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Above: five pictures of Hong Kong Island at night.
Two taken from The Peak and three taken from Kowloon's waterfront.
For day pictures of the Hong Kong skyline, please go to page 2 of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong doesn't need any introduction I think.
It's one of the greatest large cities in the world, with lots of things going on and a lot to explore,
but foremost it's a sanctuary for any skyscraper fan!
The place has thousands of high-rises and seeing Hong Kong and the many other islands
from the air (especially at night) is one of the best sights one can possibly imagine. Simply astonishing!
In 1997, Hong Kong was handed-over from Great-Britain to China, and became
a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China.
With a population of nearly 7 million people living on a total space of almost 1,100m²
(Hong Kong consists of 235 islands - of which Hong Kong Island and Lantau are the tallest -,
and the peninsula's of Kowloon, Sai Kung and the New Territories),
Hong Kong is a very crowded place, but one that is bustling with life and,
like New York, is a city that never sleeps.


Above left: Hong Kong's tallest: Two International Finance Centre (415m/1,362f tall, 88 stories, 2003).
It will be Hong Kong's tallest for at least four years,
until the 474m/1,555f, 111 stories tall Union Square Phase 7 will be completed (2007).
This building will be built on Kowloon, and not on Hong Kong island,
where currently Hong Kong's five tallest buildings can be found.
Please press the picture to go to a special page with many pictures of 2IFC.
Above middle left: this was Hong Kong's tallest from 1992 - 2003: Central Plaza (374m/1,227f, 78 stories, 1992),
when it was surpassed by Two International Finance Center.
Originally, Central Plaza was proposed to have 92 stories and would surpass the Empire State Building in height.
But financial problems prevented it from becoming taller.
Nevertheless, it was the tallest reinforced concrete structure in the world when completed in 1992.
The building used to have an observatory (44th floor), but this was closed after the fatal events of September 11th, 2001.
Without spire, the building reaches a height of 309m/1,014f.
The spire itself is 102 metres (335 feet) tall, but part of it is not visible.
For a special page of this building, please press the picture.
Above middle right: Bank of China Tower (367m/1,205f, 72 stories, 1990),
currently Hong Kong's 3rd tallest and designed by I.M. Pei.
It was the city's tallest from 1989-1992, when Central Plaza took that title.
It's a truly remarkable building and one of the most beautiful ever built.
The building has a small skydeck on the 42nd floor, which gives a view to the northwest.
This deck can be entered without admission.
Without the two spire-construction the building would have a height of 305m/1,001f.
Please press the picture to go to a special page of this building.
Above right: The Center (346m/1,135f, 73 stories, 1998), currently Hong Kong's 4rd tallest.
Without the spire on top the building would 'only' be 302m/991f tall.
At night, a neon system consisting of nearly 9.000 tubes give this building a slowly changing coloured light-show.
For a special page of this building, please press the picture.


Above: Cheung Kong Center, Hong Kong's 5th tallest skyscraper (283m/928f, 62 stories, 1999).
Co-designed by Cesar Pelli (of Petronas Twin Tower fame).
At night this building is illuminated by a computer-controlled fibre optic lighting system.


Above left and middle: Sorrento 1 (and 2, the smaller tower next to it) (256m/841f, 75 stories, 2003),
the tallest all-residential tower in China. Sorrento 2 is 236m/773f tall, has 66 stories and was also completed in 2003.
The Sorrento buildings (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6) are part of the Union Square complex on Kowloon.
This complex also consists of The HarbourSide, The Waterfront Towers 1 to 6 (142m/467f, 46 stories, 2000),
and a couple of tall buildings that are currently under construction:
Union Square Phase 6 Towers (265m/869f, 68, 2006), The Victory Arch (231m/758f, 65 stories, 2004),
and, Union Square Phase 7 (474m/1,555f, 111 stories, 2007).
When completed in 2007, this complex may well be the complex with the most tall buildings in the world.
Above right: Langham Place Office Tower (255m/837f, 59 stories, 2004).
This building is the tallest office tower in Kowloon.


Above left and middle: The HarbourSide (255m/837f, 75 stories, 2003), also part of the Union Square complex.
The building is in fact three towers in one, which makes it one of the widest skyscrapers in the world.
It's also one of Hong Kong's and China's tallest residential buildings.
Above right: Highcliff (252m/828f, 72 stories, 2003) and The Summit (220m/721f, 65 stories, 2001).
Highcliff has a wind-damper on top to battle strong winds and typhoons that usually plague Hong Kong in the late Summer period.
The two towers are residential and have some of the most expensive residential apartments of Hong Kong.
The rent for an apartment in The Summit for example is more than US$ 20,000,- per month.
Highcliff has 117 apartments, while The Summit only has 56 exclusive units.


Above left: Manulife Plaza, (240m/789f, 52 stories, 1998, without mast: 211m/692f).
Above middle: Sorrento 3, 5 and 6.
Sorrento 3: 218m/715f, 64 stories, 2003.
Sorrento 5: 212m/696f, 62 stories, 2003
Sorrento 6: 206m/676f, 60 stories, 2003
Above right: Harbourfront Landmark (233m/763f, 70 stories, 2001).
This residential complex can also be found on the Kowloon peninsula.


Above left and middle: three pictures of Cosco Tower (228m/748f, 53 stories, 1998).
The first and third are taken from the hills of Hong Kong Island.
The middle one was taken from Kowloon.
Above right: Tregunter Tower 3 (220m/721f, 66 stories, 1993),
After completion, it was the tallest all-residential building in the world.
It lost that title in 2001, when New York's Trump Tower was completed.
Without the mast on top the building is 202m/662f tall.
Next to it you can see Tregunter Towers 1 (35 stories, 1981) and 2 (34 stories, 1981).
In the background on the right, Two International Finance Center was under construction
when the picture was taken (June 2002).


Click here to go to page 2 of Hong Kong


Hong Kong's 10 tallest skyscrapers:
1. TWO INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CENTRE 415/1,362f, 88 stories, 2003
2. CENTRAL PLAZA 374m/1,227f, 78 stories, 1992
3. BANK OF CHINA TOWER 367m/1,205f, 72 stories, 1990
4. THE CENTRE 346m/1,135f, 73 stories, 1998
5. NINA TOWER 1 319m/1,046f, 80 stories, u/c
6. CHEUNG KONG CENTER 283m/928f, 62 stories, 1999
7. SORRENTO 1 256m/841f, 75 stories, 2003
8. THE HARBOURSIDE 255m/837f, 75 stories, 2003
9. LANGHAM PLACE OFFICE TOWER 255m/837f, 59 stories, 2004
10. HIGHCLIFF 252m/828f, 72 stories, 2003

The building data, the top 10 of tallest buildings and some of the building information are courtesy of
EMPORIS.COM, one of the world's leading architectural resources on tall buildings.

All pictures copyright © 2002 - 2004 Patrick Beckers. All Rights Reserved.
Download of any pictures from this site without written consent is strictly prohibited, unless for personal use!
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