Architectural Characteristics
The CLP clock tower is located in Argyle Street near the foot of Kadoorie Hill. It was completed in 1940 and was later connected to two blocks of St George’s Mansions to form the CLP Head Office.
The three neighbouring buildings, clad with reddish-brown tiles, were designed by local architect Kwan Wing-hong and developed by the Hongkong Engineering & Construction Company in the late 1930s. The CLP clock tower took shape during the height of the Art Deco movement, and is a fine example of Modernism design, a style that emerged in Europe after the First World War. It immediately became an iconic Kowloon landmark.
The CLP clock tower is 25 metres high and its most recognisable features are the three-faced electric clocks with glass blocks above them. Many other clock towers in Hong Kong have long since disappeared, and the CLP clock tower is one of the few remaining monuments in the pre-war, International Modernism style.
The Clock
As an electricity company, CLP took pride in showcasing three synchronised electric clocks at the top of the CLP clock tower. The impressive clocks, each 2.4 metres in diameter, were manufactured by Gents’ of Leicester, a well-known British manufacturer of electric clocks. Not only is the building a landmark but the three clock faces have served as timekeepers for generations of Kowloon residents.
The Red Dragon
The three buildings of the CLP Head Office were coated in the same reddish-brown glaze tapestry tiles, making the connected structure like a dragon crouching along the southern foot of Kadoorie Hill. The exterior wall tiles, as well as the glass blocks above them, were supplied by Cathay Ceramics (HK) Ltd. After the company went out of business in the 1950s, CLP used coloured concrete bricks as a stop-gap solution for renovations until a new manufacturer was found. The double-glazed windows with hidden hinges made the repair and replacement of damaged sections a major challenge and were another unique feature of the building.
The Flag
Like many buildings of its kind, the CLP clock tower was built with a flag pole on top to add height. In colonial times, it was used to fly the Union Jack on ceremonial occasions. In 1998, CLP revamped its corporate identity following a company-wide reorganisation. CLP Holdings was established and, since then, a flag bearing the CLP logo has been hoisted above the CLP clock tower.
Serving the Community
The CLP Head Office was a building not only for employees but for the wider community who called in on a daily basis to pay bills and manage electricity accounts. Unlike other corporate offices, the building was easily accessible with no gates or barriers guarding its entrances. The ground floor featured a cash office adjacent to a deposit office and a reception desk, which dealt primarily with members of the public.
Lasting Traces of CLP
CLP has been inextricably linked with the evolution and development of Hong Kong for generations. The CLP building stood at the junction of Waterloo Road and Argyle Street for over eight decades and its name was adopted by many public facilities as a landmark and part of the neighbourhood’s identity.
Symbols and traces of CLP remain in the vicinity of the former head office to this day.