to put into effect. The type of boy for which this hostel would cater would be the apprentice type or other boys in regular employment whose wages are low and who have no homes of their own.
"Judging by the number of applica- by 13' 0", although one of these is tions to live in the hostel which have reserved for the staircase when the already been received, it will fill a additional storey is finally built. Each real need and it is hoped that it may of these rooms can be reached from be only the first of a number of such the covered way stretching the entire hostels scattered all over the Colony." length of the block on its inner wall, "At an early stage. after consulta- tions with my friend Colonel Waller, Wing Sing Lane at the end of Cliff
The site lles on the north side of and at the end of which is the com-
munal bathroom. it was decided that the hostel when completed should be handed over to Street, which is just to the north of
The two blocks form an inner open the Salvation Army. The Salvation the junction of Nathan and Gas- courtyard within their arms. which Army would select the boys, run the coigne Roads in the Yaumati district is enclosed on its west side by a wire hostel and in short undertake all of Kowloon. The hostel is a single mesh fence. future responsibility for it. In my storey building stretching from the humble opinion. the hostel could not side of the China Light and Power
A staircase from the reading room be in better hands than the capable Company's building to the hillside at leads down to the small basement at and experienced hands of the Salva-
the end of Wing Sing Lane. The the west end of the building, the tion Army, whose good works, not only in Hongkong but all over the building, though small, is extremely construction of which was made pos-
in appearance and
sible by the slope of the site. The none of the institutional air of so basement contains the main kitchen "The hostel, as you now see it, will many structures erected for a like and the cook's room. house some 50 to 60 boys. It is designed for lowly paid youths who
world, are second to none.
attractive
purpose.
has
Load bearing walls are of granite are making a start in life and who Entrance is from Wing Sing Lane laid in random courses. with rein- need comradeship, communal activity up an open staircase to a porch and forced concrete floors and roof, the and a guiding hand while they are lobby: both the staircase and the latter being covered with asphalt felt establishing themselves. It will be porch are protected by a wide over- ment walls, base walls and parts of and finished with gravel. The base- non-profit making and, it is hoped. hanging canopy. self-supporting, the boys being charg-
From the lobby the front of the building have been ed the minimum amount only to allow access may be had to the dining hall, left externally in their natural finish them to be decently housed and fed. reading room, supervisers' offices and with white cement pointing to the It is thought that each boy will be caretaker's quarters in the front of joints; other external walls are asked to pay about $50 a month for the building. The dining hall, which cement plastered, finished with his board and for two meals daily, can also be used as a games room, is Snowcem. Internal walls are finished but the precise cost will of course connected to the reading room by a with lime plaster. Most of the floors have to be worked out in the light hardwood folding partition enabling are cement rendered for the sake of of experience.
the two rooms to be combined into economy: the living room and bed- one large one when necessary: large room floors of the caretaker's quar- "The building and its equipment windows at the front of the building ters have cement tiles, as do those of have cost some $96,000; of this $15,000 and smaller ones set high in the the offices and the lobby: the care- was given by the Salvation Army for opposite walls of these rooms provide taker's bathroom has a mosaic floor the purpose of strengthening the ample light and cross-ventilation, with tile dado. Steel windows have foundations in order that a second The caretaker's quarters consist of a been used throughout the building, floor might be added later, if desir- living room, bedroom, kitchen ed, and to provide accommodation for bathroom.
and except for the bathrooms which have wired glass horizontal louvers set in Salvation Army staff. The remainder
hardwood sashes. Permanent ven- of the money was raised by Mr. Opposite the entrance doors there tilation is provided in the sleeping Thomson's friends, amongst whom is a covered way leading to the dor- quarters by means of vertical hard- one of the most generous contribu- mitory block, which assumes an
wood louvers set in the wall over- tors was Mr. Leung Yew, who in fact interesting shape on plan owing to
the looking
courtyard. Plywood The the desire of the architect to keep hollow core flush doors are provided met more than half the cost. architect who has been responsible costs down to a minimum by reduc-
in the dormitory block. for the designing of this hostel is Mr. ing the extent of the site formation G. D. Su. With his characteristic work. The hill at the back of the site
Architect: G.D. Su generosity he has given his services
General Contractors: free and we have to congratulate him and the contractors, Messrs. Sum Kee
Co. and Co., on the delightful little build- ing which they have produced.
momy
forms a wide curve from east through to north and the dormitory block has been planned to follow closely this curve. There are eight bedrooms in this wing, each approximately 17' 0"
Sum Kee &
Drainage Contractor: Tsang Suen
Kee.
View from the courtyard looking fowards the mess hall,
46
View from the courty trd clearly showing the curved dormitory block,
Page 50Page 51
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