The Former Supreme Court
前最高法院大樓
1912, Government 政府建築
8 Jackson Road Central
香港中環昃臣道8號
Architect: 亞士東· 偉柏 Aston Webb及英格里斯·貝爾 Ingress Bell
The Former Supreme Court was built in 1912. The architect of the building adopted neo-classical style that bore rich colonial characteristics in the construction of the highest judiciary in the territory. Architectural features of the Far East including spacious balconies and pitched roof were also incorporated in the architecture. The structure was built on Chinese fir-tree piles as foundation with local granite exterior walls, which could rarely be seen in Hong Kong today. Sir Piggott, Chief Justice of Hong Kong at that time claimed that even if Victoria Harbour was overwhelmed with mud, the building would stand as a living witness of the civilisation of the Far East. Today, the building will soon become a court again. The blind-folded Greek goddess Themis still stands tall on the top of the building with a scale in her hand, reminding us the importance of judicial independence in our society.
站立在西面立面上的泰美斯女神像雙眼蒙着，右手持天秤，左手持劍，跟舊最高法院大樓一起，見證着香港法治的百年滄桑。舊最高法院大樓於1912年建成，直至1985年後改為議會場地為止，這裏都是施行公義的地方。當年，建築師亞士東．偉柏及英格里斯．貝爾，採用殖民地色彩濃厚的新古典主義來塑造香港的最高司法機關，不過當中亦揉合了寬闊陽台，金字屋頂等遠東地區建築特色，作為對本地文化和氣候的尊重。地基為1447棵杉木所造的樁柱、外牆是每塊五噸重的本地花崗岩，今時今日，就算如此工藝並未絕跡，亦難以滿足日益嚴緊的建築法例要求，不過當時的首席按察司皮葛卻揚言：「即使他日維多利亞城不復存在，海港被淤泥壅塞，香港會所坍塌湮沒，這座大樓仍將如金字塔般巍然矗立，為遠東的睿智留下見證。」物換星移，無論環境怎麼變，泰美斯仍然不偏不倚地站在大樓立面的正中央。2015年，這裡將再一成為終審法院，還望香港人的睿智可以延續到我們的下一代。
文：王樂賢(香港註冊建築師)
攝影：洪彬芬 (香港註冊建築師)
http://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/diva/art_hkac_detail.php?id=28791&page=6
