1. the reason for Battery Path
Murray Battery
the reason for Battery Path

2. What is a Battery ?

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

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

5. Murray Battery, Battery Point
courtesy Hong Kong Public Library

6. Murray Battery and the Ice House
1904 Map

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

8. the reason for Ice House Street
The Ice House
the reason for Ice House Street

9. 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.

10. 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).”

11. Overriding Public Need ?
none

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

13. Green Wall ?

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

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

16. Some images courtesy of Gwulo.com (古老 )