The Hong Kongskyline is one that you don’t forget in a hurry. East and West meet and merge in this great metropolis as a result of the city’s long British colonial past. It is a city surrounded by sea, mountains and forest, and the territory extends over Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon peninsula, the New Territories and more than200 islands. What is most striking are the city’s many, very tall skyscrapers: it is not surprising that one of the most famous attractions of the city is the sound and light show “A Symphony of Lights”, starting at 8 p.m. every evening and lighting up the city for 14 minutes, with lights projected from 44 buildings towards Victoria Harbour to a musical setting. Let’s take a more detailed look at the modern buildings that enhance this Asian metropolis.
How many skyscrapers are there in Hong Kong?
There are almost 8,000 skyscrapers in the city of Hong Kong as a whole (the exact figure is currently about 7,840); 1,300 of these are over 100 metres tall, while at least 315 are over 150 metres. Let’s take a look at the 10 most famous skyscrapers in Hong Kong, in terms of height and other distinctive construction features.
1- International Commerce Centre
We’ll start with the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, the International Commerce Centre, which is 484 metres tall. Inaugurated in 2010 after 9 years’ construction, it held the title of the second tallest building in China for several years, second only to the World Financial Center in Shanghai. As the jewel in the crown of the Union Square project, it was originally intended to have been even taller, but the planned height was lowered, apparently so that it would not outstrip the hills around Hong Kong. Even so, the skyscraper still has 108 floors, connected by 46 lifts. The first 5 floors are occupied by an enormous commercial centre, with a host of luxury shops; the hundredth floor houses the panoramic Sky100 platform, where people can enjoy views of the city and harbour, while the topmost floors are occupied by the Hotel Ritz Carlton Hong Kong.
2- Two International Finance Centre
Inaugurated in 2003, this was the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong until the arrival of the International Commerce Centre. At 416 metres tall and with 88 floors, the building has still not been outstripped by any other building on Hong Kong Island and it plays a key role in the “A Symphony of Lights” light show. It is flanked by a building that is a ‘little brother’ in terms of height, but a ‘bigger brother’ in terms of age, that is, One International Finance Centre, inaugurated in 1998 and rising 210 metres from ground to roof. The Two International Finance Centre also has an observation deck, with free admittance, on the 55th floor.
3- Bank of China Tower
The Bank of China Tower dates back a little further. Designed by Chinese-U.S. architect I.M. Pei, it was built between 1985 and 1989; at a height of 367 metres, it has 72 floors and is built of glass and aluminium. Until 1993, it was the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong and in Asia, but it was overtaken by Central Plaza, which we will look at later; it was also the first building constructed outside the USA to exceed 300 metres in height. The observation deck is on the 43rd floor.
4- Central Plaza
As we mentioned earlier, Central Plaza was the building that took over the tallest building title from the Bank of China Tower. At a height of 374 metres, it has 78 floors and was designed by Dennis Lau and Ng ChuMan; it only lost its title of tallest skyscraper in Asia in 1996, to Shun HingSquare in Shenzhen. However, it remains the third tallest building in Hong Kong. This skyscraper has a number of interesting features: for example, it is triangular in shape, and houses a church on the top floor (so naturally, that is the highest church in the world).
5- The Center
Built in 1998, at a height of 360 metres and with 73 floors, this is the fifth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong. It is mainly occupied by offices, and is built entirely of steel, without any reinforced concrete in the structure, so it is one of the tallest metal buildings in the world. What makes this building unique are its illuminations, which are among the most striking in Hong Kong.
6- Hopewell Centre
The Hopewell Centre goes even further back in time. This building was completed in 1980: at 216 metres tall (with 64 floors) it was the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong at the time. It is circular in shape and has a revolving restaurant at the top.
7- Jardine House
Another of Hong Kong’s decidedly unusual buildings is Jardine House. This skyscraper was built between 1972 and 1973, and it certainly does not stand out on the city’s skyline because of its height: it is “only” 178 metres high, in fact. But what distinguishes this skyscraper, designed by P & T Architects and Engineers Ltd., are its 1,700 round windows. Moreover, we should point out that at the time of its construction, Jardine House was the tallest building in the city.
8- HSBC Main Building
Also known as HSBC Tower, this building was constructed on the site where the previous HSBC Building had stood (built in 1935). The building is the headquarters of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and was designed by British architect Norman Foster.
9- Grand Promenade
Not all the Hong Kong skyscrapers stand out for their beauty. Indeed, in many cases the population density of this metropolis has meant that the skyscrapers designed there tend to favour functionality over aesthetics. This is the case with the Grand Promenade, for example, a complex of 6 skyscrapers between 213 and 219 metres tall; 3 towers are interconnected, and can be counted as a single building. There are 2,020 apartments in the complex in total.
10- One Island East
We conclude this list of the most famous skyscrapers in Hong Kong with the One Island East building, at a height of 298.5 metres, with 69 floors. The skyscraper was built in just 2 years, between 2006 and 2008, using high quality sustainable concrete for the first time in Hong Kong (100 grade concrete rather than the traditional 60 grade).
