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SCMP Reporter

ARCHITECT Dr Tao Ho, in his presentation to the Governor Mr Chris Patten, quoted the great Frank Lloyd Wright, America's most notable designer of private houses.

     ''I will never take on a commission to design a house for somebody unless I live with the family for one month,'' he said.

  An awkward silence fell on the room as the Governor turned to his wife Lavender. The couple had not calculated on a resident designer.

  ''But then I said perhaps that was a little too much to ask,'' Dr Ho said.

  ''I thought it would be terribly wrong to design something without any of their input. After all, it is their home. It must be a reflection of their taste.''    Dr Ho won the contract to renovate the main public reception areas of the 138-year-old residence ahead of two other architects.

   His brief for the $2.5 million facelift was to produce ''a showpiece as the centre of government and a showcase that reflects the dynamics of Hongkong and the unique success of its East meets West character.''   ''Next thing we knew we were invited to visit Government House to get a feel of the place.

  ''I have been there many times since 1972. I knew all the governors. I was there for lunches and dinners but I never thought I would get my hands on it.

  ''I always thought the place needed renovating. It was full of relics of the past, put together in a most unco-ordinated way.

  ''I went back again, recorded it by video, and tried to find out what would be the right approach. It required quite a lot of soul-searching.

  ''You do not sit there, contemplate and ideas come. It doesn't work like that. The idea evolves when you go back again and again and again. You have to feel the space.''    The award-winning architect, the brains behind the design work at the new Western Market, Hongkong Arts Centre and the territory's stand at Expo 86 in Vancouver, came up with the soft colours of limestone and light rose, but said nothing was final at this stage.

  Dr Ho said he planned to use the light colours in the entrance hall and to harmonise wood stains and finishes, light fixtures and door handles.

  ''I didn't want it to be a showroom or museum, a place to display products of Hongkong.

  ''I wanted a very neutral background in which Mr Patten's taste would shine through. I invited the Pattens to interact with us during the work. The selection of colours, patterns and furniture would be decided by all of us.

    ''I am searching for a unity of diversity. By diversity, I mean that this house was first built in 1850, and later added to in 1900, the present house was completed in 1950.''   He said that over the years many objects had come into the house so there was a collection of unco-ordinated items. It was all rather chaotic.

  ''My philosophy is to search for order and unity out of this chaos. I have to respect the basic architectural framework, the walls and the shape.

  ''My second criticism of the place is the poor lighting which we will also be changing.''   Dr Ho said the Governor's residence would maintain a blend of Eastern and Western culture and also reflect Hongkong's Chinese heritage through furniture, vases and paintings.

  ''We would like Mr Patten to consider Chinese furniture, some of which is manufactured in Hongkong, but mixed in with some antiques.

  ''The carpet will be hand woven. We have selected the Hongkong flower Bauhinia to feature on it.

  ''The whole image is very soft. The colours are beige, salmon and light green and grey.

  ''We will also have a display case on the staircase containing beautiful objects, perhaps designed in Hongkong.''   Dr Ho also has ambitions for a huge tapestry which would be a satellite picture of Hongkong in woven colours, giving the effect of an impressionist painting.

  ''It would be much more subtle than putting a map of Hongkong on the walls.''   But are the Governor and his wife good clients to deal with?  ''I find them very approachable, easy going and I can joke with them. It makes the job fun.'' 



How Government House will shape up to a bright new future