NEW PREMISES FOR THE "WAH KIU YAT PO"
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The above illustration is that of the original design. A number of changes have since been made and these will be shown in the photographs of the completed building.
To commemorate its 26th anniversary the Wah Kiu Yat Po, one of the oldest Chinese language newspapers in the Colony and the one with possibly the largest circulation, launched a building project which called for the construction of a five-storey concrete building on the site of its former offices, L.L. 218, Sec. B and C., Nos. 106-110 Hollywood Road. The cost of the new building, land and machinery will be slightly under $1,000,000.00, of which the machinery alone will cost $350,000.00.
No attempt is being made to produce any periodic effects in the design of the building, but the unusual feature which will distinguish the completed building is that the whole main front facade will be faced with marble from street level to roof parapet. Mr. Raoul Bigazzi, who has been commissioned to supply and fix this marble work, gives us the following description of his work.
The predominant material covering the main part will be of Rosa Corallo which is a pink marble, with a contrasting high skirting of black and gold Portoro marble, while the framing to windows and main entrance will be carried out in Rosso Verona, a darkish red marble.
The full height of the very large windows, of which there are three, will be divided by ornamental bronze spandrels. The actual main entrance door will be framed with a wide border of glass bricks, the function of which will be not only ornamental but will give better lighting to the hall.
To the left hand side and above the entrance door, projecting from the building at right angles, will be a large concrete slab faced on both sides with Rosa Corallo and Rosso Verona, on which will be applied large Chinese characters depicting the name of the newspaper.
On the ground floor will be a marble counter running the full length of the office space, carried out in Filetto Rosso and Portoro facing with Green Genoa top.
The work of reconstruction had to be planned in two stages in order to allow the printing of the "Wah Kiu Yat Po" in part of the old establishment while reconstruction of the new building was in progress.
Great difficulties were encountered in the construction of the foundations for the building and for the retaining wall, due to the fact that the original building site was at one time used as a refuse dump and that the steep hillside below Whitty Street consisted mostly of unstabilised "All" from excavation spoils dumped from building and road construc- tion located above Hollywood Road.
The building work of the first stage of reconstruction is now nearing completion, with approximately three-fourths of the new building completed. The new printing machines, which were purchased by the owners, are now in process of
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installation, and by the end of February it will be possible to start printing in the new establishment, so as to permit the remaining portion of the old printing shop to be demolished and the new building to be completed. It is expected that the whole reconstruction work will be completed before the end of April, and this newspaper enterprise will really have an up-to-date building.
The building, which is five storeys high with a mezzanine floor, is to be entirely occupied by the "Wah Kiu Yat Po", with the printing shops on the first floor and the administra- tion, editorial, type-casting and type-setting departments in the rest of the building.
The building is of reinforced concrete frame with brick and Vi-Con blocks used in interior and exterior walls.
In its anniversary supplement, the Wah Kiu editor recalled that the paper's predecessor was the Wah Sheung Chung Wui Po, an independent and commercial paper published many years ago by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. This paper was first published in a house in Des Voeux Road Central, now occupied by the Bank of East Asia, and it later removed to Jervois Street. In 1925, Mr. Shum Wai-yau, now Managing Director of the Wah Kiu, and his Directors, bought the paper together with its machinery from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, whose late chairman, Mr. Li Yau-tsun, C.B.E., negotiated the deal.
It may also be recalled that the Wah Sheung Chung Wui Po took over the machinery and management from an old Chinese daily known as the Chung Oi Sun Po, which was first published in 1858, one year after the first English language newspaper, the Daily Press, appeared.
The Chung Of Sun Po was purchased by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1920, and its name was changed to Wah Sheung Chung Wui Po.
After the last change of management, the paper continued publication under the same name for two months in Jervois Street, and when it was removed to its present site on Hollywood Road and Yuan On Lane its name was changed to Wah Kiu Yat Po.
The Wah Kiu supplement also recalled that, with its first issue, the Wah Kiu Yat Po broke the old Sunday holiday tradition among Chinese dailies. Despite labour and other difficulties, the Wah Kiu maintained a seven-day issue week even throughout the whole period of the General Strike in 1925.
The Architects for the new building are Messrs. Chau & Lee of Chung Tin Building.
General Contractors: Marsman Hongkong China Ltd. Electrical Work: British General Electric Co., Ltd. Lift Installation: British General Electric Co., Ltd. Plumbing Installation: Lee Yu Kee,
Interior & Exterior Tiling: Lee Yu Kee Steel Windows: Morlite Steel Windows Ltd.
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