Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building

Last updated

Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building
恒生銀行總行大廈
Sheung Wan Skyscrapers.jpg
Tower viewed from Connaught Road
Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building
General information
StatusComplete
TypeOffice
Location Victoria, Hong Kong
Address83 Des Voeux Road Central, Central
Opened1991;30 years ago (1991)
Cost$1.84 billion
Height137 metres (449 ft)
Technical details
Floor count27
Design and construction
Architect Wong & Ouyang
Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building
Traditional Chinese 恒生銀行總行大廈
Simplified Chinese 恒生银行总行大厦

The Hang Seng Bank New Headquarters Building is a skyscraper at No. 83 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. It houses the headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank.

Contents

History

The former Central Fire Station previously stood on the site. After the station was demolished, the land was sold on 29 May 1987 to Hang Seng Bank for $840 million. At $37,197 per square foot, the site was Hong Kong's most expensive when it was sold. [1]

The new bank headquarters was designed by Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd. It cost $1.84 billion and opened in 1991. [2] The large retail bank at the bottom of the tower had counters extending more than 190 metres, with positions for more than 150 tellers. [3] The main feature of this banking hall is a stainless steel etched mural based on A City of Cathay , a famous Chinese scroll depicting townspeople going about their daily lives. [3]

The building replaced 77 Des Voeux Road Central as the headquarters of Hang Seng Bank, which in turn replaced an earlier headquarters at 163-165 Queen's Road Central. [4]

Description

Structurally, the building is supported by two concrete service cores at the eastern and western edges of the site, which can be clearly seen in the tower's external expression. Post-tensioned floor beams span more than 30 metres between the cores, producing completely column-free floor plates. [5] This design also means that the east and west faces of the tower are windowless, while the north and south faces have large windows.

When the building was completed, occupants enjoyed unobstructed views of Victoria Harbour, the cross-harbour vehicular ferry pier and its marshalling area being located on the foreshore before it. Under the Airport Core Programme, land was reclaimed from the harbour directly in front of the building, and the view has largely been obstructed by the International Finance Centre (IFC).

A dual-footbridge runs through the building, linking it to IFC (to the north) and the Central Market to the south. This places the tower at a prominent position within the Central Elevated Walkway system.

Transport

The Hong Kong Tramways runs directly in front of the building on Des Voeux Road, along with numerous bus routes. Hong Kong station is located on the opposite side of Connaught Road beneath the IFC, while Central station is a 230-metre walk away. The Central Ferry Piers are about 400 metres away via the footbridge network.

Related Research Articles

Bank of China Tower (Hong Kong) Skyscraper in Central, Hong Kong

The Bank of China Tower is a skyscraper located in Central, Hong Kong. Located at 1 Garden Road on Hong Kong Island, the tower houses the headquarters of the Bank of China Limited. One of the most recognisable landmarks in Hong Kong, the building is notable for its distinct shape and design, consisting of triangular frameworks covered by glass curtain walls.

Central Plaza (Hong Kong) Skyscraper in Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Central Plaza is a 78-storey, 374 m (1,227 ft) skyscraper completed in August 1992 at 18 Harbour Road, in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the third tallest tower in the city after 2 International Finance Centre in Central and the ICC in West Kowloon. It was the tallest building in Asia from 1992 to 1996, until the Shun Hing Square was built in Shenzhen, a neighbouring city. Central Plaza surpassed the Bank of China Tower as the tallest building in Hong Kong until the completion of 2 IFC.

Central, Hong Kong Central business district in Hong Kong

Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula. The area was the heart of Victoria City, although that name is rarely used today.

HSBC Building (Hong Kong) headquarters building of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation

HSBC Main Building is a headquarters building of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, which is today a wholly owned subsidiary of London-based HSBC Holdings. It is located on the southern side of Statue Square near the location of the old City Hall, Hong Kong. The previous HSBC building was built in 1935 and pulled down to make way for the current building. The address remains as 1 Queen's Road Central. The building can be reached from Exit K of Central MTR station.

Admiralty, Hong Kong

Admiralty is the eastern extension of the central business district on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern end of the Central and Western District, bordered by Wan Chai to the east and Victoria Harbour to the north.

