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HKBU Academic Community Hall

Location: Baptist University, Kowloon
Category: Education

Architect: Eric Cumins & S. N. Young
Project year: 1979

Another building that reminds viewers of brutalist architecture.  The Academic Community Hall at Hong Kong Baptist University is a two-tier auditorium space that can seat more than 1,300 audiences. In addition to hosting university functions, it was one of the most popular and important performing venues in the 1970s.  The Academic Community Hall was first conceived and funded by Dr. Lam Chi-fung. However, Dr. Lam passed away before the project began. To honor Dr. Lam, the building was expanded into a larger-scale project and became a part of the Lam Chi-fung Memorial Building.  Designed by Eric Cumine, the architect behind Harbour City and old Shaw House, the Academic Community Hall has a bulky and almost windowless mass on top and a slightly narrower mass in the bottom. A grand staircase that leads up to the entrance in the building has become the most recognizable feature of the auditorium. The hall may be demolished in the near future as a part of Hong Kong Baptist University’s redevelopment project. A spokesperson of HKBU told the Coconuts’ reporter in an email that the Academic Community Hall was “limited by its design and construction”. The email also pointed out other problems faced by the hall including the lack of stage backdrop space, absence of lifts and high maintenance costs. 

在這列表上另一座帶點粗野主義的摩登建築的就是香港浸會大學學術社區會堂。 香港浸會大學學術社區會堂是一座雙層禮堂,可容納1,300多名觀眾,除了舉辦大學活動外,它還是70年代其中最受表演者歡迎和最重要的表演場所之一。 學術社區會堂一開始是由林子豐博士構思和資助,可惜林博士於項目工程起動前過世了。為紀念林博士,大學把該建築擴建為一個較大規模的項目,而香港浸會大學學術社區會堂成為林志峰紀念大樓的一部分。 香港浸會大學學術社區會堂的設計由本地名建築師甘銘設計,大部分香港人對甘銘的設計應該不會陌生,海港城以及和舊邵氏片場就是出以甘銘手筆。香港浸會大學學術社區會堂學術的頂部有一個大體積而且幾乎沒有窗戶的盒子,而底部的支撐相對稍窄,大樓中心有一條長長的大樓梯,成為禮堂最有代表性的特色。 香港浸會大學學術社區會堂近年被列入為香港浸會大學重建項目的一部分,面臨被拆除的危機 。香港浸會大學的發言人以電子郵件回覆Coconuts的記者,指香港浸會大學學術社區會堂受其設計和建築所限制,而且面臨不少問題,包括缺乏舞台背景空間,沒有升降機以及高昂的維修費用等。 

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