On New Years Day 1926, a large portion of the old Hong Kong Hotel (the part on Des Voeux Road Central & Pedder Street corner) was completely gutted by fire. Hongkong Land purchased the site in 1928 for $1,375,000 and developed Gloucester Building which was completed in 1932, a few years later the Hotel section was fomally named Gloucester Hotel. Gloucester Building was the first mixed-use building in Central, on the lower two levels were shops with internal arcades. Offices occupied the middle two floors and a small hotel, the top five floors. It was also the company's first new generation developments using reinforced concrete floor slabs and a structural steel frame on a foundation of driven piles. The building would be demolished in 1977 to make way for an even larger mixed use development in the 1980's, The Landmark.
Comments
Tram
Noting the tram was later enclosed of the open-top design with the updeck a bit shorter. Double-deck enclosed trams (pre-war style) was introduced in 1925.
Photo usage
Hi PaulO, thanks for sharing this amazing photo. I would like to get in touch with you to enquire if I could reproduce this image in an upcoming book on Hong Kong Art Deco architecture. Could you please let me know what you think? I can let you know more about the book and can be reached here or at essavan@connect.hku.hk
Thanks a lot.