Exchange Square (Hong Kong) Office complex in Central, Hong Kong

Exchange Square is a building complex located in Central, Hong Kong. It houses offices and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It is served by the Central and Hong Kong stations of the MTR metro system.

Wing On House

Wing On House is a commercial building located at No. 71 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong.

Central station (MTR) MTR interchange station on Hong Kong Island

Central is an MTR station located in the Central area of Hong Kong Island. The station's livery is firebrick red but brown on the Tsuen Wan line platforms. The station is the southern terminus of the Tsuen Wan line, a stop on the Island line, and connects to Hong Kong station, which serves the Tung Chung line and the Airport Express.

Connaught Road

Connaught Road is a major thoroughfare on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It links Shing Sai Road in Kennedy Town to the west and Harcourt Road in Admiralty to the east.

Des Voeux Road

Des Voeux Road Central and Des Voeux Road West are two roads on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. They were named after the 10th Governor of Hong Kong, Sir William Des Vœux. The name was sometimes spelt with the ligature œ in pre-war documents but is nowadays spelt officially as Des Voeux Road.

Central Market, Hong Kong

Central Market was a fresh food market in Central, Hong Kong. Located between Jubilee Street, Queen Victoria Street, Queen's Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central, it was the first wet market in Hong Kong. By its side is the first public female toilet and first above-ground toilets in Hong Kong. It is one of two existing Bauhaus market buildings in Hong Kong, the other one being Wan Chai Market.

Queen Victoria Street, Hong Kong

Queen Victoria Street is a one-way street in Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Named after Queen Victoria, the street stretches from Connaught Road Central to Queen's Road Central. The street is noted for the many landmarks that it runs past, namely Central Market and the headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank.

Central Elevated Walkway

The Central Elevated Walkway is an extensive footbridge network spanning Admiralty, Central and parts of Sheung Wan, near Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.

Pedder Street

Pedder Street is a major thoroughfare in the core of Hong Kong's Central District. It runs south–north from Queen's Road Central, continues through Des Voeux Road Central, and ends at its intersection with Connaught Road Central.

Bank of China Building (Hong Kong)

Bank of China Building is located at no.2A Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. It is a sub-branch of Bank of China.

Hongkong Hotel

The Hongkong Hotel was Hong Kong's first luxury hotel modelled after sumptuous London hotels. It opened on Queen's Road and Pedder Street in 1868, later expanding into the Victoria Harbour waterfront of Victoria City in 1893.

Standard Chartered Bank Building

The Standard Chartered Bank Building is a skyscraper located in Central, Hong Kong. The tower rises 42 storeys and 191 metres (627 ft) in height. The building was completed in 1990. It was designed by architectural firm P & T Architects & Engineers Ltd..

Central and Western District District of Hong Kong

The Central and Western District located on northwestern part of Hong Kong Island is one of the 18 administrative districts of Hong Kong. It had a population of 243,266 in 2016. The district has the most educated residents with the second highest income and the third lowest population due to its relatively small size.

Shanghai IFC Skyscraper in Shanghai, China

Shanghai International Finance Center, usually abbreviated as Shanghai IFC, is a commercial building complex and a shopping center located at 8 Century Avenue, Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, China. It incorporates two tower blocks at 249.9 metres and 259.9 metres housing offices and a hotel, and an 85-metre tall multi-storey building behind and between the two towers.

Jubilee Street, Hong Kong

Jubilee Street is a historical main street in Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Jubilee Street was named for the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign in 1887.

References

  1. ↑ Sin, Anthony; Hunt, Christopher (30 May 1987). "Bank pays $840m for site". South China Morning Post.
  2. ↑ "Hang Seng is building for future". South China Morning Post. 19 January 1990. p. 6.
  3. 1 2 Voss, Iain (18 March 1991). "Automation, new products key to future". South China Morning Post. p. 48.
  4. ↑ "Success built on people's need for the simple, personal touch". South China Morning Post. 18 March 1991. p. 46.
  5. ↑ Murdoch, Frank (18 March 1991). "An investment in the future of Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. p. 48.

Coordinates: 22°17′05″N114°09′22″E / 22.2846°N 114.1561°E / 22.2846; 114.1561

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.