3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE This page has been left blank 106 Central Government Offices 3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE (CGO) 3.1 Landscape and Setting of the centre of this urban area. There are five parks on Hong Kong Island and Hong Kong Park Physical Setting is the third largest. (Victoria Park in Causeway One of the main reasons why the CGO are Bay is 19ha and Quarry Bay Park is 9.79ha, significant is their setting within an open green while Hong Kong Park is 8ha). Other smaller space adjacent to several important historic green spaces within the Central District itself buildings. The area known as Government are Statue Square and Charter Garden by the Hill, consisting of Government House, the Legislative Council Building and the City Hall Government Offices and the Cathedral, was Courtyard. None of these, however, have the formed in the early days of the Colony. Since same amount of mature trees and large plants the end of the Second World War, when Hong that the CGO Complex and surrounding parks Kong was fast becoming a commercial centre, have. the rest of the city rapidly expanded upwards while Government Hill remained an area of The CGO are located in a prominent part of the low rise building and green, open space. Tall Central District of Hong Kong. The public are buildings are now predominant in the Central free to use parts of the area around the CGO. District of Hong Kong and several of the most Battery Path is a popular public thoroughfare iconic buildings surround the CGO on the north up through the Cathedral compound to and east sides; Norman Foster’s HSBC building, Garden Road and many also use it to access the Cheung Kong Centre and the Bank of China the overhead walkway across Queen’s Road tower. The last of these is one of the tallest Central. The Cathedral compound can be used in Hong Kong at 1,209ft and seventy storeys1, as a quiet place to sit and rest. The CGO itself which dwarfs the CGO’s seven storeys. The must be a pleasant area in which to work as CGO are therefore an unusual low rise survival it provides a quiet oasis in the middle of the in Central. city with gardens shaded by trees to the north of the Central Wing. Five of these trees are protected on the Register of Old and Valuable Trees because of their large size or outstanding form. The Burmese Rosewood in the central courtyard is also on the Register because of its historical significance. Norman Foster’s HSBC building as seen from the CGO compound The buildings are set within one of the few ‘green lungs’ in Hong Kong; an area which extends from Ice House Street, up to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens and over to the east to Hong Kong Park. The Gardens and Park comprise over 13 hectares of green space in addition to the green areas around Government House and the CGO. This constitutes a significant part The Burmese Rosewood in the CGO courtyard 1 Bank of China Tower, accessed 09/03/09 Historic and Architectural Appraisal, September 2009 107 The CGO’s physical setting is significant as it is located near to several of Hong Kong’s most important historic buildings and also some of its most iconic modern buildings. Also very significant is the location of the CGO within one of the largest ‘green lungs’ in the city. The complex and surrounding area is partly open to the public and is an oasis in the busy urban environment. Views The CGO’s low height is significant as it does not adversely affect the setting of the surrounding area. During the development of the proposals The CGO are partly screened by the trees. for the CGO in the 1950s there was much Old Hall is on the left. discussion about the height of the buildings and The low height of the CGO here would mean their appearance from Government House (see that Government House and its gardens are not section 2.4.7, p.80). Photographs were created in the shadow of tall buildings and therefore showing the extent of the view of the harbour have plenty of light. From behind Government behind the new buildings, which at that time was House, on Upper Albert Road, the CGO are not still substantial. During the 1930s concerns had visible as the house blocks the view. From the also raised about the intensity of the proposed Zoological gardens behind Government House developments and how they would affect the the views of the CGO are also mainly obscured site. The issue of how the CGO buildings would by trees. affect the views was obviously a prime concern when they were first proposed. One of the features of the Hong Kong Park is a thirty metre Vantage Point tower which offers The view of the harbour, of course, has long panoramic views of the city, including the since disappeared. Very soon after the CGO area over towards the CGO. From the tower were constructed other taller modern buildings the south side of the East Wing and the east were springing up along the shoreline. The low side of the Central Wing are visible behind height of the CGO does, however, mean that the Murray Building. This is not the best view views to Government House from the north are of the CGO as all the plant on the roof of the more easily possible, though the slope of the East Wing can be seen. What is perhaps more land down to the shore here and the tree cover significant is the amount of open space in this make the view more limited from ground level. area. Government House is blocked from view Government House will be visible from the tall by a tall building (St John’s Building) on Garden buildings to the north of the CGO. Road but the trees along Lower Albert Road, the Zoological Gardens to the south and the The CGO are partly screened from the historic buildings below (ie Cathedral and French Mission Buildings) by the planting and trees on and around the CGO site. This protects the historic buildings and softens the potential impact that the CGO buildings could have on them. It was not possible to gain access to the north lawn of Government House to assess the view of the CGO from there. The CGO will certainly make up a substantial part of the view towards the harbour but, of course, the skyscrapers behind the CGO block this view now. The focus of the view is changed from the original view when the GCO were first constructed. The view from the vantage point tower in the park. 108 Central Government Offices it are several historically significant buildings, including Government House and the former French Mission Building. St. John’s Cathedral adds to this history leading some to describe Government Hill as “perhaps Hong Kong’s last remaining real heritage precinct”3. Since the beginning of the British colony the area that is now Central District has been the heart of the settlement. Other historic buildings from the colonial era survive but the desire for more commercial and business premises in the centre of the city has lead to the demolition of many important buildings, such as the old City Hall which was replaced by the first HSBC building in 1933. The survival of these The view from the Peak with the CGO towards the buildings is therefore important to Hong Kong’s right of the image heritage and this has been recognised by their Park surrounding the tower all constitute the designation as Declared Monuments. ‘green lung’ discussed above. It is significant that it is possible to get a view like this of the Near to the CGO and Government Hill are CGO and surrounding area at all in this densely some of the other remaining historic sites in built up city. Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Park to the east of Government House was opened in 1991 after Victoria Peak rises above Hong Kong to a it was converted from a garrison called Victoria height of 1,810ft2 and public viewing platforms Barracks. The park still contains several colonial on the mountain afford a spectacular view of era buildings which have been converted for the harbour and across to Kowloon. The CGO use as park administration (Rawlinson House), are visible from the Peak but are certainly a museum (the Flagstaff House Museum of not a significant feature of the view. The Teaware), an education centre (Wavell House) main features of the view are the tallest and and the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre (Cassels most spectacular skyscrapers while the CGO Block). This is another example of a collection are small and relatively insignificant next to of historic buildings in Central. The surrounding them. The point can, however, be made that area has, however, been altered and adapted it is significant that the CGO can be seen at for use as the park and there is little sense of all because of the open area around them. historical context. Government House and the tower of St. John’s Cathedral can also be seen from the Peak. The CGO’s low height is significant because it was consciously designed to protect the view from Government House. It is also significant that the open space around the CGO allows the buildings to be viewed from vantage points at the Hong Kong Park and the Peak.