff residences.

The main block of the new building will be of nine floors supported on concrete piles and having a reinforced concrete frame and floor slabs. On all ward floors deep transverse beams will span the full width of the building to avoid columns within the wards. The wards are locat- ed on the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors.

The use of air conditioning and mechanical ventila- tion has been reduced to a minimum. Air conditioning has been restricted to those areas where specific treatments or sterile conditions demand it. Vertical transportation to the nine floors will be by six geared variable voltage lifts, each having a capacity of 3.500 lb. at a speed of 350 ft. per minute.

Under the contract now to be entered into the struc- tural steelwork for the entire main building will be com- pleted but the internal fittings and finishes to the top five floors of the west wing, which comprises mainly ward accommodation, will not be completed until phase II of the project is carried out.

Approved sub-contractors to San Development Co. for the specialist works under the contract are as follows: Mechanical services installation Jardine Waugh (M) Ltd.: steam raising equipment Watts and Baker, Ltd.: electrical service installation R. E. Morris and Co.. Ltd.: Lift installation Harrisons and Crosfield (Sabah) Ltd.: sewage treatment installation Watts and Baker, Ltd.; reinforced concrete chimney Tileman and Co Pty. Ltd.

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INTERNATIONAL DISPLAY CENTRE

SEVEN floors of 31-storey International Building nearing completion in Des Veoux Road Central, Hong Kong, will be devoted to an international display centre.

International Business Development, Ltd.. a private company specialising in trade and business promotion. are the organisers. The centre will cover a total floor area of 100,000 sq. ft. and will cater for buyers from all parts of South East Asia and sellers from all over the world.

Mr. J. C. Brent, executive director of the company. said last month that the centre would be equipped with display units of numerous kinds, sizes and designs, ac- commodating a wide variety of products and commodi- ties.

Far East Architect & Builder January, 1966

BIG RECLAMATION STARTING

A MASSIVE reclamation scheme off the coast of Bedok will start next month. The Singapore Housing and Development Board plans to fill in 1,000 acres of new land along a six mile stretch of seafront from Bedok to Tanjong Rhu.

A bridge has already been built across Bedok Road for the conveyor belt system, and bucket-wheel excavators to be used on the project will arrive from West Germany this month.

The Japanese firm. Ohbayashi Gumi. Ltd., were awarded the contract for the scheme. Their engineers are now supervising the construction of a 11⁄2 mile long approach road from the east coast to Changi Road for the conveyor belt. They are also erecting an electrical sub-station and transformer at Upper East Coast Road, near Jalan Boon Puay, to feed the track excavator plant. The reclamation scheme will increase Singapore's area by two square miles to 226 square miles.

MOSAIC FOR TERMINAL

UNUSUAL modern works of art sponsored by local com- panies are planned for the Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong. due to be opened in March.

The major work will be a 360 sq. ft. mosaic designed by Anna Thornhill, a graduate of London's Royal College of Art. This brightly coloured modern work, the first of Mrs. Thornhill's to be shown in Hong Kong, is a stylized map of the Colony and its surrounding water. Most of the main streets on the island and in Kowloon are includ- ed, along with such familiar landmarks as the race course and New Territory_farms.

The mosaic, the largest in the Colony, will cover a 9 ft. high. 40 ft. long wall on the upper shopping level of the building. It will be sponsored by one of the shipping lines.

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Smaller works to be sponsored by other sea-going companies, include a group of 7 ft. high golden niches by the Italian sculptor, Antonio Cassadei. Each of the niches will house a free-standing sculptural work based on nautical theme. Subjects include sailing vessels reflected in the water, anchors and sails. The niches are located at the many entrances which lead from the main passenger concourse to the public, open-air waving gallery that rings the Terminal's lower shopping level.

A bas-relief wall using the theme of shells, and a fountain, employing a similar nautical motif, are also planned for the Terminal and will be sponsored by com- mercial firms.

SARAWAK LOW COST HOUSING

MALAYSIA'S Minister for Communications and Works an- nounced recently that under the First Malaysia Develop- ment Plan for housing M$71⁄2 million would be invested

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