Legislative Council Building

Classical architecture was used in the design of the Former Supreme Court Building

The Legislative Council Building (Chinese: 立法會大樓, former 立法局大樓) of Hong Kong, also called the Former Supreme Court Building (前最高法院大樓), was the home of the former Supreme Court until 1985, when it was renamed and became home to the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Members of the Council and the President have offices in this building. It is located in Central Hong Kong, along the eastern side of Statue Square, directly west of Chater Garden.

The Exterior of the Old Supreme Court is one of the declared monuments of Hong Kong.

History

The building was designed by Sir Aston Webb and Ingress Bell, the British architect responsible for the eastern façade of Buckingham Palace and the Cromwell Road frontage of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

It was built on reclaimed land, and opened on 15 January 1912. The two-storey granite building is neo-classical in style supported by Ionic columns. It is surmounted by a blind-folded statue of Justice, represented by the Themis,^[1] the Greek Goddess of Justice and Law. This statue is a replica of the one erected on the Old Bailey of London.

In 1978, this building was severely affected by the construction of MTR; therefore, it had to undergo some restoration afterwards.

For a time in the 1980s, the Supreme Court was moved to the Former French Mission Building, which was then used by the Victoria District Court.

The Supreme Court of Hong Kong was moved to the Supreme Court Building, Hong Kong after 1985 and remained there until 1997. It is now renamed the High Court Building.

Following the move to the Tamar site in 2011, the current building will revert to the home to the Court of Final Appeal.^[2]

Previous homes of the Legislative Council

Before 1985, the Legco met at other locations:

• Former French Mission Building 1843–1846
• Caine Road 1846–?
• Government House, Hong Kong 1855; used ballroom after 1891
• Old Central Government Offices 1930s until 1954
• Central Government Offices 1957–1985^{[citation needed]}

Prior to the handover in 1997, the Provisional Legislative Council was executing work to set up the post handover legislature. It met in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China from 1996 to 1997 at the Shenzhen Guesthouse Hotel.

Inside the current building

• 

  Conference Room A

• 

  Conference Room B

• 

  Conference Room C

• 

  President's office

• 

  Press Conference Room

• 

  Office for the members of the Legislative Council

• 

  Ante Chamber

• 

  President's seat

• 

  Dining Hall

• 

  Ceiling of the Main Chamber

• 

  Chamber interior

• 

  Chamber interior

See also

• Central and Western Heritage Trail
• List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
• Central Government Complex, Tamar
• Macau Legislative Assembly Building and Leal Senado
• 2010 Legislative Council Building graffiti incident

References

1. ^ Legislative Council Website
2. ^ http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200910/14/P200910140172.htm.

External links

• the Old Supreme Court

Coordinates: 22°16′52″N 114°09′36″E / 22.280996°N 114.160116°E / 22.280996; 114.160116