A unit in the capital of Sunrise in Sunrise in Tseung Kwan O suspected that the demolition of part of the main wall during the renovation caused other residents and netizens to concern whether it would affect the structural safety of the building. Some residents living in the high-rise units of the building in question recalled that during the tropical cyclone hitting Hong Kong a few years ago, the wind was strong and the whole building swayed, fearing that if the main wall was demolished, if the wind blows again in the future, the building would not be able to withstand the power of the typhoon. He urged the parties concerned to find a remedy as soon as possible to consolidate the structure of the building, and considered it necessary to recover who was responsible for the incident, describing the owner, the design company and the engineering company as indispensable.


The unit involved is currently using a bracket for temporary fixation. (Fang Guoshan, FB photo)

Mr. Wong, a resident who has lived in a high-rise flat in the building concerned for seven years, said that after learning of the incident, he was very worried in the past few days and questioned whether the demolition of most of the main wall by the unit concerned would affect the structure of the entire building. He recalled that during the tropical cyclone hitting Hong Kong a few years ago, the whole building shook due to the strong wind, "living on the upper floors will feel strong, the ceiling chandeliers are tight, I was immediately shocked to walk down the parking lot to avoid it", and pointed out that if the main wall of some units was demolished, if the wind was "blowing" in the future, I was worried that the building would not be able to withstand the power of the typhoon.

Mr Wong hoped that the parties concerned would find remedies such as the use of steel bars, stone feces and cement to strengthen the structure of the building as soon as possible. He also believes that it is incumbent upon the owner, the design company and the engineering company to be held responsible. As for how to deal with the situation of "typhoon" in the future, Mr. Wong said frankly that "if he does not know what to plan, he can only see the steps", if the power of the typhoon makes him worry, he cannot rule out renting a hotel nearby for a temporary stay.

Mr. Wong, a resident, urged the parties concerned to find a remedy as soon as possible to consolidate the structure of the building, and described the owner, the design company and the engineering company as indispensable to the owner, the design company and the engineering company as responsible. (Photo by Lo Min-yeon)

The designer of the unit involved was interviewed to tell the design concept in the film after the completion of the renovation. (Screenshot of online clip)

In response to the incident last night (29th), the Buildings Department confirmed that the unit involved had committed irregularities, including the removal of a 720mm thick structural wall about 2 mm wide and 150,200 mm high between the living room and the bedroom to install a new door. Under the Buildings Ordinance, the Buildings Department has issued a statutory order to the owners of the units concerned to require the appointed authorized person to submit repair proposals (including assessment of the impact of the changes on the overall building structure), building works plans and to repair the affected parts with the approval and consent of the Buildings Department.

The Buildings Department indicated that after inspecting the upper and lower units of the units concerned, officers concluded that the overall building structure was not dangerous and learned that the owners had taken the initiative to arrange for the contractor to install temporary support under the beams of the new door. The Department will continue to follow up seriously to ensure proper compliance with the statutory orders, and has launched a comprehensive investigation into any breach of the Buildings Ordinance, and will take punitive action (including criminal prosecution) against the person concerned based on the outcome of the investigation.

According to the Buildings Ordinance, any construction works (including additions and alterations) involving private buildings, unless the requirements of section 41(3) of the Buildings Ordinance are exempt from approval or minor works can be carried out through the simplified requirements of the Minor Works Regulatory Regime, the person concerned should appoint an authorized person in accordance with section 14 of the Buildings Ordinance to submit plans to the Buildings Department and the plans can be carried out only after the plans have been approved and consent has been obtained to commence the works; The work involving the demolition of part of the structural wall is not exempt from approval and is not a minor work. Such works involving structural walls that are not approved by the Buildings Department will be regarded as illegal construction works.

A spokesman for the Buildings Department emphasised that it is the responsibility of owners to ensure that their buildings are free of illegal structures and that illegal construction works are not carried out. If you wish to carry out building additions or alterations, you should first seek advice from a building professional, including the feasibility of the works, and apply to the Buildings Department for approval of the building plans and consent as necessary before commencing the works, so as to ensure safety and not contravene the Buildings Ordinance. Construction professionals and contractors are also required to review the plans and other relevant documents in detail, as well as review the relevant requirements of the Buildings Ordinance and whether approval is required from the Buildings Department before proceeding with the relevant works to ensure the safety of occupants and building structures.

Carrying out construction work without permission is a serious offence under the Buildings Ordinance with a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment and a fine of $40,100. Commits an offence if the works are carried out in such a way as to cause or substantial danger of injury to any person or damage to any property, and on conviction is punishable by imprisonment for three years and a fine of $<> million.

Any person who fails to comply with a statutory order issued by the Department without reasonable excuse is liable on conviction to a fine of $20,2 and imprisonment for one year, and to a fine of $<>,<> for each day the offence continues.

Online discussion board went viral last Saturday (27th), a video of a unit in the capital of the first phase of Sunrise Cannes in Tseung Kwan O, a subsidiary of the MTR Corporation, netizens suspected that the decoration company broke through a main wall and rebuilt it into a master room door. Some netizens are more than the unit decoration completion video and floor plan, the unit usable area of 681 feet, originally a three-room design, the designer opened the three-bedroom corridor together, into a large master suite and cloakroom, and in order to achieve the three-side bed and the bedside table on both sides, to achieve the hotel-style suite feeling that the householder wants, the master door needs to change the position, so the designer penetrates a wall between the living room and the bedroom and changes it to a door. However, netizens suspected that the wall was the main wall, fearing that it would endanger the structural safety of the building, and believed that the Buildings Department should investigate.

The unit was originally designed as a three-bedroom, and the designer opened the three-bedroom corridor and changed it into a large master suite and cloakroom, and the master door was also relocated, so the designer pierced a wall between the living room and the bedroom and changed it to a door. (Online video screenshot)

After the incident of suspected that the main wall of the Sunrise Cannes unit was exposed, some netizens found that the video of the completion of the decoration had been removed, and the social media page of the decoration company had also been closed.

Some architects pointed out that if the consequences of wrongly demolishing the main wall are quite serious, including affecting the structure of other units upstairs and the safety of others, the relevant decoration and design company should be held responsible, and the units involved should be entrusted to professionals to understand how to repair it, including reconnecting steel bars.

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