The British Consulate and the official residence at Takao
Takao Harbor officially opened in 1864. Soon after, the British consulate built an office and the official residence at Shaochuantou that was designed by the royal engineer and completed in 1879. The British Consulate and official residence are colonial-style buildings with a veranda design that adapts to the tropical climate. Its exterior is composed of three parts: the roof, the main structure, and the foundation. The consulate corridors feature arches and edging mold decorated column capitals. The original wooden porch at the official residence was rebuilt in brick in 1900, with exposed crown moldings. Both buildings feature mainly Western-style roof trusses with quadruple slopes laid in red tiles. The hiking trail was built with granite originally used as a ballast for cargo ships, with red bricks and coral stone popular in the area.
鼓山／打狗英國領事館及官邸
打狗港於1864年正式開港，英國在此設立副領事館，隔年升格成為英國駐臺灣第一個正式領事館。爾後，英國領事館擇於哨船頭興建辦公室與官邸，由皇家工程師設計，施工者多為中國工匠，建築材料皆運自中國，於1879年完工。領事館位於山麓濱海處，官邸則在小丘上，兩者以石階相連。1925年領事館物業售予臺灣總督府後，辦公室由水產試驗事務所進駐，而官邸則在1931年設立海洋觀測所。目前領事館、官邸與登山步道在整修後，以文化園區形式整體經營。
打狗英國領事館與官邸皆為殖民地式樣建築，具有適應熱帶氣候的外廊設計，外觀皆由屋頂、屋身、基座三段部位組成。領事館拱廊以弧拱構成，柱頭以線腳裝飾，而官邸初建時的木造外廊，在1900年改為磚造的圓拱廊，並可見頂冠帶裝飾。兩者屋頂主要為四坡水的洋式屋架，鋪設紅板瓦。登山步道由曾作為貨船壓艙用的花崗石來建造，搭配紅磚與當地盛產的老古石。
文／陳坤毅
圖／高雄市政府文化局