The Influence of Building Control in Hong Kong on the Role of the Chartered Structural Engineer in P

Lack of international-standard sports facilities has been a long-term problem for Hong Kong: nearly 6M people in about 1000km2 inevitably leads to other priorities in land allocation. Nevertheless, this deficiency has long been a cause for concern, not only to professional and amateur sportsmen and women, but also the masses of children who spend most of their days in multistorey schools. The solution, as is often the case in Hong Kong, came from the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, which operates the only legal betting franchise in the Territory. A staggering HK$lbn is now wagered at nearly all the 40 race meetings held annually at the Club’s two racecourses and after taxes and expenses the Jockey Club is able to donate considerable funds for a wide variety of public projects. P.G. Ayres, R.N. Cole and R. Forster

The idea of a Buddha statue on Lantau Island, conceived by the head monk in the monastery to be the tallest outdoor Buddha statue in the world, was first proposed in 1974, but in 1980, the original designer dropped out. In 1983 the project was finally started, and a meticulous series of models and development trials took place until the final statue was completed and opened to the public in December 1993. Peter P.K. Ng

For some 18 years, China has actively implemented ‘open door’ policies and conducted a determined economic reform in its socialist modernisation with Chinese characteristics. As a result, the whole country, particularly the coastal provinces and larger cities, has attracted tremendous investments from Hong Kong, Taiwan and many foreign countries in trade, industry, infrastructure, and property development. In recent years, foreign capital has been largely utilised in the construction of commercial and office buildings as well as in large-scale urban renewal programmes. H.K. Cheng