Hong Kong’s Top 10 : Modern Buildings

HSBC Building

Sir
Norman Foster’s striking, Bladerunner-esque edifice cost a whopping
HK$5.2bn, making it the world’s priciest pile when it opened in 1985.
The headquarters of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation are
reputed to have some of the best feng shui around – the building sits on
a rare confluence of five “dragon lines” and enjoys unimpeded harbour
views. The soaring atrium feels like a cathedral, which might explain
why on Sundays the ground level is taken over by chattering Filipina
maids.

• 1 Queen’s Rd, Central

Bank of China

This
one is also famous in feng shui circles, but more for dishing it out
than possessing it – the glass-skinned tower shoots bad vibes at the old
Government House and other colonial entities. Its knife-like edges were
the inspiration of American-Chinese master architect I. M. Pei. The
70-storey, 368-m (1,207-ft) stack of prisms opened in 1990. Its viewing
platform is the natural place to go for a sweeping city perspective.

• 1 Garden Rd, Central

• 43/F viewing platform 9am–6pm Mon–Fri, 9am–1pm Sat

Tsing Ma Bridge

The
suspension bridge stretches from Tsing Yi Island to Lantau, a mile and a
half (2.2 km) long. A striking sight, especially when lit up at night,
the bridge carries the road and rail links to Chek Lap Kok airport. It
opened in May 1997, having taken five years to build at a cost of
HK$7.14 bn. Take the MTR to Tsing Yi or catch an airport bus (but not
the airport train) to view it. There’s also a viewing platform at Ting
Kau .

Two IFC Tower

Completed
in 2003, the streamlined Two International Finance Centre Tower soars
above Victoria Harbour. At 420 m (1,378 ft), it is Hong Kong’s tallest
building and for now the seventh tallest in the world, soon to be
overtaken by the International Commerce Centre. There’s a large shopping
mall at its base.

• Exchange Square, Central

Hong Kong International Airport

Sir
Norman Foster strikes again. Landing isn’t quite the thrill ride it was
at the old airport in Kowloon, but the passenger terminal, which opened
in July 1998, is impressive. The airport is constructed on a specially
flattened island – Chek Lap Kok.

Lippo Towers

These
knobbly megaliths look like they have koalas clinging to the sides – a
reflection of the original antipodean owner, jailbird Alan Bond.

• 89 Queensway, Admiralty

The Centre

The
one with the pretty colours that keep changing all night – fantastic,
unless you live next door. One of tycoon Li Kashing’s triumphs.

• Queen’s Rd

Cheung Kong Centre

Big,
boxy and glassy, another one of Li’s babies. He lives on the top of
this one. Note how it’s built perfectly parallel to the adjoining Bank
of China for optimal feng shui.

Central Plaza

Confusingly,
this is in Wan Chai, not Central. The building has 78 storeys, two less
than The Centre, but at 374 m (1,227 ft), it’s taller. Central Plaza is
also the world’s tallest reinforced concrete building.

• 18 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai

HK Convention and Exhibition Centre

Site
of the official Handover ceremony in 1997, the Centre sprawls over a
huge area over the harbour and was designed to resemble a bird in
flight.

• 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai