Architecture in the city (1099)

The Bank of China Tower (BOC Tower) is a prominent skyscraper located at 1 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong Island. Serving as the headquarters of Bank of China (Hong Kong), it is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, renowned for its unique triangular framework and glass curtain wall design.Designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei and L. C. Pei of I. M. Pei and Partners, the tower stands 315 meters (1,033.5 feet) tall, with a total height of 367.4 meters (1,205.4 feet) including its spire. At the time of its completion in 1990, it was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia, as well as the first skyscraper outside the United States to exceed 305 meters (1,000 feet). It held this title until 1992, when it was surpassed by Central Plaza.Construction began on 18 April 1985 on the site of the former Murray House and was completed in 1990 after five years of development. The building’s steel-column design provides structural support, and it is accessible from Central MTR station. A small observation deck on the 43rd floor, once open to the public, is now closed.The Bank of China Tower’s distinctive design, supported by four steel columns at its corners, utilizes triangular frameworks to transfer the building’s weight onto these columns. The glass curtain walls further define its aesthetic. Structural engineering was provided by Leslie E. Robertson, known for his work on the original World Trade Center, with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work done by Jaros, Baum & Bolles.Though now an unmistakable part of Hong Kong’s skyline, the building faced controversy during its planning stages. Unlike most major Hong Kong buildings, it did not consult feng shui masters, which led to criticism from some practitioners. Its sharp edges and 'X' shapes, perceived as negative symbols, prompted modifications before construction. The building’s silhouette, resembling a meat cleaver, earned it the nickname 'vertical knife' in Cantonese.

The Lippo Centre, originally known as the Bond Centre, is a twin-tower skyscraper complex completed in 1988. Located at 89 Queensway in Admiralty, Hong Kong Island, it is near the Admiralty MTR station. Tower I stands at 186 meters (610.2 feet) with 46 stories, while Tower II is 172 meters (564.3 feet) tall with 42 stories. The complex spans approximately 1.3 million square feet, comprising two office towers, a retail podium on the ground floors, and a small basement car park.Upon completion in late 1987, the Lippo Centre came under the management of Savills Investment Management. However, the building's history has been marred by repeated corporate ownership collapses. Initially, a consortium linked to the Singapore-based Kwee Liong Tek family led the project, but their majority interest was sold mid-construction to Australian tycoon Alan Bond. Bond’s financial empire crumbled four years later with the collapse of the Bond Corporation.Subsequent ownership changes included Peregrine Investments Holdings, which also faced financial failure, and the Indonesian-backed Lippo Group, the current majority owner. Despite its prominence, the Lippo Centre has been linked to claims of bad feng shui, attributed to the distinctive C-shaped glass extrusions, often likened to koalas clinging to a tree. Local feng shui consultants have speculated that this design contributes to the building's misfortunes, though Peregrine’s own feng shui consultant dismissed such concerns.Today, the Lippo Centre remains a notable landmark in the heart of Admiralty, embodying both architectural distinction and a history of corporate intrigue.

Exchange Square is a building complex in Central, Hong Kong, housing offices and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It is accessible via the Central and Hong Kong stations on the MTR metro system.The majority of Exchange Square is owned by Hong Kong Land, with the remainder owned by the government. The complex consists of three blocks: One Exchange Square, Two Exchange Square, and Three Exchange Square. The Forum, a shopping block, was redeveloped into an office building between 2011 and 2014.The ground level features the Central (Exchange Square) Bus Terminus. In February 1982, Hong Kong Land acquired the plot from the government for $4.76 billion during a market peak. Following a drop in prices, the company had to restructure its debt. In February 1983, HKL secured an eight-year loan of $4 billion, a record at the time, and later mortgaged the plot to obtain a $2.5 billion loan facility in December 1983. The second installment of $2 billion was due in the 1984/85 financial year.

