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Mei Ho House
美荷樓

1954, Vernacular 民間建築及屋邨

Block 41, Shek Kip Mei Estate
九龍深水埗石硤尾邨41座

On Christmas night 1953, a blaze destroyed homes of many living in Shek Kip Mei squatter area, turning 50,000 and more homeless overnight. To provide prompt shelter for the fire victims, the Government pledged to build large-scale resettlement blocks. Designed by the Public Works Department, Mei Ho House, a six-storey H-shaped resettlement block was constructed in 1954 in Phase One. The two wings of the H-shaped building are balcony-style corridors, connecting residential units that were constructed back-to-back. Area for each unit was around 120 square feet. Cooking stoves were placed on the corridors, which were connected by the central area with communal toilets and bathrooms. Mei Ho House became vacant in 2005 and was revitalised into a youth hostel in 2013.

美荷樓的誕生,始於1953年聖誕夜的九龍石峽尾木屋區大火。這次大火導致五萬多人無家可歸,政府為盡快安置大量的災民,決定興建大型徙置大廈。工務局以僅滿足居住基本需要而作出設計,樓高六層,平面呈H型的美荷樓,便是第一期的產品,於1954 年落成。H型的兩翼是以露台式走廊,連接背靠背的住宅單位,每個單位面積120平方英呎。煮食灶台設於走廊位置,公共廁所及浴室設於中間的連接部分。美荷樓於2005年空置,2013年被活化為青年旅舍。

文: 林中偉 (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=29093&page=1





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