The Center
| The Center | |
|---|---|
中環中心 | |
 (2011) | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Hong Kong |
| Coordinates | 22°17′05″N 114°09′16″E / 22.28472°N 114.15444°E |
| Construction started | 1995 |
| Completed | 1998 |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 346 m (1,135 ft)[1] |
| Roof | 292 m (958 ft) |
| Top floor | 275 m (902 ft)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 73[1] |
| Floor area | 130,032 m2 (1,399,653 sq ft)[1] |
| Lifts/elevators | 41, made by Otis Elevator Company[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers (HK) Ltd.[1] |
| Developer | Cheung Kong, Land Development Corporation |
| Structural engineer | Maunsell AECOM Group[1] |
| Main contractor | Paul & - ITC Construction[1] |
| References | |
| [1][2] | |
The Center (Chinese: 中環中心) is the fifth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong,[1] after International Commerce Centre, Two International Finance Centre (88 storeys), Central Plaza and Bank of China Tower. With a height of 346 m (1,135 ft), it comprises 73 stories. The Center is one of the few skyscrapers in Hong Kong that is entirely steel-structured with no reinforced concrete core. It is located on Queen's Road Central in the Central and Western District, roughly halfway between the MTR Island Line's Sheung Wan and Central stations.
Background
The Center is notable for its arrangement of hundreds of neon lights arranged as bars in increasing frequency towards the top of the building, which slowly scroll through the colours of the spectrum at night. During the Christmas season, the building's neon arrangement follows a festive motif and resembles a Christmas tree.
The direct translation of the Chinese name of the building is "Central Centre" or the "centre of Central", even though the building is in fact near the boundary of Central and Sheung Wan (Wing Kut Street).
The building was a project involving the Land Development Corporation since it was required to demolish many old buildings and lanes. The premises of The Center is of irregular shape because surrounding lots within Queen's Road Central, Jubilee Street, Des Voeux Road Central and Gilman's Bazaar were already redeveloped. Various lanes and streets including Gilman Street, Wing On Street, Tung Man Street, Hing Lung Street, and Tit Hong Lane were shortened.
In addition, several historical structures were demolished from the project. Many cloth shops located on Wing On Street, also known as Cloth Alley, were moved to the Western Market while Eu Yan Sang, a traditional Chinese medicine shop, was moved near the Stag Building to continue business.
The building, including its iconic lobby, were featured in the film The Dark Knight.
See also
- List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
- List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong
- List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
References
External links
Media related to The Center, Hong Kong at Wikimedia Commons- The Center on CTBUH Skyscraper Center
- Emporis - The Center
- SkyscraperPage - The Center
- 15 Most Outstanding Projects in Hong Kong - The Center
