Sharp & Co Kowloon Point

"This building has been recently erected for Messrs. Sharp & Co., at Kowloon, immediately facing the city of Victoria, Hong Kong. It is built upon the bund which has only recently been reclaimed from the harbour, and being upon made ground the whole of the foundations have been piled with sticks of hardwood, from 8 ft to 12 ft long, and averaging 8 inches in diameter. These have been spaced 2 ft centre to centre, and have been driven by manual labour with a timber-monkey weighing about 280 lb. These monkeys are worked by 12 Chinese, with a fall about 3 ft, and deliver 20 to 25 strokes per minute. The walls are of bricks plastered, with white granite plinth, dressings and strings etc.. Red bricks of very good quality are made at Canton,  and these have been used on the ground floor, and for all arches, piers etc., the rest of the walling being of blue bricks. The roof is covered by a double course of  Canton pan and roll tiles. The joinery and flooring are of teak, and most of the carpentry is of Manila hardwood. The first and second floors are arranged as residential chambers,  each floor being in complete by itself, with bathrooms, servants's quarters etc., whilst the ground floor  is designed to fulfill the requirements of godowns (warehouses).  Mr. Edward A. Ram , of Hong Kong, was the architect., and whole of the work has been executed by Chinese contractors."

Source: The Building News and Engineering Journal, Vol. 61  dated 27 November 1891. See: https://books.google.ca/books?id=lZQ9AVJghSkC&newbks=0&printsec=frontco…

A B/W sketch of "Kowloon Point", same as the building above can also be viewed.