No_5_February_1963 — Page 71

d site

dictated

h planning

Architect:

ROBERT FAN

1

CHIEF problem in designing the

new Methodist Church in Chong Kong Street, North Point. Hong Kong (I.L.7690) was

was fitting the structure into a very awkward site.

Set in a nullah, the site has a frontage on Chong Kong Street of only 20 feet. spreading and rising in a fan shape behind until it is 100 feet wide at its broadest point. Reasons of finance precluded a great deal of excavation in order to level the site and give access at the lowest point at road level. Planning had to allow for the minimum amount of site formation. so that the final

decision was to raise the ground floor level by 30 feet above street level and take that as the datum for the rest of the work.

A flight fo steps leads from the street into a small forecourt. whence entry into the nave and chancel is obtained through a narthex. At the side of the entrance, above which is a front grille elevation in brown and white Glamorock, rises a bell tower formed of a hollow reinforced con- crete frame. Fixed to the face of the top half of this tower is a cross in reinforced concrete coloured the same as the front elevation grille- work. It is hoped to instal a bell in the tower at a later date when funds permit.

The window surrounds on the wide elevation which can be seen when looking at the front elevation of the church are faced in different red. white. green and to break the white wall.

colours

bluc

Installing the altar. The shape and ▸

arrangement of the roof beams is

designed for acoustic purposes.

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER – VOLUME 17. NUMBER 5

Jr.

69