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1. Four projects win government designers architectural awards
CHLOE LAI , SCMP 20 April 2007
The Stanley Municipal Services Building
CUHK's centralised science laboratories. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The Architectural Services Department scooped four prizes at the city's leading architecture awards, including medal of the year.
The four-storey Stanley Municipal Services Building on Stanley Market Road - designed by government architects - snapped up the Institute of Architects ' Annual Award top prize, the medal of the year.
It is the second time the department took home the award's top prize, with last year's medal of the year going to the department's Wetland Park building.
The department's other prizes were for the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront beautification project, a primary-secondary school project in Sham Shui Po, and an Education and Manpower Bureau building in Kowloon Tong.
Institute of Architects president Ronald Lu Yuen-cheung said: "All major architectural jobs come from the government. There weren't many projects in the private sector except residential developments. It is normally difficult for residential buildings to get major awards."
The HK$172 million municipal building project was completed in November 2005; it houses a small library, sports centre, community hall, an office for the Southern District Office and a rooftop garden.
Department assistant director Elizabeth Cheng Chan Ching-yin said natural materials were used, such as clay brick, fair-faced concrete - which gave the building a natural look - and timber to allow it to blend in with the neighbourhood. A glass floor allowed sunlight to enter the community centre in the basement during the day and artificial lighting to light the courtyard from the basement at night.
Chinese University 's centralised science laboratories took the merit award. Architect Ross Milne said his colourful building on a hillside on the Chinese University campus was built as an icon of the tertiary institute.
He used 17 colours on an external wall to reflect the patterns on the periodic table.
"I made reference to the periodic table, making it a reference of what is going on inside the building.
"The colours we used all exist in nature, allowing the building to have a subtle relationship with the hill and the woods in the area."
One prize for projects outside Hong Kong went to Oval Partnership and Integer China 's work in Kunming . The judges praised the project for contributing to environmentally sustainable architecture.
2. Drainage and river works cut flooding black spots by 60pc
FOX YI HU , SCMP 20 April 2007
A multibillion-dollar drainage project has cut the number of flooding black spots in Hong Kong by 60 per cent, the Drainage Services Department said.
Since 1995, the number of flood-prone spots in the city has dropped from 90 to 35 under the HK$17.7 billion scheme to be completed in 2012. Two-thirds of the project has already been completed.
The government has so far spent HK$11.8 billion on a series of river training and flood-control works.
"Following completion of many of these works, the flooding situation in the northern part of the New Territories , including Yuen Long, Kam Tin, Sheung Shui and Ta Kwu Ling, has significantly improved," said Wong Chee-keung, director of the department.
Areas vulnerable during extraordinary rainfall - more than 100mm - had been reduced by nearly 90 per cent from 3,000 to 360 hectares.
But some notorious flooding black spots remain, including low-lying streets in Sheung Wan, the Kau Lung Hang railway underpass in Tai Po and the Lam Tsuen Valley Basin in Tai Po.
Sheung Wan vendors have regularly suffered heavy losses in flooding caused by downpours or high tides that forced seawater out of drains.
Mr Wong said the completion of the intercepting drains in Queen's Road Central in June next year would reduce the risk of flooding by 30 per cent. And a pumping station due to be completed before the 2009 wet season would solve Sheung Wan's flooding problem for good, he said.
In the coming wet season, the department will step up inspection and desilting work to help Sheung Wan residents cope with possible flooding, Mr Wong said.
"[Between 10 and 20] drainage workers will be stationed in Sheung Wan to ensure smooth draining," he said. "We will also use SMS to inform vendors of the latest flooding situation to minimise their losses."
In another black spot, hundreds of villagers were often cut off by floods when severe rainfall hit Kau Lung Hang in north Tai Po. The affected area has grown larger in recent years due to changes in land use.
"This area is surrounded by hills and the residents could go nowhere during flooding because the only pass is cut off," said Mr Wong.
The low-lying area is largely blocked by the KCR line between Fan Ling and Tai Wo, with only one underpass out.
To solve the problem, four drainage conduits have been installed under part of the rail embarkment between Tai Wo and Fanling to divert water. A canal with an inflatable dam is also being built to divert water.
3. Draft Kwun Tong (South) Outline Zoning Plan approved
Hong Kong Government, 20 April 2007
The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Kwun Tong (South) Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
"The approved OZP provides a statutory land use framework to guide development and redevelopment in the Kwun Tong (South) area", a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (April 20).
The Planning Scheme Area, covering about 387 hectares of land, is located within the Kwun Tong District in East Kowloon . It can be separated into two main portions. The portion to the south-west of Kwun Tong Road is a long-established Kwun Tong Business Area (KTBA), which is under transformation to meet the changing needs of the industrial and business sectors, whereas the portion to the north-east of Kwun Tong Road and Lei Yue Mun Road is predominantly occupied by residential developments.
Some 46.8 hectares and two hectares of land are zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") and "Commercial" respectively. All the industrial sites in the KTBA had been rezoned to "OU" annotated "Business" to encourage the transformation of the area into a 'business' district comprising a mixture of commercial, office and non-polluting industrial uses. In addition, seven sites in the KTBA are zoned "Commercial (1)" ("C(1)") to provide commercial facilities for the workers.
