Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Yellowthread Street (TV Series) - Bruce Payne (1990) - Edinburgh Place, Central

More specifically the carpark that has sat here for many years. Interestingly, once referred to as the Star Ferry Multi-storey Car Park on local maps but since the sad demolition of that famous ferry pier, it's now just the Edinburgh Place car park.

This scene involves a bit of action as the cops follow the Middleman down from the Peak and a gunfight ensues when some local gangsters turn up and he escapes in a cloud of burnin' rubber.

Bottom of the carpark ramp with the HK Club in the background

2 comments:

gweilo8888 said...

There's a nice shot of the car park on Gwulo, already in use by 1961 -- so presumably it was constructed in the late 50s. (And with its ferry pier right next to it -- oh, the nostalgia. And... good grief, Connaught Road Central was still on the waterfront alongside the carpark!)

http://gwulo.com/node/6659

Now that the pier has gone, as well as the majority of the buildings nearby, that carpark must be one of the oldest things in the area.

I'm thinking that within a few blocks, the only things older are the former Supreme Court, the Cenotaph, and the Bank of China Building. (And the latter only beat the car park by a decade or so.)

Only in Hong Kong would we hang onto an ugly old car park for 60 years -- even though a new car park could be combined into a more useful, attractive building on the same site and make far more money -- and yet demolish almost everything with a hint of architectural significance within half a mile.

Phil said...

You're right, it's ridiculous isn't it? Think of all the great structures that have been torn down around there. I suspect the car park though is due to a rumour I heard regarding the ownership of the space in front of HSBC - I believe there is some historical agreement that allows HSBC to keep an open view in front of their office due to "fung shui" - hence why the low-rise car park has stayed whilst everything else has been redeveloped. They could knock it down but the height of whatever was built in its place would have to remain the same as the carpark.

It could be rumour I guess but this is HK and anything is possible.

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