No_6_1955 — Page 11

LI PO CHUN CHAMBERS

ARCHITECT: W. SZETO, B. Sc.,

A.M.I.C.E.

TI

Architect's perspective drawing of the new building from the harbour

Despite the staggering amount of con- The land, comprising M.L.512 and trally located on the west side of the struction work that has taken place in M...513, is valued at about $5,000,000 cr arcade, adjoining the service entrance; the Central District of Hong Kong during $300 per square foot, while the new here there will be a lift lobby containing the last few years, there is still a shortage building will cost approximately $0.000,- the four passenger and one service lifts. of suitable business accommodation, 000 including the piling and the installa- The mezzanine floor will contain addi- tional office or storage space for the shops Development in the main business dis- tion of lifts.

below. trict of Victoria has been confined mostly The site, which has an area of over

Circumstances have 16,000 square to the banking area.

east and south and now at last considera- tion has been given to the crowded area to the west, where many large and small

Chinese concerns are located.

between feet, lies

den-

Des The first to the eighth floors inclusive limited this development to the north, Voeux Road to the south, Connaught will be laid out either as offices, or with Road to the north, and the existing removable partitions which can be arrang- buildings of the Marine Department and ed as booths for temporary exhibitions. New World Cinema to the west and The Any planning, of course, is subject to Sun Company to the east.

alteration during construction. The third One of the first to prepare plans for The building will cover an area 94'-8" floor of office accommodation will be re- the redevelopment of the western part of by 160'-0", and will be 14 storeys high served exclusively for doctors and the Central

and additional plumbing facilities District was Li Po Chun plus a mezzanine floor and the ancillary tists.

A lane will be will be provided for this purpose at this Estates

Limited, whose Governing Dir structures on the roof. ector is Mr. Li Po-chun, the well known left on the west side of the site for the level.

and lighting of the lower local philanthropist. This will be the first ventilation

The ninth floor will be occupied entire- post-war investment venture for this floors of the new building, and to allow

ly by a Chinese restaurant. This will the provision of a service entrance,

par- consist of two large rooms, one facing ticularly for the use of the restaurant ou the front, and one the back, of the build- The initiative of this organisation was the ninth floor.

ing, with the kitchen and food prepara- soon followed by the announcement of

On the ground floor, there will be tion rooms in between. several other large projects in the same locality. Many of the existing buildings shops on both the main road frontages,

Company.

in the area are old and uneconomical; no exception were the premises known 25 185-195 Des Voeux Road Central and 97 Connaught Road Central,

92-

Plans have been approved for the erec- tion on this site of a large new build- ing to be known as Li Po Chun Chambers, which will almost triple the available ren- table area of the old structures.

while

Each

15'-0" wide arcade will run The remaining four floors at the top of through the centre of the building from the building will contain apartments for north to south with additional shops on single men only.

of these floors either side of it. This arcade has been will contain a large common room for the of visitors and communal included in the design partly to provide reception

Each apartment adequate ventilation and lighting to the bathrooms and toilets. interior of the large lot, but mainly to will be about 9 feet by 16 feet, and will a washbasin and built-in closet; equalise the land values over the whole contain

The main en- of the ground floor area.

they will be fully furnished. It is intend- trance to the upper floors will be cen- ed that these rooms will cater for office

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