No_2_January_and_February__1950 — Page 45

NEW SCHOOL BUILDING

The French Convent English School forms part of the benevolent activities of the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres which also include the St. Paul's Hospital and the Orphanage. The school institution operated by the Sisters enjoyed such continuous and growing popularity that it was found necessary to enlarge the existing facilities, and Messrs. Minutti & Partners were retained to draw up the plans.

Since the building at present occupied as school premises does not include sufficient recreational and entertainment areas, the decision was made in planning the additional building required to include not only a number of class-rooms, but also a large auditorium which could be used primarily as an assembly hall but which could function as a library and reading room as well.

The new building will be erected on the extensive grounds of the Order in Causeway Bay on the site of the former orphanage building which suffered extensive damage during a bombing raid at the time of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, and had to be subsequently entirely demolished. Occupying, as it will, the corner facing Causeway Bay with the frontage on Tunglowan and Caroline Hill Roads, the building will be very conspicuously placed. The design by Mr. Minutti does full justice to the prominence of its position. The corner of the building in which the main starcase will be situated is rounded with five vertical panels of glass brick surmounted by the words "St. Paul's" in heavy relief lettering forming the prominent feature. The external facade extends from the central elevation in the form of two subsidiary panels which are emphasized with glass bricks of the same dimension as the central portion and then prolonged at a relatively lower level for the rest of the building.

The design is a simple and dignified one in keeping with the purpose for which the building is dedicated, yet with none of the dullness and frowsiness usually associated with the appearance of a school building.

The ground floor will actually contain only two class- rooms, the entire remainder of the area, 160′0′′ by 161′0′′, being reserved as a playground. The originality in the design lies in the fact that, although the outside facade of the ground floor is enclosed, the inner walls, except those that abut on the staircase and wash-rooms, have been eliminated. Thus, with the exception of the few class-rooms, the entire ground floor becomes a playground, part of which is covered by the auditorium above and part by a reinforced concrete roof slab. The elimination of the walls connects this covered section to the extensive open grounds outside and form a play area in which hundreds of children can be accommodated in all weathers. The soda fountain, tuck shop and refectory, which have also been provided, will undoubtedly complete the picture of the children's idea of heaven.

It is interesting to note that in order to provide as great an area of unimpeded floor space as possible, the auditorium

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and concrete roof is carried on slender columns at 18′0′′ centres both ways, a nice bit of engineering design. Additional light is provided by a huge skylight 18′0′′ X 54′0′′ set in the roof slab.

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The upper floor contains, in addition to the auditorium, three more class-rooms, a laboratory, three store-rooms, stationery cupboard and a subsidiary lavatory. A Sister's bedroom with built-in cupboards and bathroom attached completes the facilities on this floor.

STORI

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HERMARKIJE I

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Plan of first floor showing location of assembly hall and classrooms.

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