No_1_September_and_October__1949 — Page 11

THE

NEW

BUILDINGS

IN

HONGKONG

AND

KOWLOON

FOR THE

TELEPHOne comPANY

Photographs by Staff Photographer.

1

A view of the new Kowloon “skyscraper".

The Hong Kong Telephone Company are engaged in an extensive building programme in which two buildings, one on the Mainland and the other on the Island, play a very import- ant part. Both these buildings were designed by W. H. Kwan, A.R.I.B.A., and are in the nature of combined telephone exchange, oflice and residential buildings, with the one in Kowloon having shops in addition at ground floor level.

One feature common to both buildings is that the rein- forced concrete framework was designed primarily around the positioning of the beam supports to carry the automatic telephone equipment racks. Once the columns spacing required for this equipment was determined the rest of the building was designed accordingly. Vibrated concrete was used throughout in the construction of the concrete framing. Men- tion must be made of the fact that the entire quantity of steel used was manufactured locally. This steel was specified as of British Standard Specification and, in frequent tests of prac- tically every shipment delivered to the site. the steel never failed to come up to the required standard.

Another feature common to both buildings is the fact that the ceiling heights of the floors have been varied in accordance with the requirements to which the floors will be put. Thus, floors in which the exchange equipment will stand will have a clear height of 16'0". The floors in which the apartments are located are 10′6′′ high, and other floors 12′0′′ high. Provisions have been made for future air-conditioning of the exchange floors.

The building in Kowloon, which is situated at the corner of Nathan and Cameron Roads, is the Mainland's first true "skyscraper", the thirteen floors above street level, plus a clock tower, with a total height of 192 ft., making it by far the tallest building in Kowloon. There is also a basement provided in addition.

It is unfortunate that the restrictions to view imposed by the Military, who requisitioned the building before it was

T

111

Towering above Nathan Road, the new building makes an impressive picture.

entirely completed, make it impossible to give a detailed impression of the interior. However, as will be seen from the photographs, no effort has been spared to make the build- ing a first-class structure throughout.

The exterior elevation is a very pleasing one indeed, although one finds it hard to reconcile the position, shape and size of the clock tower with the lines of the rest of the build- ing. However, that is a minor detail which does not detract from the success of the building from an architectural point of view.

LANTE LAV

+

MAIN STAJL

LIFT

LIFT

LIFT

HALL

GENT LAV

The ground floor plan showing the positions of lifts and stairways.

TOMAT

50949

ןין