RETURN TO LIST

Hong Kong Observatory (1883 Building)
香港天文台

1883, Government 政府建築

134A Nathan Road
九龍尖沙咀彌敦道134號A

The main building of the Royal Hong Kong Observatory was erected on a small hilltop in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1883. It is rectangular and has two storeys. Its arched colonnade is typical of an architectural form derived by the British to address the severe sun and heavy rainfalls of Southeast Asia. Its Chinese tiled roof is also the feature of many early Western buildings integrated with local techniques. While its upper storey columns are Medieval Neo-Romanesque, the lower ones belong to Classical Neo-Corinthian styles, probably composed from pattern books by Royal engineers responsible for early utilitarian government constructions. The whole building is modest in scale and not elaborated, nevertheless illustrates the pragmatic architectural design and construction approach of the colonial era. It is now a declared monument.

座落尖沙咀的小丘上的皇家香港天文台的主樓建於1883年,呈長方形,樓高兩層。其拱門迴廊是英國人為應對東南亞烈日及暴雨而發展出來的建築型態,而其中式瓦項亦是許多早期西式建築融合本土技術的特色。上層立柱為仿中世紀羅曼式,但下層立柱則屬仿古典哥林多式,相信是負責早期政府功能性建設的皇家工程師抄襲樣板圖則拼合而成。整座建築雖規模細小而不華麗,卻體現殖民地時代實務的建築設計及建造手法,現時已被列為法定古蹟。

文:梁以華 (香港註冊建築師)
攝影:林中偉 (香港註冊建築師)

http://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/diva/art_hkac_detail.php?id=29015&page=5





RETURN TO LIST