2 IFC Hong Kong

The "Two International Finance Center" (2 IFC) is the number two in Hong Kong's skyline with 412 m. The 2 IFC was opened in 2003 and was by then the tallest skyscraper in town. The elegant high-rise building with 88 floors (8 is the Chinese lucky number) has actually only 86 floors, because the numbers 14 and 24 stand for misfortune, they are not assigned to the numbering of the projectiles. This building was also designed by the architectural firm of Rocco Design

 

2 IFC, Finance Street, Central

 

iSQUARE

The hip 31-storey shopping and entertainment building in the center of Kowloon, offers shops, cinemas and restaurants. The restaurants are located on the upper floors, with a fantastic view of the harbor of Hong Kong. The architects of the shopping mall are Hong Kong based "Rocco Design". The extravagant house was opened in 2009.

 

63 Nathan Road, Kowloon

www.rocco.hk

www.isquare.hk

 

International Commerce Center Kowloon

The" International Commerce Center" (ICC) was built in 2010 for the MTR Corporation and Sun Hung Kai Properties. The ICC is the tallest high-rise building in Hong Kong with a hight of 484 m and 108 floors. The building was designed by the New York architects of Kohn Pedersen Fox

 

Union Square, Kowloon

www.kpf.com

 

Hong Kong Exhibition Centre

The Hong Kong Exhibition Centre was opened in 1997. In the same year, the official "Handover Ceremony" (Britain had to return the colony to China) took place in this building. The Exhibition Centre with the curved roof was built by Wong & Ouyang in collaboration with SOM architects from Chicago.

 

Convention Avenue, Wan Chai

 

Bank of China

The high-rise of the "Bank of China" was completed in 1990 when Hong Kong was still a British colony. The state bank from the People's Republic of China, commissioned the the Chinese-born architect I.M. Pei (Yuming Bei) from the USA. Whose father was formerly a manager of the "Bank of China" in Shanghai. I.M. Pei built many famous buildings around the world, like the glass pyramid in front of the "Louvre" in Paris. The "Bank of China" is 305 m high (without antenna) and was for two years the highest tower of Hong Kong. The sharp edges of the building are rated as an attack on the environment by Feng Shui Experts. Office workers from the surrounding towers guarded themselves with paper guns against this provocation. I think it is one of the best buildings in town.

Buildings by I.M. Pei:

Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin    National Gallery East Washington DC   Louvre Paris

 

Queensway/Garden Rd.

 

Jardine House

The 178 m high "Jardine House" was the tallest building in Asia until 1980. The porthole windows of the office tower are striking. The architects Palmer & Turner designed the "Jardine House", on a plot of reclaimed land. The foundation was not very strong for bearing the load and the round windows were preferred for static reasons. The "Jardine House" was opened in 1973. 

 

1 Connaught Place, Central

 

Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank

The HSBC organised an architectural competition that Sir Norman Foster won in 1979. The unusual design hangs the office floors on side supporedt structures. The office space is therfore free of colums and can be divided freely. In addition, a high atrium can be created inside the building, similar to the Lloyd's of London by Richard Rogers, which was built a few years earlier. With only 183 m, Foster 's high - rise office building is one of the smaller skyscrapers on the Island, but it was by then the most expensive office tower in the world, with a construction cost of approximately 670 million US dollars.   

 

1 Queens Road, Central

 

Lippo Centre

The mirrored double towers of the "Lippo Center" do not look elegant, perhaps even a little clumsy. But the building stands out because the projections on the façade remind of pandas trees climbing up a tree. The two towers were designed by the American architect Paul Rudolph, who became famous by fine concrete brutalism. The "Lippo Center" consists of two towers of different heights, Tower I is 178 m high and Tower II rises up to 186 m. The "Lippo Center" was opened in 1988.

 

89 Queensway

 

Map Hong Kong Architecture

ads

Hong Kong Guide

Architecture in Hongkong

The former British colony of Hong Kong did not have much land and most of the land on the island is situated on steep slopes. The young colony could only grow by landfills at the harbor. When the "New Territories" became part of Homh Kong, there was more space for the increasing population. The problem was solved by building high towers. The skyscrapers grew into the Hong Kong sky, built by bamboo frameworks. First skyscrapers were built only on "Hong Kong Island", now they also emerge in Kowloon. 

 

ads

ads