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Eliot Hall was opened in 1914 as the second student residential hall under the direct management of The University of Hong Kong. It was named after Sir Charles Eliot, the first Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong.
During the Second World War, Eliot Hall became a relief hospital providing additional support for Queen Mary Hospital. The building was turned into a gymnasium in 1956 and renovated as a student residential hall in 1963. In June 1966, a prolonged period of torrential rain caused a massive landslide on the slope adjacent to Eliot Hall and May Hall, which led to an immediate evacuation of the two halls and necessitated extensive repairs. Two wardens' quarters at the east end of Eliot Hall and May Hall had to be demolished. The university took this opportunity to combine Lugard Hall, Eliot Hall and May Hall into one large residential unit named Old Halls, which was opened in 1969 and consisted of three wings, namely Lugard Wing, Eliot Wing and May Wing. Eliot Wing reverted to its old name Eliot Hall when Lugard Wing was demolished in 1992.
Eliot Hall was designed by local Hong Kong Architects, Denison, Ram and Gibbs. It is a three-storey red-brick building with facades featuring a rich variety of architectural elements, including curved pediments over the entrance doorways, rusticated columns, Doric capitals, window sills, cornices, Chinese-style ceramic grilles, and balconies with balustrades. The pitched and double-tiled Chinese roofs are a local adaptation reflecting a fusion of architectural styles.
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