accommodation for about 38,000 people in five 20-storey and five 12-storey blocks. There will be three primary schools. The whole estate is expected to be completed in 1971.
The two blocks to be constructed in the initial stage will house 6,200 people. One will be 12-storeys high while the other will be 20-storeys high.
ERMITA COMMERCIAL CENTRE
CONSTRUCTION will start later this year on the 12-storey Ermita Commercial Centre in Manila. The 160 ft. high building, covering a ground floor area of 2.529 sq. metres, will be located at the junction of Roxas Boulevard, Sta. Monica Street and Leon Ma. Guerrero Street.
Offices will be provided in the tower block and below this at ground and first floor levels will be shopping ar- cades and a luxury restaurant surrounded by an open- air patio.
A triple-deck parking area for 80 cars will
be erected at the rear of the building.
The structure will rest on 16 in. x 16 in. prestressed concrete piles, 105 ft. long, with a bearing capacity of
Ermita Commercial Centre
150 tons each. Floor framing will consist of prestressed concrete joists and an in situ slab. The joists will be supported by reinforced concrete beams and girders.
Columns, of 7,000 p.s.i. concrete, will be poured in place. Seismic forces and wind load will be resisted by shear walls centrally located at the service area.
The developers are Cosmopolitan Investment Co., and the architects and engineers are A. J. Luz Associates.
7TH IFAWPCA CONVENTION
THE International Federation of Asian & Western Pacific Contractors' Association (IFAWPCA) are to hold their Seventh Convention in Wellington, New Zea- land, from February 18 to 26. 1967.
The Government Tourist Bureau has announced it will be pleased to assist delegates in any way possible. Those wanting any information should contact Mr. R. Holland at P.O. Box 2976, Wellington.
ARCHITECTURAL AMALGAMATION
Two well-known architectural practices in Hong Kong, Christopher Haffner, and Spence Robinson Prescott & Thornburrow, have been amalgamated and will now be known simply as Spence Robinson, Managing partners will be Mr. David Thornburrow. Mr. Christopher Haffner and Mr. Charles Brown. Mr. Jon Prescott will be con- sulting partner and Mr. Bryon Pedersen will be associate partner.
The new firm directly inherits the name Spence Robinson from the partnership which was formed in Shanghai in 1924 and was subsequently responsible for several major buildings such as the Shanghai Post Office
30
Artist's impression of the 23-storey, 419-room hotel to be built by the Dusitthanee Corporation at the corner of Silom Road and Rama 1V Road, Bangkok. As reported in last month's issue the hotel will be managed by Hotel Okura, a Japanese syndicate, and has been designed by Mr. Yogo Shibata. Construction will start in November.
and the Shanghai Jockey Club buildings. The first major project in Hong Kong was Alexandra House, followed by many other projects including schools, flats and uni- versity halls of residence. More recently Spence Robinson Prescott & Thomburrow were consulting architects for the Sea Terminal, and for the Ocean Terminal completed this year.
was
Mr. Christopher Haffner was senior architect for Harriman Realty Co., Ltd., for four years before establish- ing his practice in 1964. With Harrimans, he architect in charge of several projects including blocks of flats, factories and welfare projects. Within his own practice, he has designed housing projects, schools and rehabilitation facilities.
LAI CHI KOK BRIDGE CONTRACT
PAUL Y Construction Co., Ltd. have been awarded a HK- $13,960,528 contract by the Hong Kong Government for building the Colony's largest road bridge at Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon.
―
A 2,600 ft. long structure, the bridge will carry dual three-lane carriageways, each 33 ft. wide. It will have thirteen 93 ft. spans and fifteen 63 ft. spans. Beam and slab construction will be used, the beams being precast on the ground, prestressed and then erected in position. The British CCL system of prestressing will be em- ployed. The beams will be simply supported and will rest on reinforced concrete cross-beams, carried by re- inforced concrete circular columns founded on piles.
Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick and Partners. Hong Kong, are the consulting engineers.
FORMICA TO HOLD SEMINAR
THE British firm of laminate manufacturers, Formica, Ltd. is to hold a one-week seminar for architects and designers in October at the Hilton Hotel, Hong Kong.
Three new ranges of decorative laminate will be in- troduced by the firm and information will be provided on fabrication methods and applications of these new materials. The seminar is being held by the company in association with its distributor. Shewan Tomes (Equip- ment) Ltd. Similar seminars will be held later this month in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
BUILDING PLANS APPROVED
FORTY-SIX plans for new buildings of all types in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories were approved by the Building Authority in July as compared with 22 in the preceding month and 39 in the corresponding month last year.
During the same month. 71 completed buildings
Far East Architect & Builder September, 1966
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.