the architect himself. What I have said must not be construed as advocat- ing advertising - a serious violation of the moral code of the profession. What we want and must have is publicity of the right kind for the profession as a whole, but not commercialism in any way.
"In recent years
Government has farmed out large numbers of projects to private architects. This is a most welcome practice, for apart from the financial aspect, private architects are thus able to participate in the true ar- chitecture of the Colony. Ruskin has said that 'the architecture of a nation is great only when it is as universal and established as its language, and when provincial differences are nothing more than so many dialects Govern- ment is the biggest single builder the Colony and the private architects' participation in public works ensures the universal language Ruskin talks of.
in
"We can take this train of thought a little further by noting that private architects are sitting on the Town Planning Committee, the Buildings Re- gulations Committee and the Architects' Disciplinary Board. We hope this ten- dency will continue and develop and invited that private architects will be to take an increasing part in public de- velopment
"Members will have learned that the Planning Committee recently set up by the Society has done some admirable work in studying the many problems re- lated to the redevelopment of the Naval Dockyard land and the central area of Victoria, with the result that the Society has submitted to Govern- ment its considered views in regard to the redevelopment of these areas. release of the naval and military lands together with the reclamation schemes in the central area present a unique op- portunity for a comprehensive urban re-development.
HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE A PIAZZA
The
be
are
"Such an opportunity must not thrown away by unrelated and timid piece-meal improvements with accents On economic considerations. We aware that a tremendous financial bur- den has been imposed on Government in securing and realising these lands. All the more reason therefore, for а well-conceived, bold, comprehensive redevelopment plan in order to ensure everlasting benefit to the community, and this certainly cannot be gauged in terms of dollars and cents.
needed
"A master plan is urgently to free the urban congestion of Victoria and to improve civic amenities in the central district. More planned open spaces must be created; traffic segre- gated and vehicles controlled. A com- mercial precinct should be created, within the area of which no parking for private cars must be allowed on the streets. Multiple-storeyed garages should
52
be built around the periphery of this precinct with the aim of reducing traf- fic volume and permitting greater free- dom and safety for the pedestrians. The western end of the Dockyard land should be reserved for institutional and commercial development with cultural and entertainment facilities planned to complement the City Hall now under construction, and the Star Ferry Con-
course.
"Hong Kong is world-renowned for its scenic beauty and its excellent har- bour. It should be part of the com- prehensive plan to create a tree-lined boulevard along the entire length of the city's waterfront where the citizens may enjoy the beauty and magnificence of their harbour and breathe the relief of the sea. The plan should also in- clu-le the creation of a piazza in the area to be reclaimed west of the Star Ferry piers in the manner of the Piazza St. Marco in Venice.
ALL-ROUND BENEFITS OF
COLLABORATION
par-
bodies, with Government either ticipating or encouraging, and I hope that machinery can be established 50 that concerted action can be brought to bear in solving the numerous problems that Hong Kong must face with its tremendous development programme. In our own sphere our Programme Com- mittee propose during the coming year, to set up a consultative body in con- junction with
others, to bring about closer understanding and co-ordination between our profession and the Building Industry. This in my view will facilitate
a
smoother translation from drawing board to finished structure.
-
"The Colony, whilst enjoying world fame as a beautiful city, is at the same time accredited with one of the from highest death rates in the world tuberculosis. Tourists are more often bent on making photographic records of our slums than of our beauty spots and we do have some of the worst slums in the world. There is no doubt that we have a magnificent record of reconstruction in the post-war years, and Government has carried out and is still pursuing admirable efforts in hous- well ing the multitude of refugees as
the
pressure created by our in- creasing natural growth in population.
as
by
"Planning is not of course, the sole prerogative of the architect. Other or- ganizations and
bodies professional come into the picture. In the United Kingdom there is close collaboration between the professional bodies. Joint meetings are frequently held
"The volume of building work tween the three major engineering in-
private enterprise has also been stag-
But gering.
few of us will deny stitutions and other allied societies at which lectures of mutual interest
that though the building boom has served Such col- given and discussions held.
expedient in solving housing laboration
the urgent problem of the as
shortage, most of these new
be-
are
as an
tower-
are
beneficial is mutually technical problems in the modern era
ing are very complex and the pooling of
multiple-storeyed flats, built by knowledge and experience in the vari- speculative developers, are nothing more
than glorified rabbit warrens and ous professions is of profound impor- tance.
destined Mr. Basil Sperce proposed in his recent
the presidential address, formation of a higher council composed of the presidents and secretaries of the Institutions of Civil Engineers, Struc- tural Engineers, Chartered Surveyors, the Town Planning Institute, the In- stitute of Landscape Architects and the R.I.B.A., the aim being to discuss and solve problems of national import-
ance.
"I do not pretend that in Hong Kong the scope for such co-ordination is un- restricted. Nevertheless, I believe that much good for the Colony as a whole could be gained if similar collaboration could be brought into being between the
few technical societies that do exist. We have here, apart from our- selves, the H.K. Engineering Society, the Oversea Joint Group of the In- stitutions of Civil Engineers, Mechanic- al Engineers and Electrical Engineers and the Surveyors' Institute. Of these, the only the Engineering Society and Oversea Joint Group hold joint meet- ings.
COMMON CONTRIBUTION TO PROBLEMS
"I would like to see a closer rela- tionship between all these professional
become soon to
large-scale slums. The fact that these flats have mostly individual ownership will hasten Many the process of slum production. of the very pleasant and not too old houses have been wantonly demolished to make way for these "Modern" flats under the pretext of more economical development.
MENACE OF SPECULATIVE CONSTRUCTION
blight and obsolescence, and it is in the interest of the public that a curb be put on this indiscriminate commercialism. I appeal to all members of this Society to ex- in per- ercise their social conscience forming their professional duties, and to Government to discourage speculative development. Our Professional Practices Committee concerns itself with the pro- mulgation and execution of a code ethics and I would like to suggest that the promotion of this social conscience comes within its province.
"Speculation promotes
of
"As we stand on the threshold of a new decade, let us resolve it will usher in a new era of architecture so that when posterity comes to pass a verdict on our work it will say they were ar chitects indeed'.''
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER
VOLUME 14, NUMBER 5
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