No_5_February_1962 — Page 78

WITH MY TONGUE IN MY CHEEK

(From Page 51)

But to return to Australia. Austra- lian taste moves with the times, and what is new becomes fashionable. Whilst this is acceptable in say, women's dress, being but a short- lived phenomenon, it is inappropriate when applied to architecture. So it is possible, driving along the "better class" suburban roads to see side by side, examples of most of the modern international styles, the patio house, the ranch house, the split-level house and so

on. rather like the centre display at the Ideal Homes Exhibi- tion and reminiscent of pre-war England, with the arrays of stock- broker's tudor, old baronial hall and of course scaled-down Georgian. One wonders, with the incidence of a strong national spirit in Australia. why there is no modern Australian house particularly as there is a fine tradition of timber farm house design.

There is no change in fashion with locality, and the same styles can be seen in sub-tropical Brisbane as in the more temperate Sydney. There is something wrong somewhere, and poses the question, are we in Hong Kong not also prone to fashion- consciousness and should we not be developing the typical Hong Kong house, apartment though it may have to be?

By typical, as has been suggested, fashionable is not meant, but typical in the application of logical criteria in respect of the way of life of the people, the climate, the availability of materials, the sites and naturally the economics of building. In other words are we developing a vernacu- lar architecture, that is illustrative of the requirements of the region, or are we borrowing forms from else- where and either adapting them to local conditions on importing them wholesale?

This is a difficult question to answer in a few words. but we should seek to answer it, each of us for our- selves. Firstly the character of Hong Kong architecture is most marked by the impact of structure, which tends to give a heavy quality: secondly, the small range of econo- mically available materials produces a predominance in the use of painted rendered surfaces: and thirdly, the low budget requirement for a large proportion of the building tends to conservatism in design, the reproduc-

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tion of the known, whether it is appropriate or not.

This latter is not true of some types of building, when a prestige element is required in the design and this is affected by the importation of gimmicks, such as angled balconies of useless size.

In certain respects, Hong Kong does have an architectural indivi- duality, the outstanding example being the work of the Housing Authority, and in the general field it could be said that it shows a marked imagination in the development of "impossible" sites, and of course, Hong Kong has resisted largely the use of that international style-form- ing process, curtain-walling.

But perhaps this is as far as it goes; do our office blocks, our apart. ment blocks, our schools and public buildings really fulfil our needs. both aesthetically and functionally or are we following foreign fashions? These are the questions we should pause to answer from time to time.

Talking of curtain-walling. Austra- lia has allied itself with the inter- national exploitation of this method of cladding, and it is interesting to note that architecturally speaking. its most successful use is found in Shell House. Melbourne, designed by the American firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

This building component need not have such a stultifying architectural result as is so frequently seen and in the hands of the good designer it has a considerable range of possibi. lities as

means of architectural expression.

a

One further point of contrast be tween Australia and Hong Kong that is worthy of comment is the respective attitudes towards the ar- chiecture of the past. Australia in recent years has been developing an awareness of the importance of cul- tural values. and the Australian is becoming aware of the surprising wealth of good architecture that was produced in the 18th and 19th centuries.

There are some very fine essays in the Gothic and Classic Revival Styles, particularly the former, and St. Mary's Cathedral (Wardell) in Syd- ney is as fine an example of this style as can be found anywhere. Not only in the ecclesiastic and civic fields is this so, but also in the faintly

Palladian storeyed-houses of the early well-to-do citizens and in the simpler terraced houses of the early "worthy middle-class."

The establishment of a Civic Trust and the efforts of cultural-minded Australians, among whom the archi- tectural profession is well represont- ed. is preventing some of these links with tradition from being destroyed; in some cases houses are being re- erected on new sites in as near to their original environment as can be found.

In Hong Kong, we do not seem to be concerned with preserving these links with the past and before long we shall not be able to see any worth- later worth-while buildings of a period than mid-twentieth century.

It is agreed that we have never had the wealth of good architecture of a past era, at least not on such a spectacular a scale as the town halls and cathedrals in Australia, but we have had some very fine examples, of colonial military architecture, ear- ly merchant's houses, go-downs (Yes commercial buildings in the past were considered worthy of good de- sign) and even some of the three- storied terraced houses in our de- pressed areas, with their cast-iron hanging balconies, would have been well worth preserving.

It is not suggested that in this modern age every building can be preserved; but it is important for a community to be conscious and proud of its roots, reminded of them from time to time, reminded that other things in life are worth having than material goods.

A few of the best examples of the traditional buildings should be pre- served in their original settings, fur- nished in contempory style and made open to the public. Where is the house of the first Governor of Hong Kong? Where are the houses of the first prominent Chinese merchants? Where are the "coolie-lines" of a hundred years ago?

It is only in the New Territories that there is evidence of a by-gone age, but the walled-villages are in a bad state of repair, and are con- tinuously being altered and partially rebuilt. Could we not preserve one and restore it to its former self?

At least, in this respect, let us learn a lesson from our friends in the Antipodes.

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER--VOLUME 16, NUMBER 5