This November 1961 image, captured by Swiss photographer Martin Hurlimann, appears in Hurlimann, Martin, Hong Kong, Thames and Hudson, London 1962. The photographer/author writes: As we fly into Hong Kong, jet planes are now the order of the day, and the long runway from Kai Tak out into the Bay had been finished only just in time to meet the new demands. The twelve-storied City Hall is all but finished, and is viewed here from the ferry. This building, erected by the Housing Department, includes a concert-hall, a library, and a museum among its recreational facilities. It was opened by the Governor on 2 March 1962, and on 4 March Sir Malcolm Sargent with the London Philharmonic Orchestra gave the first concert there. This photograph, taken in November 1961, shows the scaffolding being taken down.
(three steeplejacks are clearly visible scaling the top of the building)