The Clock Tower, officially named the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower (Chinese: 前九廣鐵路鐘樓), is a prominent landmark located on the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Often referred to as the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower (尖沙咀鐘樓), it stands as the sole remnant of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway.Constructed using red bricks and granite, the tower reaches a height of 44 meters and is capped with a 7-meter lightning rod. A wooden staircase inside leads to the top, though the interior is currently closed for maintenance. Situated near Victoria Harbour and the western end of Salisbury Road, it is close to another notable site, the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier.The Kowloon-Canton Railway project was initiated in 1904, with its Tsim Sha Tsui terminus designed by A. B. Hubback. The station’s construction began in 1913 and was delayed due to World War I. The Clock Tower was completed in 1915, and the full station opened in 1916.The Clock Tower’s bell was cast in 1919 in England by John Taylor & Co and installed in 1920. The clock reused a mechanism from the demolished Pedder Street Clock Tower, with all four clock faces operational by March 1921. The tower sustained damage during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II, and its chimes were silenced. The clock resumed operation in October 1945 after the liberation, but the bell chimes were discontinued in 1950 when separate motors were installed for each clock face.In 1975, Kowloon Station was relocated to Hung Hom, and the original station was demolished in 1977 despite protests. However, the Clock Tower was preserved as a compromise and became a declared monument in 1990. It is now surrounded by the Hong Kong Space Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, and Hong Kong Cultural Centre.The Clock Tower’s bell, previously relocated to various sites, was finally returned in 2010. In December 2021, the tower resumed hourly chimes between 8 a.m. and midnight using a digital system synchronized with the Hong Kong Observatory’s web clock.The Clock Tower remains a cherished symbol of Hong Kong’s railway heritage and an enduring architectural icon.

The General Post Office (GPO), the headquarters of Hongkong Post, was built in 1976 and is located at Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong. Originally situated at the seafront, the building is now inland due to reclamation works completed after 2007. It is adjacent to Jardine House and the International Finance Centre, and was once near the former Star Ferry Pier.Scheduled for demolition in 2018, efforts are being made to preserve the GPO as a historical landmark. The building was constructed on reclaimed land, with the government originally planning a 30-storey structure in 1967, allocating 5 floors for the GPO and 25 for government offices.Hongkong Land secured the site directly to the south at a record price. In exchange, the government agreed that no building would be constructed to the north of Connaught Centre (now Jardine House) to obstruct its views, limiting the GPO’s height to 120 feet.Designed by architect K. M. Tseng, the GPO consists of five floors, with a foundation designed to support two additional floors, though it never reached this height. The building also features Hong Kong’s first central vacuum-cleaning system, which does not require bag changes.

Jardine House (Chinese: 怡和大廈), formerly known as Connaught Centre (康樂大廈), is an office tower located at 1 Connaught Place, Central, on Hong Kong Island. Owned by Hongkong Land Limited, a subsidiary of Jardines, the building was completed in 1973 and was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia at the time. In 1980, the Hopewell Centre surpassed it as the tallest building in Hong Kong.The building is connected by the Central Elevated Walkway to other Hongkong Land properties, such as Exchange Square and the International Finance Centre. Constructed on reclaimed land, the site was leased to Hongkong Land Limited in 1970 for 75 years at a record price of HK$258 million, payable interest-free over 10 years. In return, the government ensured that no buildings would be built to the north of Jardine House to obstruct its views, capping the height of the nearby General Post Office building at 120 feet (37 meters).The construction of the fifty-two-storey building, with an estimated cost of $120 million, took 16 months. It features a metal frame and a curtain wall with round windows, reducing the thickness of the structural frame due to the window design. Metal lettering from the original Jardine House was salvaged and placed in the lobby of the new building.Unusually for a Jardine property, the building's elevators were manufactured by Otis Elevator, with one bank reaching speeds of 1,400 feet per minute (430 m/min) at the time of opening, making them the fastest in Asia. Escalators were supplied by Schindler Elevator, with whom Jardine maintains a partnership in Asia. Schindler later modernized the elevators in the mid-2000s.The building's distinctive circular windows earned it the nickname 'The House of a Thousand Arseholes.'.

The Monster Building is a cluster of five interconnected buildings located on King's Road in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Known for its striking appearance, it has become a popular photography spot and has inspired several filming locations. The complex consists of 2,243 units across five blocks, each with 18 floors, and is home to around 10,000 residents.Originally built in the 1960s as the Parker Estate (named after Mount Parker to the south), the housing estate was later sold and divided into five separate blocks in 1972: the Fook Cheong Building, Montane Mansion, Oceanic Mansion, Yick Cheong Building, and Yick Fat Building. Shops line the street-facing sides of the buildings, with the Oceanic Mansion being the tallest at 18 floors. The dense, composite nature of the structure contributes to its unique character.The private estate gained widespread attention in 2013 when a photograph of it by Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze went viral. The image was featured on the cover of his photo book 'Vertical Horizon' and further fueled the building’s popularity among both tourists and locals. Due to its newfound fame, residents have posted signs asking visitors to be respectful. The Monster Building has served as the backdrop for films like 'Transformers: Age of Extinction' and 'Ghost in the Shell', as well as music videos such as 'Labyrinth' by Mondo Grosso and Hikari Mitsushima, and 'Cave Me In' by Gallant and Eric Nam.

