the reason for Battery Path Murray Battery the reason for Battery Path

What is a Battery ?

Where was the Murray Battery ? (see the cannon lower left) Lower Albert Road – c. 1869 & 1963 Main Building of Central Government Office (source Hong Kong Public Library)

Plan of the Murray Battery (Rollo, 1991, p.9)

Murray Battery, Battery Point courtesy Hong Kong Public Library

Murray Battery and the Ice House 1904 Map

View from Murray Battery – 1846 courtesy of the Hong Kong Museum of History

the reason for Ice House Street The Ice House the reason for Ice House Street

Ice House Street, Queen’s Road Central & Battery Path Original Ice house on the right – site of the current West Wing of Central Government Offices, on the left.

In 1933 [Government proposed that] Lower Albert Road would be diverted and several blocks given over to business premises. In 1935 Government bought the “Ice House” In 1937 LegCo’s response was (quoted from the minutes): “ ... such development of the Battery Path and Garden Road area would be vandalistic commercialization of what should be one of the most beautiful parts of Hong Kong. (Applause).”

Overriding Public Need ? none

How high can they go ? with the plot ratio allowances at CGO even 100 storeys is possible

Green Wall ?

Signal Hill, Tsim Sha Tsui Government Said … … the Reality is

Why ? For vandalistic commercialization of what should be one of the most beautiful parts of Hong Kong

Some images courtesy of Gwulo.com (古老 )