Bank of China Tower

Bank of China Tower, which was the tallest building outside the United States when it opened in 1990, remains a towering landmark on the Hong Kong skyline.

Shaped as a bamboo forest representing survival and hope, the asymmetrical 70 storey, 367.5m high tower is clad in reflective glass that mirrors the sky as it changes. A broad promenade and several cooling water gardens surround the base of the building, and help muffle the sound of the continuous activity and traffic noise surrounding it.

Brand: Gartner, Permasteelisa

Architect: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

Executive architect: Sherman Kung & Associates Architects

Developer: Bank of China

Contractor: Kumagai Gumi Group

The project

The concept

The tower, comprised of four vertical shafts, rises from a 52m high cube and reduces in mass quadrant by quadrant – leaving a single triangular prism at the top. Several atrium spaces are created by the diagonal cuts that form the prism, engulfing the tower with natural sunlight.