The Court of Final Appeal Building, also known as the Old Supreme Court Building, houses the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. It served as the former Supreme Court from 1912 to 1983 and the Legislative Council from 1985 to 2011. Located at 8 Jackson Road in Central, the building sits along the eastern side of Statue Square, directly west of Chater Garden. Its exterior is a designated monument of Hong Kong, reflecting its historical significance. Designed by British architects Sir Aston Webb and Ingress Bell, who also designed parts of Buckingham Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the building opened on January 15, 1912, after construction began in 1900.The building is a two-story neo-classical structure made of granite and supported by Ionic columns. Atop it stands a 2.7-meter-high blindfolded statue of Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, inspired by the statue at London's Old Bailey. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–1945), it was used as the headquarters for the Kempeitai (Military Police). In 1978, the building required restoration due to the construction of the MTR, temporarily relocating the Supreme Court to the Former French Mission Building.In 1985, the building became the Legislative Council Building, while the Supreme Court moved to Admiralty. After the Legislative Council moved to the Tamar site in 2011, the building reverted to its judicial role, housing the Court of Final Appeal starting on September 7, 2015. The opening ceremony was attended by Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li.The building was constructed on reclaimed land, with a foundation supported by hundreds of Chinese fir tree trunks, effectively 'floating' on a timber raft. A groundwater replenishment system maintains the necessary groundwater level. The building's symmetrical design covers an area of 2,660 square meters (28,600 sq ft), with a height of around 40 meters (130 ft). A pediment above the central section features a Statue of Justice and an inscription reading 'Erected AD MDCCCCX.' Beneath it is a carving of the British royal coat of arms, which includes the emblems of England, Scotland, and Ireland, supported by an English lion and Scottish unicorn, topped with a royal crown. The motto 'Dieu et mon droit' (God and my right) appears beneath the arms, flanked by the figures of Mercy and Truth.

Les Cours Mont-Royal is an upscale shopping mall located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, transformed from the former Mount Royal Hotel. Originally designed by the architectural firm Ross and Macdonald, the ten-story, 1,036-room Mount Royal Hotel was once the largest hotel in the British Empire and opened in 1922, aiming to attract high-class tourists with its Beaux-Arts architecture. Other notable Montreal buildings by Ross and Macdonald include Holt Renfrew, the Montreal Neurological Institute, and the Dominion Square Building.In 1950, the hotel was sold to Sheraton Hotels and renamed the Sheraton-Mt. Royal Hotel in 1951. The hotel operated under Sheraton until March 31, 1982, when the nearby Le Centre Sheraton Hotel replaced it. The Mount Royal Hotel closed in 1984 and underwent a $140 million renovation to become a mixed-use complex, reopening in 1988 as Les Cours Mont-Royal. The complex now houses a shopping mall in the lower levels and basement, luxury condos on the upper floors, and office space in between.The mall’s interior features the original hotel lobby, adorned with a large chandelier from the Monte Carlo casino, and its shopping area is arranged around four open courts. Highlights include six bird-human sculptures by Inuit artist David Ruben Piqtoukun under the main skylight, as well as luxury amenities like Spa Diva, Montreal's largest spa, and a medical clinic. Les Cours Mont-Royal is connected to Peel metro station through Montreal’s underground city.

The Windsor Hotel, a landmark in Montreal’s history, opened in 1878 and became Canada’s first grand hotel. Initially funded by a consortium of prominent Montreal businessmen, including photographer William Notman, it quickly became a social and business center for the city, hosting notable figures like John A. Macdonald, Mark Twain, and Oscar Wilde. In 1889, it gained a prime connection to the Windsor Station, enhancing its status as Montreal’s social hub.Over the years, it expanded to include a new wing, the Windsor Annex, complete with the renowned 'Peacock Alley,' named for its stained glass. The hotel played a key role in Montreal’s social life, hosting events like the annual St. Andrew’s Society Ball and even the 1917 meeting that founded the National Hockey League. Despite its success, the hotel faced two devastating fires, one in 1906 and another in 1957, which led to the demolition of the original structure. Only the North Annex survived, which continued operating until competition forced the hotel’s closure in 1981.In 1987, the Windsor Hotel was transformed into 'Le Windsor,' an office building that houses key tenants like Valeurs mobilières Desjardins and the Bronfman family’s Claridge offices. Its historic ballrooms and Peacock Alley were preserved and remain available for events, offering a glimpse into the hotel’s former grandeur. Recent renovations have enhanced the building while maintaining its architectural features, with event spaces available for rent and ongoing restorations respecting its rich heritage.