Bank of China Tower
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The Bank of China Tower (short: BOC Tower) is a huge skyscraper in Central, Hong Kong. It houses the headquarters for the Bank of China (Hong Kong).
It was designed by architect I. M. Pei. The building is 315 meters high with two masts reaching 369 meters (1209 feet) high. The 70 story building was built in 1989 and is located near Central MTR station. This was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989 to 1992, and 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.
The structural expressionism adopted in the design of this building resembles growing bamboo shoots, symbolising livelihood and prosperity. The whole structure is supported by the four steel columns at the corners of the building, with the triangular frameworks transferring the weight of the structure onto these four columns.
The building has been criticised by practitioners of feng shui for its sharp edges. (See Government House, Hong Kong.)
A small observation deck on the 43rd floor of the building is open to the public; visits to the main obsevation deck on the 70th floor are by appointment only.
The formal address of the building is: 1 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong.
See also
- Other skyscrapers in Hong Kong: Central Plaza - The Center - Hopewell Centre - International Finance Centre - Sorrento, The Harbourfront
- Lists: List of skyscrapers - List of towers - World's tallest structures - List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong - List of the world's tallest structures
External links
- About BOC Tower (http://www.bochk.com/web/common/multi_section.xml?section=about&level_2=boc_tower&fldr_id=326) on Bank of China (Hong Kong) website
- Great Buildings Online site on BOC Tower (http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Bank_of_China.html)zh:中銀大廈