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Other Information:
[Integrated technology
study by HKU students 1996/97]
[An article
from Hinge Vol. 30, April 1997, pp. 32-33]
[An
article on T T Tsui Building by Desmond Hui]
| Created: 17 Dec 1999 | Updated: 1 Dec 2001 | By: Sam
C M Hui (cmhui@hku.hk) |
1.1 Basic Data
| Use of the building: |
New Headquarters for the School of Professional and Continuing
Education (SPACE) as well
as a new art gallery linked with the existing Fung Ping Shan Museum
to form the University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) |
| Architect: |
Nelson Chen Architects |
| Design Date: |
1992 |
| Completion Date: |
1996 |
| Building Area: |
5,577 sq.m. |
| Site Area: |
1,125 sq.m. |
| Structural Consultant: |
Wong Chen Associated Ltd. |
| Quantity Surveyor: |
Davis Langdon & Seah HK Ltd. |
| M & E Consultant: |
Meinhardt (M&E) Ltd. |
| Main Contractor: |
Shui On Construction Co. Ltd. |
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1.2 Drawings and Photos
* More photos
of the building from HKU Estates Office.
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1.3 Backgound
A new museum , a major extension to a museum, is a signemnet cultural
development in any society. In Hong Kong - where older buildings have
seemed to disappear overnight on occasion - a major extension to a museum
building dating from the pre- World War II period is almost unique.
Although public museums of art were established prior to 1949, they
were not a feature of traditional China - in part a consequence of the
long-venerated literati habit of private collecting. But plans implemented
in the early days of the People's Republic included at least one museum
of art and history in each province.
Elsewhere in the world, the 19th century had been the heyday for establishing
public museums and art galleries, and the motives were various : national
pride, an educational tool, as well as one means of keeping the industrial
revolution's rapidly increasing urban population 'off the streets' during
leisure hours. Not surprisingly, therefore, even youthful Hong Kong
had a one-room museum of curiosities by the late 1850s.
To keep pace with its state or city funded competitors, the frequently
small, often comparatively underfunded, late twentieth century university
museum has also needed to adjust and enlarge in sympathy with student
and public expectations. During the past twenty years, the Fung Pan
Shan Museum of the university of Hong Kong has developed to incorporate
additional staff and more ambitious exhibitions, attend to the matter
of internal decoration and air conditioning, and give attention to the
frabic of building itself.
The possibilty of a significant gift of paintings from
the respected senior artist Lui Hai Su made the need for additional
Fung Ping Shan gallery space, workshops, storage and offices all too
apparent.
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Tsui Tsin Tong Building is a 60,000 sq.ft. redevelopment on a sloping,
wedge-shaped site featuring academic offices and lecture rooms in a
tower above a new art gallery for the Liu Hai Su Collection of Chinese
paintings. Linked by a footbridge to the existing University Museum,
the building design of brick-coloured wall tiles and white granite accents,
while contemporary in expression and the use of materials, recalls the
physical context of historic campus buildings nearby.
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The new building occupies a small, wedge-shaped site on steeply
rising land. The twelve storey structure consists of three wings
joined in a triangular composition allwoing an upper entrance from
within the campus as well as a lower one from Bonham Road. The building
adopts minimal decoration. The Bonham Road public
entrance to the Museum is unadorned apart from the name, and
a scroll acting as a modern interpretation of the classical pediment.
Students would normally enter on the opposite side of the building
at level 3, via an equally important entrance
surrounded by a courtyard dominated by the raised extension
skylight. A small projecting entrance canopy includes the lightening
scroll detail. |
| The building picks up the brick coloured wall tiles
and white granite accents of the Main Building and Fung Ping Shan
Museum with the alternate red and white colour not only help treduce
the verticality of the tower but also tie the new and the old horizontally.
The projecting penthouse recall the capital of the classical order
in abstract. The shape of the solar-tinted windows reflects the
classic rectangularity of those in the Museum. A roof
skylight into the Fung Ping Shan galleries is replicated in
the T T Tsui Building, but at ground level due to the 20m level
change of the site. Internally, the three storey art gallery is
linked at all levels by a monumental circular staircase overlooking
a double height atrium gallery.
The main campus of Hong Kong University occupies a precipitous
site between Bonham and Kotewall roads. As early buildings were
positioned immediately above Bonham Road, those remaining are
the most readily visible to the passing public. Considerable post-world
war II development immediately above and beyond has set aside
any consideration of site harmony with older neighbours.
Thus Nelson Chen of Wong Chen Associates Ltd was presented with
a challenging site on the edge of the main campus; one important
for both student and public use. In addition to linkage with Fung
Ping Shan Building, the scheduled TT Tsui Building would be close
to the Main Building dating from 1912, two residential Old halls
to the upper rear dating from 1914 and 1915 and Swire Building
- full of student amenities including a residence hall - completed
as recently as 1980.
The site was empty apart from many trees and woodside, a small,
under-used, older building; the majority of the mature trees close
to Bonham Road were saved. In fact, the extensive front facade
of the University achieves greater architectural continuity with
the addition of the T T Tsui Building. While the main pedestrian
entrance/exit and vehicular exit of the campus take no account
of the historic buildings on either side, the new building picks
up on the granite and brick construction of the Main Building
and Museum. Perhaps in acknowledgement, the intervening 1970s
knowles Building has recently been partially rendered in a sympathetic
brick red.
"It's a monumental building of 5,500sq.m, but one intended to
be both light and inviting," states the architect. Bricks were
frequently shipped - in as ballast in the early eras of Hong Kong.
Granite continues to be readily available locally, and has been
used in the new building in conjunction with soft-toned brick
facing tiles, carefully co-ordinated so that there are no cut
tiles on any facade of the building.
The Bonham Road public entrance to the Museum is unadorned apart
from the name, and scroll acting a part from the name , and scroll
acting as a modern interpretation of the classical pediment. Students
would normally enter on the opposite side of the building at level
3, via an equally important entrance surrounded by a courtyard
dominated by the raised extension skylight. A small projecting
entrance canopy includes the lighting scroll detail.
Levels 3-11 appear to rise rather than settle down into the granite
foundations through the use of lines of corner windows, and a
clever mixing of window placement with bands of white alucobond
panels.
Variation of detail between the Bonham Road and courtyard facades,
lipping which articulates the building at roof level, and the
decorative inserts of small squares in open or closed clusters
of four - but single at the top as though their companions have
flown away - all contribute further to the inviting atmosphere.
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- New Hong Kong Architecture, Pace Publication, Hong Kong, 1997,
p.168-171
- Arch, No.15, 1992, p.82-85.
- Barnett, Cherry, "Artistry in Academia", Building Journal Hongkong
China, October 1996, p.36-41.
- Pace Interior Architecture, March 1995.
- Hinge, November 1996 and April 1997.
- Time + Architecture, Fall 1997.
- HKIA Journal, 1997.
- Hong Kong Architecture 3, 1997.
- Convocation
Newsletter, University of Hong Kong, Autumn 1998, p.1-2.
- Building Journal October 1996
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