March_1965 — Page 23

but to suddenly encounter glare and withering humidity on leaving a building is debilitating.

A gentle transition from exterior to interior should be attempted.

to

This transition can be softened in part in the handling of the interior itself. Tropical climates seem respond best to clean. large, open, interior spaces. Lighted white walls, simple clean furniture, strong pri- mary colours, spare dark wood, and SO on contribute to a quality of brightness which can act as a com- fortable transition from the humid exterior.

Choice of colours is of course central to an environment. There is

a

"Mediterranean" quality to the sunlight in South East Asia: a brisk intensity to which strong primary colours respond well. Cold white walls, white carpets, a few pieces of light (perhaps steel) furniture, and then some strong primary colours, introduced perhaps in upholstery fabrics, offer an effect of appropriate brightness and contrast.

Native Materials

There is a tendency in South East Asia, however, for interiors to ap- pear heavy. Two pitfalls contribute toward this.

First, many new interiors emerge with perhaps too many activities, furniture, too many

too much

colours, patterns, and so on, all toge- ther in a small space.

Second,

many materials freely available in South East Asia, such as teakwood, grasscloth, Thai silk, and SO on. are very rich, and must be used sparingly, particularly if used together.

Asia offers a bewildering selection of "native" materials. It is of course amusing to "go native", but not with a vengeance.

B

Education

Dept.

An

building. Hong Kong, another example of easy interior. exterior transition

To be consistent, it must be recognized that many parts of South East Asia now produce a great variety of ma- terials not formerly associated with this sector of the world.

A burgeoning plas- tics industry in Hong Kong offers great pos- sibilities. Pressed fiber- glass chairs of light and elegant appearance are now being produced there. Plastic laminate sheets, in colours ог wood grain. make practical and interest- ing wall panels.

no

Good steel furniture can be made to order in Hong Kong. Steel office furniture longer need be battle- ship gray with a green plastic writing surface. The furniture in the MacKinnon & Mac- Kenzie office in the new P. & O. Building

Esplanade Restaurant, Macau, Local pottery and 17th Century lamps set a tone in keeping with the colony

in Hong Kong is white enamelled steel with laminated teakwood writing surfaces,

a practical and attractive solution.

Good brasswork is available in many parts of South East Asia, for door hardware which need not look too traditionally Chinese.

Some good coloured glass mosaic is being produced in Tsuen Wan, New Territories. This is a promis-

for ing material certain types of counter tops, rather than teakwood or marble mosaic.

A good, if small, example of articulate design, using a

range of materials that are somehow available locally, is to be found in the lifts in the Hong Kong Hilton Hotel. The light is even and adequate, and the wood wall panels are effectively punctuated with aluminium extrusions and black paint.

Much of this sort of treatment is "native" but is acceptable anywhere and would not vary significantly through clients' whims, planning, lighting, and so on.

Local Crafts

Types of wood and degrees of craftsmanship, may vary more dis- tinctly. In particular, however, two outlets exist regarding items which can be used for greater definition, or identification, within South East Asia.

The first is the use of local crafts, antiques, or local traditions, sparing- ly, for definition. A single properly located and appropriately lighted "local" artifact, for example a buddha in Bangkok, or a piece of pottery in Japan, can set a strong tone for a whole interior.

The second outlet exists in the placement, indoors, of local plants. There is a refreshing and bewildering

Far East Architect & Builder March, 1965

variety of plants native to each area. Maintenance may be higher, but per- haps in this case the products of a local plastic flower industry should not be substituted!

This is not to desparage teakwood. grasscloth or gilt carving, but rather to advocate their sparing and restrain- ed use.

Their strength is not diluted with space and white walls. Rather, their individual interest is greater if articulated in terms of the total en- vironment.

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Lift in Hilton Hotel lobby. A good, it small, example of articulate design

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