About 138.8 hectares and 14.5 hectares of land are zoned "Residential (Group A)" and "Residential (Group B)" respectively. To cater for local as well as district needs, about 44.9 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community".
About 42.6 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space" for both active and passive recreational uses. Some 28.9 hectares of land is zoned "Green Belt" and the rest of the Area, about 68.9 hectares, is reserved for road, nullah and other uses.
The approved Kwun Tong (South) OZP No. S/K14S/14 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in North Point and Sha Tin, the Kowloon District Planning Office, and the Kwun Tong District Office.
Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be seen on the Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb .
4. Approved Yau Ma Tei Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 20 April 2007
The Town Planning Board today (April 20) announced amendments to the approved Yau Ma Tei Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
The amendments mainly involve rezoning land at the junction of Princess Margaret Road and Wylie Road from "Comprehensive Development Area" ("CDA") to "Residential (Group B)2" ("R(B)2") and "Road"; rezoning a site at 855-865 Canton Road from "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC") to "Residential (Group A)" and an area at Canton Road from "Open Space" ("O") to "G/IC".
Amendments have also be made to the Notes of the Plan. They include deletion of the Notes for the "CDA" zone; revision to the Remarks of the Notes for the "Residential (Group B)" zone to incorporate development restrictions for land zoned as "R(B)2"; refinement to the planning intention in the Notes for the "O" zone and revision to the definitions of "existing use of any land or building" and "existing building" in the covering Notes.
The draft Yau Ma Tei OZP No. S/K2/18 incorporating the amendments is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in North Point and Sha Tin, the Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office and the Yau Tsim Mong District Office.
Any person can make written representation in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before June 20, 2007. Representations made to the Town Planning Board will be available for public inspection.
Copies of the draft OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed at the Town Planning Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb .
5. Draft Urban Renewal Authority Yu Lok Lane/Centre Street Development Scheme Plan approved
Hong Kong Government, 20 April 2007
The Chief Executive in Council approved the draft Urban Renewal Authority (URA) Yu Lok Lane/Centre Street Development Scheme Plan (DSP).
"The approved DSP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the implementation of the URA Yu Lok Lane/Centre Street Development Scheme," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (April 20).
The Development Scheme Area, covering about 2,156 square metres, is located within the street block bounded by Third Street , Centre Street , High Street and Western Street , with Yu Lok Lane penetrating through the site from east to west.
The Area is zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" which is intended for comprehensive development/redevelopment for residential and/or commercial uses. A landscaped open space of a minimum of 1,100 square metres at grade and accessible to the general public will be provided to meet local needs, enhance the environment and improve pedestrian circulation in the area. Adequate off-street car parking spaces and loading/unloading+ facilities will be provided to serve the development and minimise the impact on the local traffic.
The approved DSP No. S/H3/URA2/2 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Public Enquiry Service Centre of the Central & Western District Office.
Copies of the approved DSP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb .
6. Approved Tai Tam & Shek O Outline Zoning Plan referred back for amendment
Hong Kong Government, 20 April 2007
The Town Planning Board today (April 20) announced that the Chief Executive in Council had referred the approved Tai Tam & Shek O Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) to the Board for amendment.
Amendments to the approved OZP are necessary to reflect the latest planning proposals in the Tai Tam and Shek O area.
The OZP incorporating the amendments will be exhibited for public inspection under the provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance.
The Tai Tam & Shek O OZP was last approved by the Chief Executive in Council in January, 2005.
7. Middle Road Subway extension works gazetted
Hong Kong Government, 20 April 2007
The Government today (April 20) published in the Gazette the authorised Middle Road Subway extension works with modification, which will provide an underground pedestrian linkage connecting the Canton Road area to the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) East Tsim Sha Tsui Station.
To facilitate commuters travelling between the KCRC East Tsim Sha Tsui Station and the Canton Road and Star Ferry areas, KCRC proposes to construct an extension to the existing Middle Road Subway to connect to the existing Peking Road and Kowloon Park Drive Subways by cut-and-cover method.
The new subway extension will be installed with travelators and a lift will be provided outside Kowloon Hotel. KCRC will also improve the condition of the existing Kowloon Park Drive Subway, and to replace the existing ramp by a lift and an escalator at the existing entrance adjacent to YMCA Building .
The modification involves amendment to the proposed location of the lift outside the Kowloon Hotel. Construction work is scheduled to start in early 2007 and will take about 32 months to complete.
The modification plan is available for public inspection at the following Government Offices during office hours:
* Central and Western Office, Public Enquiry Service Centre, Unit 5, Ground Floor, The Centre, 99 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong;
* Yau Tsim Mong District Office, Public Enquiry Service Centre, Ground Floor, Mong Kok Government Offices, 30 Luen Wan Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon; and
* District Lands Office, Kowloon West, 10th Floor, Yau Ma Tei Carpark Building, 250 Shanghai Street, Kowloon.
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