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International Finance Centre (Hong Kong)

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Not to be confused with International Commerce Centre.
For the development with the same name in Shanghai, see Shanghai IFC.

2 International Finance Centre
國際金融中心二期
2 International Finance Centre, Sept, 2008
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeCommercial offices
Location8 Finance Street
Hong Kong, China
Construction started1997
Completed2003
Opening2003
Height
Architectural412.0 m (1,351.7 ft)
Roof407.0 m (1,335.3 ft)
Top floor387.6 m (1,271.7 ft)
Technical details
Floor count88 (+6 basement floors)
Floor area185,805 m2 (1,999,988 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators62
Design and construction
Architect(s)César Pelli & Association Architects
Rocco Design Architects Limited
Executive Architect (Cladding)Adamson Associates Architects
DeveloperSun Hung Kai Properties
Structural engineerOve Arup & Partners
References
[1][2][3][4]

The International Finance Centre (abbr. IFC, branded as "ifc") is an integrated commercial development on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central District.

A prominent landmark on Hong Kong Island, IFC consists of two skyscrapers, the IFC Mall, and the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Tower 2 is the second tallest building in Hong Kong, behind the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon. It is the fourth-tallest building in the Greater China region and the eighth-tallest office building in the world, based on structural heights; by roof height, only the Taipei 101, Shanghai World Financial Center, Willis Tower, International Commerce Centre and Burj Khalifa exceed it. It is of similar height to the former World Trade Center. The Airport Express Hong Kong Station is directly beneath it.

IFC was constructed and is owned by IFC Development, a consortium of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land and Towngas.[5]

In 2003, Financial Times, HSBC, and Cathay Pacific put up an advertisement on the facade that stretched more than 50 storeys, covering an area of 19,000 m² (0.2 million square ft) and a length of 230 m, making it the world's largest advertisement ever put on a skyscraper.

IFC as a brand

International Finance Centre
Traditional Chinese國際金融中心
Simplified Chinese国际金融中心
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGuójì jīnróng zhōngxīn
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpinggwok3 zai3 gam1 jung4 zung1 sam1

Tower 1 is also known as 1IFC and branded as "One ifc". Likewise, Tower 2 is also known as 2IFC and branded as "Two ifc".[6]

1IFC opened in December 1998, towards the end of the Asian financial crisis. Tenants included ING Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Fidelity International, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority[7] and the Financial Times.[8]

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority purchased 14 floors in 2IFC;[8] the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation signed a 12-year lease on 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2);[9] Nomura Group agreed to take 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) at 2 IFC; the Financial Times, an existing tenant at One IFC, took 10,000 sq ft (900 m2).[8] Ernst & Young took six floors (from the 11th to 18th floors), or about 180,000 square feet (16,700 m2), in 2IFC, to become the biggest tenant.[10]

2IFC, which was completed at the height of the SARS epidemic,[7] was initially available to rent at HK$25-HK$35 per square foot.[11] In 2007, as the economy has improved, high quality ("Grade A") office space is highly sought after; rents for current leases are $150 per square foot as of March 2007.[12]

The IFC's towers have featured in several Hollywood films, including Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, where Lara Croft leaps off the then-under-construction 2 International Finance Centre, landing on a ship out in the Kowloon Bay, and The Dark Knight, where Batman leapt from 2 IFC to 1 IFC, where an action scene then takes place.

One International Finance Centre

One International Finance Centre (left) and Four Season Hotel (right)

One International Finance Centre was constructed in 1998 and opened in 1999. It is 688 ft/210 m tall,[13] has 39 storeys and four trading floors, 18 high speed passenger lifts in 4 zones, and comprises 784,000 square feet (72,850 m²). It is similar in design and appearance to the Goldman Sachs Tower. The building currently accommodates approximately 5,000 people.

Tenants

Two International Finance Centre

Map of the IFC
2 IFC at dusk

Two International Finance Centre, completed in 2003, is attached to the second phase of the ifc mall. This 415-metre-tall building, currently Hong Kong's second tallest, is quoted as having 88 storeys and 22 high-ceiling trading floors to qualify as being extremely auspicious in Chinese culture. It is, however, short of the magic number, due to the fact that "taboo floors" like 14th and 24th are omitted as being inauspicious – 14 sounds like "definitely fatal" and 24 like "easily fatal" in Cantonese.

The highrise is designed to accommodate financial institutions. For example, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is located at the 55th floor. It is equipped with advanced telecommunications, raised floors for flexible cabling management, and nearly column-free floor plans. The building expects to accommodate up to 15,000 people. It is one of relatively few buildings in the world equipped with double-deck elevators.

The 55th, 56th and the 77th to 88th floors were bought by the HKMA for US$480 million in 2001.[9] An exhibition area, currently containing an exhibit of Hong Kong's monetary history, and a library of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre occupy the 55th floor, and are open to the public during office hours.[14]

Despite common practice for owners to allow naming buildings after its important tenants – the building accommodates some very prestigious tenants – the owners decided not to allow renaming of the building.[15]

Tenants

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

Main article: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
The Four Seasons Hotel

The Four Seasons Hotel is a luxury hotel that was built near the IFC One and Two. It was completed and opened in October in 2005. The 206 m (674 ft), 60-storey oceanfront hotel is the only Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. The hotel has 399 guest suites, and 519 serviced apartments. Amenities include a French restaurant Caprice and spa.[16]

2 International Finance Centre

  • IFC towers as seen from the street
    IFC towers as seen from the street
  • Two IFC in the evening. The 3rd-generation Star Ferry Pier can be seen in the lower part of the image.
    Two IFC in the evening. The 3rd-generation Star Ferry Pier can be seen in the lower part of the image.
  • The office lobby in Two IFC
    The office lobby in Two IFC
  • IFC2 seen left and IFC1 on the right
    IFC2 seen left and IFC1 on the right
  • The headquarters of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority at the 2 IFC.
    The headquarters of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority at the 2 IFC.

International Finance Centre Mall

Miscellaneous

See also

References

  1. ^ "International Finance Centre". CTBUH Skyscraper Center.
  2. ^ International Finance Centre at Emporis
  3. ^ "International Finance Centre". SkyscraperPage.
  4. ^ International Finance Centre at Structurae
  5. ^ "IFC owner opposes plan for neighbours". SCMP. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  6. ^ ifc site: "One and Two ifc"
  7. ^ a b Bloomberg (18 June 2003). "Tenanting tallest tower looks likely to be a tall order". The Standard. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  8. ^ a b c Lau, Eli (22 September 2003). "SHKP net profit tipped to drop 24.6pc". The Standard. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
  9. ^ a b Tong, Sebastian (7 April 2003). "HKMC 'to pay $90m' for lease at Two IFC". The Standard. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
  10. ^ Wang, Raymond (13 November 2003). "Interest grows in mega project". The Standard. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
  11. ^ Wallis, Keith (22 October 2003). "2IFC optimism". The Standard. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  12. ^ Kuo, Patricia (11 March 2007). "Hong Kong's IFC gets $242 billion loan". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
  13. ^ 1 International Finance Centre, Skyscraperpage.com
  14. ^ "HKMA Information Centre". Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
  15. ^ Danny Chung, Name of the game is signage rights, The Standard, 23 June 2006
  16. ^ Ann Collier, Room at the top for elite, The Standard, Monday, 13 June 2005
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