![]() ![]() Upper and lower levels were constructed simultaneously ©Foster & PartnersĪccording to Foster, Hong Kong lacked the technology and prefabrication skills at the time, and hence the building components were shipped from the UK, the USA, Japan, Germany, and Italy and were assembled on site. Adopting a suspension structure also allowed building downwards and upwards simultaneously. The requirement to build about 99,000 square metres in a short timescale suggested a high degree of prefabrication, including factory-finished modules. Bamboo scaffolding was used ©Foster & Partners An 8m diameter rock tunnel was constructed beneath the building to provide seawater for air-conditioning. ![]() The system provided the opportunity to express the lift cores along the perimeter of the building and allowed the creation of large span column-free floors. The stepped profile of the three individual towers (29, 36, & 44-storeys high), create floors of varying width and depth allowing for garden terraces.ĭesign Evolution ©Foster & Partners Structural Marvelĭesigned with Ove Arup & Partners, the skyscraper is a hanging steel structure, featuring eight masts, each consisting of four columns, supporting five discrete double-storey height steel suspension structures which span 33.5m between the masts and cantilever 10.7m beyond them. The reception areas break down the scale of the building both visually and socially. From there, movement and connectivity were provided by the 62 escalators that run throughout the building, reflecting village-like clusters of office floors. Natural light penetrating the atrium ©Foster & PartnersĪnother major consideration was to allow the high-speed lifts to only stop at the double-height reception areas. A pair of escalators connect the public plaza to the upper floor. The entrance to the plaza features a 40m high atrium, adorned with mirrors on top that reflect the sunlight creating a light scoop down the atrium. The office floors were raised off the ground, which left space for a sheltered public plaza and allowed pedestrians to pass underneath the building. Office Floor Plan with core placed on the eastern and western edges ©Foster & Partners In the core’s absence, an open space emerged that provided flexibility and ease of reconfiguration of office layouts. The ‘traditional’ central structural core was pushed to the east and west edges of the building. The corporation wanted the headquarters to be a visible demonstration of the bank’s commitment to its birthplace.Ī revolutionary design ©Foster & Partners HSBC, which was established in 1865 to facilitate financial trade between Europe and Asia, wanted to symbolise the prominence of capitalism in the former colony regardless of the political climate. Two cannons to balance the negative qi of the Bank of China building ©Dezeen Beacon of ReassuranceĬonstructed on the site of the old HSBC building, the skyscraper was conceived during a sensitive period in Hong Kong’s history. Hence, two cannon-shaped protrusions were installed on the roof, pointing directly back at the Bank of China, said to balance its negative qi. Shortly after the Bank of China building was completed, the Governor died and there was a sharp downturn in HSBC’s fiscal fortunes. One knife edge pointed towards the British Government House, while the other faced the HSBC building. In 1990, IM Pei’s Bank of China building was constructed nearby and its sharp corners were seen as knife edges, slashing away the good fortune of its neighbours. Public plaza with the escalators built at an angle ©Fosters & Partners The unobstructed view of Victoria Harbour was considered a sign of prosperity as water is strongly associated with wealth in feng shui. The public plaza escalators were built at an angle, as it is believed that evil spirits can only travel in straight lines. The open atrium facilitated the flow of wind and positive qi through the building. A feng shui geomancer was, thus, consulted during the designing of the skyscraper. On an island where apartment buildings have holes cut through the middle to allow dragons to reach the water, one can expect feng shui to play a significant role in the erection of an architectural symbol. Northern Facade facing Victoria Harbour ©Calvin Sit Feng Shui | HSBC Building Completed in 1985, the skyscraper comprises three individual towers placed alongside each other, with a twenty-nine floor and thirty-six storey block on either side of the forty-four-storey high central tower. ![]()
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