Hong Kong HSBC Building – Norman Foster

Location: Hong Kong
Architect: Foster+Partners
Project Year: 1986

Fig.1 Photograph of the interior – “Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters.” Foster Partners. Accessed October 10, 2017. https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/hongkong-and-shanghai-bank-headquarters/.

Fig.2 Site Plan – “Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters by Foster Partners.” AECCafe. August 11, 2011. Accessed October 10, 2017. https://www10.aeccafe.com/blogs/arch-showcase/2011/08/11/hongkong-and-shanghai-bank-headquarters-by-foster-partners/.

Fig.3 Typical Floor Plan – “Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters by Foster Partners.” AECCafe. August 11, 2011. Accessed October 10, 2017. https://www10.aeccafe.com/blogs/arch-showcase/2011/08/11/hongkong-and-shanghai-bank-headquarters-by-foster-partners/.

Fig.4 Section – Williams, Stephanie. Hongkong Bank : The Building of Norman Foster’s Masterpiece. US: Little Brown & Co, 1989.

Fig.5 Elevation – Williams, Stephanie. Hongkong Bank : The Building of Norman Foster’s Masterpiece. US: Little Brown & Co, 1989.

Fig.6 Diagram showing the analysis of the site context – Williams, Stephanie. Hongkong Bank : The Building of Norman Foster’s Masterpiece. US: Little Brown & Co, 1989.

Fig.7 Photograph of the exterior – Hopkins, Owen. Reading Architecture: A Visual Lexicon. Laurence King Publishing, 2012.

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Hong Kong HSBC Building is a forty-seven-story rectangular prism with its long sides oriented to the impressive views. The building form is driven by the function of the building, aiming to create a more efficient use of space. Its mast structure allows architects to push the mechanical and service cores to the perimeter so as to create a deep atrium in the center and make space functional. A giant mirror is located on the top of the atrium so as to reflects natural sunlight throughout the atrium and enter the workspace surrounding the atrium.

The floors of the building are made entirely of movable panels, under which lies a comprehensive network of power, telecommunication and air-conditioning systems hence the office is very efficient due to easy maintenance. Likewise, all internal walls are made up of the movable partition so that the office layout can be modified very easily without any structural concern.

Bibliography:

1. Williams, Stephanie. Hongkong Bank : The Building of Norman Foster’s Masterpiece. US: Little Brown & Co, 1989.
2. Hopkins, Owen. Reading Architecture: A Visual Lexicon. Laurence King Publishing, 2012.
3. .”Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters.” Foster Partners. Accessed October 10, 2017. https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/hongkong-and-shanghai-bank-headquarters/.
4. “Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters by Foster Partners.” AECCafe. August 11, 2011. Accessed October 10, 2017. https://www10.aeccafe.com/blogs/arch-showcase/2011/08/11/hongkong-and-shanghai-bank-headquarters-by-foster-partners/.

 

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