Royal Buildings South / King Edward Hotel / Chung Tin Building [1902-c.1953]
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Submitted by David on Sat, 2009-04-25 21:10
Current condition:
Demolished / No longer exists
Date Place completed:
c.1902-01-01 (Month, Day are approximate)
Date Place demolished:
c.1953-12-31 (Year, Month, Day are approximate)
The original Royal Building, built in two phases, ran the length of Ice House Street between Des Voeux Road C. and Chater Road. It was on the west side of the street. Part of Alexandra House now occupies this site.
This page describes the south section. For the north section, which housed the Cecil Hotel, see: http://gwulo.com/node/33451
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Comments
I've found these bits on the
Dorabjee & Co.
The the Early Hong Kong Travel exhibition shows a 1907 letterhead from the King Edward Hotel. It shows Dorabjee & Co as proprietors, and gives the telegraphic address as "Victoria". Possibly there's a connection with the older Victoria Hotel?
Regards, David
King Edward Hotel fire
Barbara Anslow writes:
[I was in Hong Kong] in late 1928 or early 1929 when the King Edward Hotel in Central caught fire. With some other children from the Garrison School on Garden Road, we trotted down to Central in our tiffin hour to view the scene. The fire was out by then, but hoses were still dribbling water in the gutters. About 7 lives were lost, we were told that some of the victims missed the safety nets held out by firemen below.
King Edward Hotel / Royal Building
A few more notes from the newspapers, marking the fire, its reconstruction, and eventual re-opening:
[...]"
[...]
The whole of the interior structural arrangements have been reconstructed with reinforced concrete as the best means of attaining the desired immunity from fire, while careful regard has also been given to the provision of fire escapes. After consultation with Fire Department and Building authorities, it is understood their approval has been obtained for the construction of iron ladder escapes joining the verandahs of the different floors, on both the Ice House Street and Des Voeux Road frontages.
[...]"
The bank will move into its new quarters on the ground floor of Royal Building during the Easter holidays and will resume business after the holidays without any interruption.
[...]"
I've pushed the demolition
I've pushed the demolition date back from 1952 to 1953, as the building was still standing in the 1953 photo above. Also see this sequence of photos.
Regards, David
Building History
Royal/ Chung Tin buildings
Inland Lot 1724, secured July 1900
Architect was Leigh & Orange
Phase 1 (King Edward Hotel end) completed in 1902, leased to Dhunjeebhoy Dorabjee, severely damaged by fire in March 1929
Rebuilt as office block which opened in 1931 (original façade kept), rebuilt portion renamed Chung Tin Building
Phase 2 completed in 1904, lower five floors leased to Lane Crawford until 1924
After 1924 building was leased as Hotel Savoy which became Hotel Cecil
Buildings sold to Lau Kwai Cheuk after construction in 1904 but possession regained by HK land on his death in 1936 due to unpaid HKD500,000 mortgage
Demolished in 1954 to build Alexandra House
Source: HK Land at 125
Please change name/date/location
The Royal Building were effectively two seperate buildings. Can you please change the name to:
Royal Buildings South/King Edward Hotel/Chung Tin Building
I have created a place for the north building here: http://gwulo.com/node/33451
Dates are 1902 -1954
Location is corner of Des Voeux and Ice Hosue Street
I agree. Please change title
I agree. Please change title as above.
Title updated. I've also
Title updated. I've also updated the description to give a link to the Place for the north section.