The construction of the HSBC building in Hong Kong – images from its architect Foster + Partners

HSBC Building Foster & Partners Construction Image 2

HSBC Main Building (香港滙豐總行大廈) is a headquarters building of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, which is today a wholly owned subsidiary of London-based HSBC Holdings. It is located on the southern side of Statue Square near the location of the old City Hall, Hong Kong.  The previous HSBC building was built in 1935 and pulled down to make way for the current building. The current building is the […]

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Shanghainese Builders in HK (Part Seven) – John Lok, Yao Kee, Paul Lee, TK Shen, Wide Project and Wai Kee

Shanghainese Builders 7 York Lo Image 2

York Lo: Shanghainese Builders in HK (Part Seven) – John Lok, Yao Kee, Paul Lee, TK Shen, Wide Project and Wai Kee In the first six articles in this series, all the Shanghainese builders profiled were firms that were established in pre-war Shanghai and moved to HK before or after 1949. This article will profile seven Shanghainese builders who were […]

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Dragages Hong Kong – first HK projects, Kai Tak runway extension and Shek Pik reservoir

James Chan: Dragages Hong Kong, is a very familiar company name on signs at major construction projects around  Hong Kong. It’s parent company is Bouygues Construction The company was founded in Vietnam in 1902 as Société Française Industrielle D’Extreme-Orient. It undertook its first project, the dredging and maintenance of a 2,000 kilometre canal system in the Mekong Delta. In 1910 […]

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Shanghainese Builders in Hong Kong (Part Three) – Voh Kee, Chang Sung and Dah Cheng

York Lo: Shanghainese Builders in Hong Kong (Part Three) – Voh Kee, Chang Sung and Dah Cheng Voh Kee, Chang Sung and Dah Cheng were three Shanghainese builders which set up shop in Hong Kong between 1945 and 1949 and remained active in the local construction scene during the 1950s. All three firms have since faded away from the HK construction […]

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Joy Fat Construction (再發建築) – Factory Building Pioneer and Developer of Corner Houses

Joy Fat Construction Detail B Image 3 York Lo

York Lo: Joy Fat Construction (再發建築) – Factory Building Pioneer Left: Ad for Joy Fat Mansion in 1958 (WKYP, 1958-9-19); Right: entrance of Joy Fat Mansion today In the 1950s, Joy Fat Construction was a leading property developer and allegedly was the pioneer in developing high-rise industrial buildings with elevators that are sold/leased to multiple factories. Prior to that, most factories […]

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Hong Kong Water Supply – Shek Lei Pui and Kowloon Byewash Reservoir

Kowloon Bywash

Tymon Mellor: With the growing population in both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon there was a growing demand for drinking water, the existing supplies, primarily the Tai Tam reservoirs and Kowloon Reservoir were insufficient to meet such needs. With the failure of the spring rains, water famine became a common occurrence, and a quick fix was required. Water Shortages Following […]

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Tsing Yi Power Station – 1966 construction to 1998 demolition

IDJ: For anyone looking towards the west from around 1966 onwards, the Tsing Yi Power Station site was an increasingly prominent feature of the harbor view. As the five tall concrete chimneys were built progressively from 1968 onwards, no one could fail to see them against the backdrop of the hills on the island. An illustrated brochure was handed out […]

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Lee On Construction (利安建築) and Lee On Realty (利安地產)

Lee On Construction, Lee On Realty Detail Image 2 York Lo

York Lo: Lee On Construction (利安建築) and Lee On Realty (利安地產) Lee On Construction ad of Lee Man Building and Lee Wah Building in Mongkok in 1961 (WKYP, 1961-9-5) While Stanley Ho (何鴻燊, 1921-) might be best known for his gambling interests in Macau, he is also a pioneer in the HK real estate industry who co-founded and later served […]

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Hong Kong Water Supply – Shing Mun Reservoir

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Tymon Mellor: The Shing Mun Valley Scheme was implemented in two stages. The First Section established a new water supply and distribution system including the first cross harbour pipeline. The Second Section provided for the construction of the Jubilee Reservoir  with a capacity greater than the total existing storage and possibly “the highest in the British Empire” [i] along with […]

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