No_4_May_-_June__1958 — Page 37

HONG KONG SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTS

Professor Matthew (left) in conversation with a group of local architects.

Visiting Examiner

the resettlement blocks to improve the much-bombed city's reconstruction after Professor Robert H. Matthew, accommodations in the future.

the War. C.B.E., M.A., F.R.I.B.A., visited He came to Hong Kong direct from

The first subject the speaker dealt with the Colony from the 1st 9th July, examining in Ireland at the Univer- was the use of light, flexible, steel-frame 1958 to act as External Examiner to sity

construction on four-inch concrete slab College of Dublin School of foundations in the erection of buildings the Faculty of Architecture at the Architecture, which is a school recog- on bad sites such as those often found University.

nized by the Royal Institute of British in subsidence areas of the United King- Architects. This, together with

This, together with his dom or frost-affected regions of Canada knowledge of other British Schools of Such buildings he said, after a

account of the principles and materials Architecture enabled him to make his involved, could be up to three storeys in judgments by British standards. In height and were suitable for structures

Shortly after his arrival he was introduced to members of the H.K. Society of Architects at a pleasant little tea-party held in the Wing On Bank mess.

detailed

in

an informal talk to the students after where no very heavy floor loadings were the examinations he said they could involved. They could also be used, Professor Matthew is now the Pro- be proud of the quality of their work, rigid form, on good sites. fessor of Architecture at Edinburgh but that an architect never ceases to be Mr. Gibson then showed a series of University but previous to this he

a student there is always so much coloured slides of the reconstruction of was Chief Architect to the London to learn. County Council, the most important should take what is good in traditional The blitz, he said, had left little of the He suggested that they results achieved there by town-planning. the City of Coventry and the spectacular official architectural post in the United Chinese architecture that can be still heart of the city except some big banks, Kingdom. Since leaving the L.C.C. seen in the Colony, and develop it in the Cathedral Tower and Trinity Church. he has built up a large private prac- Hong Kong, into a regional architec- In laying out the new business zone the tice, with offices in London and Edin- ture but still modern in character. traffic problem had to be solved, and this

burgh. Even as a student, Professor Matthew distinguished himself as a prolific prize winner.

An Interesting Lecture Members of the Hongkong Society of Architects on June 25th listened

to an

was largely achieved by creating a central shopping area in which full use was made of overhead bridges and first-floor shops. These bridges, of which he showed several

pictures, were built by a shipbuilding firm

He is an authority on Planning and interesting lecture by Mr. D. E. Gibson, Housing, and in May this year, in C.B. M.A., A.R.I.B.A., A.M.T.P.I., of light steel girders and teakwood and

collaboration with Professor Sir Director-General of Works

at the War

have wooden handrails. In answer to a William

said they were Holford, M.A., F.R.I.B.A., Office, who visited the Colony on a tour question, the lecturer M.T.P.I., F.I.L.A., delivered a paper

of inspection.

about 14 feet high, with 7-foot landings. to the British Architects' Conference The subject of the talk was "Building

Asked if people complained at having on "Character in the Architecture of Techniques and Town Planning" and it to use them, Mr. Gibson remarked that Towns".

given at the Hongkong University very few shoppers brought perambulators to town since it was not a residential He took a great interest in the

most women with small children Resettlement Housing in Hong Kong President of the Society, Mr. A. M. J. advantage of allowing businesses which was introduced by the carried them. The first floor shops had the and was particularly impressed with Wright. Formerly Chief Architect of could not afford high rates to pursue the provisions made in the design of Coventry, he was responsible for that their trades in the central area.

was

School of Architecture.

Mr. Gibson

area

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