the site. In order to reduce the gradient of the car ramps a parking floor height of 9ft. 3ins. was used on all floors with the exception of the ground floor. All beams were kept to a uniform depth to minimise visual obstruction.
The central opposed ramp system was adopted as being the most suitable within the site conditions. This ramp system has the definite advantage of giving quick and direct access to and egress from the parking floors. A typical parking floor is roughly 33.000 sq. ft. in area, approximately square in shape, contains 99 parking stalls-general- ly 18ft. long by 8ft. wide arrang- ed at right angles to a 22 ft. wide driveway.
Each floor level has a different colour theme for quick identification, Colour bands are painted on the columns to match the different colours used on lift doors and architraves. These coloured bands form a pleasant decorative contrast to the otherwise all white interiors.
CATHEDRAL
At the outset the architect was mindful of the basic incompatibility of siting a multi-storey car park next to a cathedral building. The side wall facing St. John's Cathedral was therefore made solid and load bearing in order to eliminate visual interference and to reduce noise level from the car park. This wall. punctuated by a series of high win- dows required for the top floor telephone exchange, appropriately encloses the cathedral site and suc- cessfully preserves the peaceful and relaxed atmosphere of the cathedral compound. For similar reasons solid bearing wall was also used to define the adjoining Hilton Hotel.
a
The most challenging problem of the elevational design was the place- ment of the exchange.
The clear ceiling height required by the exchange. because of the size of equipment. was 14 feet. As the whole floor is totally enclosed with- out window openings it had to be
airconditioned. In contrast to the relatively low floor-to-floor height and to the open neck design of the two principle elevations, an ill con- sidered treatment of the exchange walls would have produced a sense of top heaviness. Consequently all decorative elements of the main elevations were made simple and directly derived from the structure to create a visual balance, to emphasise the nature of the building and to express its functions.
Members of the Public Works Department responsible for the build- ing were:
Architect: Edwin Wong. B. Arch. A.N.Z.I.A., A.R.I.B.A.
Quantity surveyor: M.M. Luxton, A.R.I.C.S.
Structural engineer: S.N. Lee, B. Sc., A.M.I. Struct. E.
Electrical engineer: B.M. Roach, A.M.I.E.E.
General contractor was Winsome Co. (Engineers & Builders) Ltd.
¡See page 107)
POOL & FOUNTAINS
T
1 MM
CINEMA
STUDIO
ST
FILM EDITING
SUNTE
ENTRY
EXIT
$
باشد
METER AM
FILM CENSORS
↓ STAFF
·
C FILM
UMP AM
LOBBY
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
5 C A L E
14
24
22
40 4 FT
POST OFFICE
STORE
STORE
LAVATORY
LAVATORY
QUEEN'S
ROAD
CENTRAL
TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN
STORE REWIND RM.
35 MM CINEMA
PROJECTIO
PUBLICATIONS & DISTRIBUTION
CENSOR
SENIOR
CLERKS FEATURE FEATURE
WRITER WAITER
TYPING POOL
LAV.
LAV.
STORE SWITCH
AM.
AM
14
-UP
PROPOSED BRIDGE
DARK AM
DARK RM,
回
•(UNTING AM.
STUDIO
PRODUCT & ADVT.
PUBLIC OFFICER
PUBLIC
PHOTOGRAPHERS
FINISHINGE
DIST. OFFICERS
EDITOR
NEG LIBRARY
STORE
RM.
D
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER-VOLUME 18, NUMBER 2
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