May_1967 — Page 3

Artist's impression of the completed underpass/overpass now under construction along Quezon Boulevard, Recto Avenue and Lerma Street in Manila. Designed to eliminate a vehicular and pedestrian bottleneck in the area, the project will cost about

FRESH WATER IN PLOVER COVE

NEAR Completion of stage II of the Plover Cove scheme. Hong Kong, was marked last month with the piping into the reservoir of the first fresh water. The level of the water in the cove has now reached 31 ft. below sea level and this level will be maintained for several weeks. Fresh water entering the reservoir will thus dilute the sea water there.

At Nam Chung recently, a stop plug was removed from the mouth of an intake and stream water caught by a dam there flowed into the intake. The water then travelled downhill through a 21⁄2-mile long underground tunnel into the reservoir.

In addition to Nam Chung, stage II involved the construction of a main six-mile long tunnel between Tai Po Tau and Plover Cove and the conversion of the large coastal inlet into an impounding reservoir by the con- struction of a main dam, two subsidiary dams and a spillway.

Another part of the Plover Cove scheme carried out last month was the laying of the submarine pipe from Hung Hom across Hong Kong harbour to North Point. The work involved the welding together of a hundred 50 ft. sections. Initially the pipe was pulled into the sea by harge and later by a winich on land. The pipe will even- tually connect with the Plover Cove supply through the Lion Rock tunnel.

KUALA LUMPUR GENERAL HOSPITAL

THE foundation stone of the M$49 million new general hospital complex in Kuala Lumpur was laid last month by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Tengku Abdul Rahman,

Construction is being carried out in four phases at the site of the present general hospital. The first phase started in August 1965, and completion of the whole project is expected by 1970. The first phase began with the construction of a four-storey north ward block for 512 beds.

The radiotherapy centre is expected to be ready by July this year and the first phase to be completed by February next year at a cost of M$21 million.

Future phases include the construction of the south ward block for 384 beds, a hospital kitchen, a laundry and works department, the diagnostic X-ray department, pathology department, laboratories, a mortuary and lecture and teaching halls for the training of nurses.

Work on the last three phases will begin in April 1968, and when completed will cost M$28 million.

MORE MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS

THREE more multi-storey car parks are planned by Hong Kong Government. Providing a total of 2,630 parking spaces, they will be sited at the north east corner of the Kansu Street and Shanghai Street junction. Yaumati: on the central reclamation in New Rumsey Street, and in Harcourt Road at the corner of Murray Road, Central.

Far East Architect & Builder May, 1967

P4 million. It is designed by the Programming and Planning Division, City Engineer's Office, and will be the city's third underpass/overpass.

The reclamation car park building will also contain about 100,000 sq. ft. of Government office space and an electricity sub-station. A start on the site will be made at the end of this year and the building is due to be com- pleted in 1969.

MANILA OFFICE BLOCK

THE 707 T. Kalaw Building, now under construction at the corner of Churruca and T. Kalaw Streets in Manila. will be a significant departure from commercial buildings in the area.

The site presented difficulties from the designing point of view, being flanked on two sides by a long residential structure and a large office building across the street. To solve this problem, the designers have given the building a bold character in order to distinguish it from its relatively drab surroundings.

The three visible exterior corners of the structure are to be finished in raw fluted concrete, bush-hammered

707 T. Kalaw Building

to further emphasize a rough-hewn appearance. Charcoal gray p.v.c. enclosed steel frames for the store fronts and black bonderized steel windows for the upper floors all add to the strong, yet finely-detailed elements, and red brick tiles for spandrels were selected to provide colour to the otherwise dull composition.

To make the building as commercially profitable possible, a maximum of rentable area was desired, and this was attained by keeping the utility and circulatory areas to a minimum. Intermediate stair landings were

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