Bank of China Tower

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• The building sports a 15-storey atrium.
• This building is one of 18 buildings involved in the Hong Kong Tourism Commission's Victoria Harbour Lighting Plan.
• The topping out ceremony was held on 8 August 1988, which is the century's most auspicious date.
• It was the first building outside the United States to break the 1000 foot mark. That also means it was the tallest outside America from its completion year, 1990, through the completion year of Central Plaza, 1992.
• Replaced Hopewell Centre as the tallest building in Hong Kong when completed.
• First composite megastructure space frame high-rise building.
• Tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989 to 1992, until the completion of Central Plaza.
• The inspiration of the design of the BOC is derived from the elegant poise of bamboo; its sectioned trunk being propelled higher and higher by each new growth. The BOC Tower is symbolic of strength, vitality and growth.
• Virtually every aspect of this building was challenging from moving material to a height never before achieved outside of the USA, to glazing the largest 25mm thick pattern cut lights ever produced. All required not only careful planning but also the development of new erection techniques.
• The megastructural steelwork is expressed externally by naturally anodized panels that form part of the curtainwall.
• The silver reflective glass is glazed in a low maintenance dry gasket system, and the curtain wall is a unitized design assembled off-site under factory conditions. This enabled close quality control of all aspects of the frame assembly, which numbers over 10,000 pieces in total.
• The changes in geometry, from a square base through several geometric changes to a single spire, result in a multifaceted facade of angles and profiles that reflect the light and seem almost crystalline in composition.
• Construction of this tower was started on 18th April, 1985 and the official opening ceremony was held on 17th May, 1990.
• A small skydeck that is open to the public on the 42nd floor gives a view to the northwest side of Hong Kong.
• Grouping of four triangular glass and aluminum towers of varying heights that emerge from a granite podium.