March 1998

New construction

Huge projects underway at CU

By June Lau

The Buildings Office at the Chinese University of Hong Kong is extremely busy now that a spate of construction projects have come online.

The work includes construction of new buildings, renovation of premises, a topographical survey and site investigations.

Of all these, the redevelopment of the teaching buildings on the Chung Chi College campus tops the list.

Photo by June Lau

Model of the new teaching building at Chung Chi College

The project is taking place at the site of the previous Chung Chi Administrative Building, the Music Archive and Music Building, which have been demolished. They are being replaced by the new teaching buildings connecting with the Chung Chi Administrative Centre.

Mr. Liang Shing Hok, assistant to director of the Buildings Office at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, declined to estimate the project’s cost, which has been revised several times due to delays in construction.

Inside the teaching buildings, there will be modern, well-equipped lecture theatres such as those in Wong Foo Yuan Building and the Sino Building.

Also, there will be a music hall inside. It will occupy two floors and offer 300 seats.

A consultant will be employed to manage the hall, and an internationally known company will do the interior design.

The Nursing Department and the Economics Department are expected to be accommodated in the new teaching building. The former will occupy the sixth to eighth floors, while the Economics Department will occupy the 10th floor.

To date, only the foundation has been finished. Construction of the superstructure reportedly will get underway soon.

The whole project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 1999.

Another new teaching block is underway for the Science Faculty.

According to Mr. Liang, the building will be an extension of the Science Centre.

The new Science Building Complex, also known as Mong Man Wai Building, is being built because the Science Centre is nearly full.

The nine-storey building will mainly serve students of the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Biochemistry Department.

Basic facilities will range from research laboratories and lecture theatres to well-equipped classrooms.

A $4 million lift will be installed in the new Science Building to provide a short-cut linking the New Asia Campus and the main campus of the university, known as Mid-Levels.

The objective is to save the time and energy spent by students waiting for school buses and toiling on foot up the hill.

It allegedly will take only several seconds to reach the New Asia Circle from the main campus.

It is estimated that the whole project will cost more than $122 million.

The construction fund is comprised of both subsidies from the government and private donations.

Apart from these major building projects, new hostels are being built as well. In the near future, a new $130 million hostel for postgraduates will emerge on the northeast side of the Sports Centre and 450 places will be made available. The project has already begun.

According to Mr. Liang, it is a suitable location, as the tranquil environment is an attraction. However, noise from the Kowloon-Canton Railway and Tolo Harbour may be a nuisance.

To let the undergraduates experience real university life, each college of the University also will construct a new hostel for accommodation.

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