Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building

The Hang Seng Bank New Headquarters Building (Chinese: 恒生銀行總行大廈) is a skyscraper at No. 83 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. It houses the headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank.

Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building
恒生銀行總行大廈
Tower viewed from Connaught Road
General information
StatusComplete
TypeOffice
LocationVictoria, Hong Kong
Opened1991
Cost$1.84 billion
Height137 metres (449 ft)
Technical details
Floor count27
Design and construction
ArchitectWong & Ouyang
The Old Central Fire Station, that stood on the site from 1926 to 1982.

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 the price of $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 as the headquarters of Hang Seng Bank, which in turn replaced an earlier headquarters at 163-165 Queen's Road.[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.

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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. 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.

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