#326 Ma Tau Wai Road, Tokwawan, Surviving Pillar [????- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

#326 Ma Tau Wai Road, Tokwawan, Surviving Pillar [????- ]

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Submitted by tngan on Wed, 2008-10-08 12:09
Tags: 
shop house
Partial
Tokwawan
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Submitted by David on Wed, 2008-10-08 21:18.

I wasn't quite sure what you meant by 'partial shophouses', but the photo makes it clear.

Do you think that either of the buildings to the left or right of the pillar are the same age as the pillar? Or they'd have been built later, with the pillar remaining by chance?

Submitted by tngan on Wed, 2008-10-08 21:49.

Dear Mr B,

The pillar was what's left of the whole roll of houses at that particular location.  Anyway, if you could come up with another term to describe it I could adapt.  I believe the Pillar was left behind owing to the structural integrety of the original wall of the house.  All it end up was two new building had the original wall sandwitched together with the pillar.

Best Regards,

T 

 

Submitted by David on Wed, 2008-10-08 22:11.

I think the term is right - I was just struggling to imagine what one would look like :-)

All clear now! Seems funny how the pillar survives when the buildings on either side have gone. Maybe the builders felt a bit nostalgic!?

Cheers, MrB

Submitted by OldTimer (not verified) on Thu, 2008-10-09 10:04.
These might have been the work of up to four different architects and were built at different times considering their frontal appearances. Those to the right were built first and used cantilever beams to support the part of the buildings above the sidewalk. Next, the unit to the right of the pillar was built but instead of finishing the corner with another cantilever beam, the builder used the existing pillar as support; thus the cross beam (appearing white) was added or enlarged to strengthen the support. Perhaps they had access problem. The unit to the left of the pillar was the last one to be demolished. But by then, they couldn't remove the pillar because it must continue to support the adjacent structure. Just a guess.