No_2_August_1963 — Page 82

fifth and sixth floors are used for Government offices and include two broadcasting studios.

At the outset it was stipulated that a central airconditioning plant would not he installed. Most of the clients at the time were clubs or future occupants who would require airconditioning

at irregular and different times only and this demand could be more economically provid- ed by individual room cooler units. The whole of the front facade was, therefore. designed with room

cooler housings at regular intervals with horizontal louvred grilles to allow an unrestricted supply of air.

FLEXIBILITY

This method of airconditioning. though probably more expensive on maintenance, offers a good deal of flexibility. This point became more than evident when during the construction part of the first floor and the whole of the fifth and sixth floors were replanned for Govern- ment offices,

It was also necessary to provide maximum natural ventilation for those rooms without air condition- ing. This was particularly impor- tant because the site is hemmed in by high buildings. The solution was the use of adjustable glass louvres at high level with large horizontal pivoted windows below running the whole length of build- ing.

A further controlling factor in the general planning and massing of the building was the necessity to provide a bus bay for three double decker vehicles. This area had to be within the building line and in order to achieve as much floor space as possible from second floor level upwards the building was cantile. vered. A similar arrangement was adopted for the rear of the building but purely for structural reasons as it was necessary to keep the founda- tions as far away from the existing retaining wall as possible.

FACADE DESIGN

The design of the facade was. therefore. directly related to the structural system. The cantilevers required to support as little weight as possible and the obvious choice of walling was glass, in the manner previously described. The rear facade reflects the change in type of rooms it serves by the substitution of insulated infill panels for the large horizontal pivoted windows. the high level glass louvres always being evident.

The external finishes are white shanghai plaster horizontal ribbons or slabs with grey shanghai plaster and panels. Up to second floor level the walls are faced with black mossic tiles and the paving is washed granolithic to a pattern.

The black-painted. hot-dipped. galvanised windows and white- painted aluminium grilles were fabricated in England and fixed by the general contractor.

With the exception of the back bar wall to the various officers messes all the interiors are in black. white and grey and natural teak oiled and waxed with aluminium trim.

Members of the Public Works Department responsible for the