Old City Hall
舊大會堂
1869, Government 政府建築
1 Queen's Road Central (Occupied the current sites of the HSBC Main Building (partly) and the Bank of China Building)
香港中環皇后大道中1號(香港匯豐總行大廈現址旁)
Architect: M. Hermite
The first City Hall in Hong Kong was built in 1869 with donations from organisations including Jardine Matheson. By way of an open competition, the design of M. Hermite, a French designer, was chosen. The French Baroque compound included a library, museum, ballroom, theater and a fountain in the square, making it the finest public architecture in Hong Kong of the time even though it was an exclusive site for higher society.
Former City Hall was situated at the current site of old China Bank and HSBC. It was demolished in 1935 to make room for the third generation of HSBC. The only remaining part of the First City Hall might be the huge banyan tree planted in the square, where Hilton Hotel was constructed, demolished and rebuilt into Cheung Kong Center as decades have gone by.
這座建於一八六九年的香港第一代大會堂，由怡和洋行等捐贈，並透過一項公開比賽挑選了法國人M. Hermite的設計；設有圖書館、博物館、舞廳、劇院及入口廣場的噴泉，屬華麗非常的法式巴洛克風格。儘管是專供上流社會社交的場所，卻是香港當時最精緻的公共建築。
由於它是建於舊中國銀行及匯豐銀行的位置，於一九三五年被清拆，以讓位興建第三代匯豐銀行。仍留下來的，也許是種植於廣場的大榕樹，隨著時代變遷，經歷希爾頓酒店的興建至清拆，再重建為長江中心，已漸見蒼老禿頹。
文：馮永基 (香港註冊建築師)
相片：高添強提供
http://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/diva/art_hkac_detail.php?id=29056&page=2
