Kellett Island yacht club-HK Telegraph-05-08-1939

NEW CLUB WILL BOAST ALL MODERN AMENITIES

THE most modern and artistic of all local clubhouses, boasting bowling alleys, squash courts, lounge cocktail bar and a library, will be the Royal Hongkong Yacht Club which is being built on Kellett Island.

Construction on this magnificent buildings started some time ago and two wings will be available for use in October. The whole building will be completed by the end of the year.

The architects, Messrs. Leigh and Orange, were faced with a problem at the commencement of work.

They had to develop the rocky Kellett Island with its existing buildings and magazines to make the fullest use of the potentialities as a clubhouse.

There were two blocks of ammunition magazines, two  blocks of buildings and a rocky knoll to consider.

The architects adopted a plan of converting one magazine block into boathouses, the other into changing rooms and joining the two with the clubrooms.

Circular Building

The main rooms were made circular in plan, which not only solves the problem of forming the junction of the two wings most comfortably, but also allows the whole of the sailing waters of the harbour to be in view from the main lounge or verandah.

The rocky knoll was reduced and the soil dumped into the sea to form a foundation for a breakwater stretching to a group of rocks off the western side of the island, thus forming a small sheltered harbour.

Access To Club

Access to the Club is by a flight of steps on to the western magazines and by a covered loggia over the boat-house  to the main entrance hall. This gives on to a men's cloak room and to four bowling alleys. A staircase gives access to a gallery leading to the changing rooms in the north-east wing. In this block are also two squash courts in addition to changing rooms, shower room, lavatories and the heating chamber.

Rising from the main entrance hall, access is obtained to the main bar, the staircase to the first floor, the committee room and the circular entrance lounge. There is a wide verandah on the seaward side, extending outside the lounge and bar. The latter section of the verandah extends In a semi-circular projection over the Timekeeper's room.

Cocktail Bar

The first floor contains a circular lounge, cocktail bar, open terrace, library, kitchen and service rooms.

The starting line for sailing races is a line between the northeast corner of the squash court block and the signal mast on Observatory Hill, Kowloon. On this line a starter's box will be constructed giving a good view of all yachts approaching the starting line from any direction.

The incorporation of existing buildings involved considerable juggling with levels. Possible future extension of the club involved planning the bowling alley wing to take a further storey and the squash court wing to take two further storeys.