No_6_October_-_November_-_December__1958 — Page 33

TRAJAN'S

COLUMN

NEWS

NOTES

TOPICS

ATOMS FOR HONG KONG

cooling water to be taken from the ing the car to the City Hall. Not for sea at the rate of 840 million gallons passengers, but as a Museum piece! each day. Enough and to spare of It is a delightful collection of wire both vital commodities, even for squiggles and scrolls; cast iron grills Hong Kong. And having handled and interlaced metal, a real Steinberg, that amount of water, it surely would which would, in all seriousness, be an be possible to process it still further enlightening relic of interest to future to render it potable. This may be all generations, showing them an early rubbish, but it's a line of thought and example of the vertical transporta- an exciting prospect for architects, tion which has done so much to engineers and the building trade allow our central areas to develop generally, and not only for the station with such speed and efficiency. Per- itself, but for the ancillary works as haps the owners could give us some well. The reinforced concrete caisson facts about the installation which we alone for the water intake, would are sure the Editor would be glad to require 3,000 tons of concrete. Let publish. us encourage such thinking!

SUPERVISION FROM THE

SIDEWALK

―

A DASH OF SCOTCH Edinburgh, that other city of many splendoured things, surely one of the Japan and the Philippines have In the U.S.A. and to a smaller world's most deliberately and con- both announced their intention to set extent in London the Sidewalk sciously planned urban communities, up atomic reactor research plants and Supervisor is well catered for by an and one that is ever watchful of nuclear power stations. Will Hong adequate hole in the hoarding around outrage and despoilation of its ameni- Kong follow suit? As some indica- a job, or even by the erection of a ties, is at present in turmoil over tion of the way the Colony's thoughts special platform and steps, up one steps being taken to prevent the are turning on these lines, it was of side and down the other, to the top creation of canyons towering build- interest to read the annual report of of the fence. By this means the ings on either side of the street, such the China Light & Power Co., passer-by can satisfy his curiosity as in New York. One proposal for wherein the Chairman said they were about the goings-on down the hole George Street, fast becoming the exploring the possibilities of a nuclear which inevitably appears on a build commercial centre of the city, is to generating station **in conjunction ing site in the city. And curiosity is allow high building blocks set back with others. Whilst at that time not the only consideration, the adver- above two-storey shops on the build- names were deliberately kept back, tising and education-of-the-public as ing line. This, it is claimed, will give the Trajan ear and eye noticed pect is worth thinking about. These more light and air and open feeling recently that Dr. Kurt Billig, one words are prompted by two interest to pedestrians and users of the street. time Professor of Civil Engineering ing jobs in the public eye now going We could perhaps develop this trend at the University and now adviser to on in the Central District. The new here in Hong Kong. If the tall city the Taylor Woodrow-Simon Carves Fu Centre with its publicised piling blocks were designed as a solid mass Group, visited Hong Kong with some and foundation system, where little on the centre of the site, keeping of his colleagues just before

before this men go down holes to their work, is back from the building line on road announcement was made. It could a most intriguing prospect and much frontages, it may be possible to omit be that really deep thought is being interest is being shown by the people the open well now so frequently given to the production of cheap who have time to seek a knot-hole in provided to give our new commercial power, sans surcharge, by atomic the timber palisade, but operations blocks a Sing-Sing feeling from hun- means, and, if so, then we suggest are very well screened from view. dreds of office windows. Of course, the Water Authority might begin to Rather more open, on two sides, is in Edinburgh there is no plot ratio, consider collaboration in the project. the work in progress at Phase I of no volume/open space calculation to Elucidation required? It's

It's like this. the new Union House. Rather more contend with. The City Fathers, in We have two power generating units interesting, too, especially from the their wisdom, resolve each problem in the Colony at the present time, air of efficiency and obviously well as it arises, instead of having regula- with a total capacity of rather less organised procedure which is good to tions framed to get an overall average than 200,000 kilowatts, and the see in this age of muddle-thro'. result of average benefit to the

demand increasing daily. We also All the more reason, then, to give average man, yet still allowing full have an average daily water consump- the casual observer and interested rein to those developers anxious to tion rate of about 50 million gallons, spectator (future client?) a chance to cram the maximum lettable floor kept at this figure by storage and see how a job can be done. filter capacities and consequent ration-

MISS OTIS REGRETS?

space on the most central city sites. LIVING WITH COLOUR "Live in glorious technicolor with vistavision view. So ran an

*

ing. The average daily rate could reach double that amount if the Talking of Union House, it is not service was available without restric- far round the corner to its remaining a tion. Now, at Hinkley Point*, in half, and in that building not far advertisment in the "To Let' Somerset, the U.K. Central Electricity from demolition are two lifts. The columns of a local newspaper a few Generating Board is building an larger of these is a Victorian gem weeks ago. Quite an intriguing pro- Atomic Power Station of 500,000 running as sweetly to-day as when spect, and one for which Trajan fell Kilowatts capacity which will require originally installed, and we wonder in

a big way. In our search for

* See Page 37

if the owners might consider present the place, we found multi-coloured

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