General Post Office, Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
Hongkong Post
Hongkong Post is a department under the Government of Hong Kong responsible for postal services, though operated as a Trading Fund. Founded in 1841, it was known as Postal Department or Post Office before the handover of Hong Kong in 1997...
. Built in 1976, it is located at Connaught Place
Connaught Place, Hong Kong
Connaught Place, formerly called Connaught Centre, is a square near Jardine House in Central, Hong Kong.The General Post Office and Exchange Square have Connaught Place addresses....
, Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The office is adjacent to former Star Ferry Pier
Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier
Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier, often referred to as the "Star Ferry" Pier, was a pier in Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong; the pier, with its clock tower, was a prominent waterfront landmark...
, Jardine House
Jardine House
Jardine House , formerly known as Connaught Centre , is an office tower in Hong Kong. The building is located at 1 Connaught Place, Central on the Hong Kong Island. It is owned by Hongkong Land Limited, a subsidiary of Jardines. At the time of its completion in 1972, Jardine House was the tallest...
and International Finance Centre
International Finance Centre
The International Finance Centre is an integrated commercial development on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central District....
. The current building occupied a seafront location until 2007, since then reclamation works take place there.
Past locations
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
as it was essential to locate the office near the shore for receiving letters from the ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
s. Locations of the GPO were:
- 1841 - 1846: Above St.John's CathedralSt. John's Cathedral, Hong KongSt. John's Cathedral , officially The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist and located at 4 Garden Road, Central, is an Anglican cathedral in Hong Kong. It is the Diocesan cathedral of the...
, Garden RoadGarden Road, Hong KongGarden Road is a major road on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, connecting the Central and Mid-levels areas.At its lower end, Garden Road forms a grade-separated intersection with Queensway. For most of its length, Garden Road carries traffic only in the downhill direction. Uphill traffic is carried...
(current Government Headquarters) - 1846 - 1911: Queen's Road CentralQueen's RoadQueen's Road is the first road in Hong Kong built by the Government of Hong Kong between 1841 and 1843, spanning across Victoria City from Shek Tong Tsui to Wan Chai...
, opposite D'Aguilar StreetD'Aguilar StreetD'Aguilar Street is a street in Central, Hong Kong. It is an L-shaped street starting from Queen's Road Central, at Entertainment Building. It runs uphill and meets various featured streets Stanley Street, Wellington Street, Wo On Lane and Lan Kwai Fong in the area... - 1911 - 1976: Junction of Des Voeux Road CentralDes Voeux RoadDes Voeux Road Central and Des Voeux Road West are two roads on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. They were named after the 10th Governor of Hong Kong, Sir George William Des Vœux...
and Pedder Street. (rebuilt into World-Wide HouseWorld-Wide HouseWorld-Wide House is an office building in Central, Hong Kong. It is located between Connaught Road Central, Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road Central.-History:The site is situated on land reclaimed at the turn of the 20th century....
) - 1976 - recent: 2 Connaught PlaceConnaught Place, Hong KongConnaught Place, formerly called Connaught Centre, is a square near Jardine House in Central, Hong Kong.The General Post Office and Exchange Square have Connaught Place addresses....
, Central
1841 GPO
In 1846, premises which had belonged to Dent & Co.Dent & Co.
Dent & Co. or Dent's, was one of the wealthiest British merchant firms, or hongs, active in China during the 19th century. The company was a direct rival to Jardine, Matheson & Co...
were transformed into Government Quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
(?) (庫務署), Supreme Court
Supreme Court (Hong Kong)
The Supreme Court was the highest court in Hong Kong prior to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China in 1997 and heard cases of first instance and appeals from the District and Magisrates Courts as well as certain tribunals...
and General Post Office. This land was auctioned in 1921, when it achieved a price of HK$50 per square foot. The resulting China Building (華人行) was completed in 1924.
1911 GPO
Reclamations had taken place in the meantime in the late 1890s, and the first General Post Office was relocated in 1911 into new premises on the newly reclaimed section of Pedder Street. It was a typical Edwardian municipal construction of granite and red brick, and was known as "the Old Lady of Pedder Street".This old General Post Office building was demolished in 1976, and was functionally relocated to Connaught Place
Connaught Place, Hong Kong
Connaught Place, formerly called Connaught Centre, is a square near Jardine House in Central, Hong Kong.The General Post Office and Exchange Square have Connaught Place addresses....
to make way for the construction of the Central
Central (MTR)
Central station is an MTR station located in the Central area of Hong Kong Island. The station's livery is firebrick red, except for the station's Tsuen Wan Line platform where its livery is dark brown...
station of the MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
below ground. Below the building is the interchange of Hong Kong Station and Central Station of MTR. World-Wide House
World-Wide House
World-Wide House is an office building in Central, Hong Kong. It is located between Connaught Road Central, Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road Central.-History:The site is situated on land reclaimed at the turn of the 20th century....
, an office block, was constructed above ground.
1976 GPO
The building was constructed on reclaimed landLand reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
. In 1967, the Government had planned for a 30 storey block, with 5 floors for the GPO, and 25 for government offices.
The site directly to its south was secured by Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land is one of Asia’s leading property investment, management and development groups with premium commercial and residential property interests across the region. It owns and manages some five million square feet of commercial space in Hong Kong’s Central Business District serving...
at a record price. In exchange, the Government was obliged to accede to a stipulation that no building directly to the north of Connaught Centre, now Jardine House
Jardine House
Jardine House , formerly known as Connaught Centre , is an office tower in Hong Kong. The building is located at 1 Connaught Place, Central on the Hong Kong Island. It is owned by Hongkong Land Limited, a subsidiary of Jardines. At the time of its completion in 1972, Jardine House was the tallest...
, would obstruct its views, thus the maximum height of the GPO building was limited to 120 feet.
The GPO was designed by architect K. M. Tseng, as a 5 storey building, and the foundation to support another 2, up to the maximum permitted height of 120 feet. The building houses the first central vacuum-cleaning system in Hong Kong, without the need to change bags.