No_1_1957 — Page 33

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CENTRAL BUILDING Architect: FUNG TSUN, A.R.I.B..A.

NEW PREDATE LANE

ENTRANCE

ADE

O

185-

2004年

2014.

210 FT

410FT

PED D

20

21016PT

200

200M

415 tar

10

415

415++

190 MLA

31

Z

Many Hong Kong residents will remember the old Hong Kong Hotel on Pedder Street with nostalgic regret for the passing of this one time social centre of Hong Kong. It was anti- cipated that the old building would have to go to make way for a new development more in line with the increased value of the site and more attuned to the modern types of build- ing being erected in the neighbour- hood. It was, nevertheless, deeply regretted that in the design of the new building there could not have been in- corporated, if not new hotel premises, at least a restaurant, dining room, bar and ballroom, which would perpetu- ate and continue the tradition of the old Grill Room, Bessie's Bar and Roof Garden. A ballroom-restaurant of sufficient magnitude to have accom- modated, say the St. George's Ball or the St. Andrew's Ball under modern conditions and surroundings would surely have been a good commercial proposition.

Be it as it may, however, after a series of protracted negotiations and many changes in the designs from those expected under the original