June_1971 — Page 12

ed by way of resumption under the Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance during the course of the year. A Government spokesman said that in the majority of cases offers to buy these properties had already been made to their owners.

A pilot urban renewal scheme for part of West- ern District was recommended by a Working Party

PHASE 1 OF PILOT SCHEME, URBAN RENEWAL DISTRICT 市區重新發展區 試辦計劃,第一期

نسيا

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QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL ✯ ?

LOWER LASCAR ROW

TUNG

LABCAR ROW

HOLLYWOOD ROAD D

on Slum Clearance and accepted by Government in 1966. The area will be cleared and redeveloped in phases to provide improved facilities and improved communications.

The scheme embraces nearly 13 acres bounded by Queen's Road Central, Queen's Road West, Hollywood Road, Shing Wong Street and Gough Street. It has a population of about 13,000 who are mainly living in old pre-war buildings, many of which are obsolete or are in dilapidated condition and are without adequate facilities. Phase I covers about 2.5 acres and affects some 2,400 people.

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On redevelopment, the area will have sites for commercial/residential development, two new schools, a hawker bazaar and public open spaces. Upper Lascar Row Cat Street which is parti- cularly noted for its connection with the curio and antique trade will basically remain in its present form as a shopping promenade though its appear- ance and amenities will be improved. Lower Lascar Row will be re-aligned, widened and opened to traffic.

Commenting on the project, the City District Officer, Western, said: 'Persons living and working in Phase I area should now consider how they are going to be affected. All owner-occupiers, tenants, and sub-tenants of domestic premises affected by the scheme will be offered some form of public housing according to suitability and availability.'

'Construction' to lead change to metric

The construction industry is to be at the fore- front of a changeover to the metric system in Hong Kong.

Government has accepted a second interim re- port from its Metrication Committee which recom- mends that the Director of Public Works start plan- ning immediately to introduce metric units into

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public works and into the Buildings Ordinance.

Since its establishment in May last year the Committee, headed by Dr. Y.S. Chung, has been studying the implication for Hong Kong of the in- creasing world usage of metric systems. It has set up eight specialist sub-committees to assist in this task.

According to the Committee's latest report, there are 'definite indications' with regard to cer- tain fields that metrication is inevitable, or has in- deed already begun.

Regarding building construction, the report notes: 'Materials are increasingly being produced and imported in metric sizes, but the majority of them are normally still marketed in Hong Kong in Imperial or, to a lesser extent, Chinese units of measurement.

'There is thus a clear need for the standardisa- tion and simplicity which metrication offers, to- gether with the compatibility with imported mate- rials which are increasingly being produced in metric sizes and weights.'

Porthole windows in Rama extension

Porthole windows, 6ft. in diameter, are an un- usual feature of a new tower extension being built to the Rama Hotel in Bangkok.

The 377-room tower is being built by the slip-

Rama extension under construction

form method. The structure will be completed next month and the new extension will be offi- cially opened in January next year.

Far East BUILDER, June 1971 Page 12