International Finance Centre

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Two International Finance Centre
Information
Location	Hong Kong, China
Status	Complete
Constructed	2003
Use	Office
Height
Antenna/Spire	415.8 m (1364 ft.)
Roof	406.9 m (1,335')
Top floor	401.9 m (1,319')
Technical Details
Floor count	90
Floor area	185,805 m²
Elevator count	62
Companies
Architect	César Pelli

International Finance Centre (abbr. IFC, branded as "ifc") is an integrated commercial development on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central District (22°17′6.82″N, 114°9′33.45″E).

A prominent landmark on Hong Kong Island, it consists of two skyscrapers, the ifc mall, and the 40-storey Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Tower 2 is the tallest building in Hong Kong, usurping the place once occupied by Central Plaza.

The Airport Express Hong Kong Station is directly beneath it.

Contents 1 Background 2 ifc as a brand 3 One International Finance Centre 4 Two International Finance Centre 5 Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong 6 2ifc trivia 7 Image gallery 8 References 9 See also 10 External links

[edit] Background

The complex was built entirely on reclaimed land, and developed as a joint venture between Henderson Land Development and Sun Hung Kai Properties. In 1996, lead developer Sun Hung Kai had bid the sum of HK$5.5 billion to acquire the rights to develop from the Government. The MTR Corporation was a partner in the venture. Sun Hung Kai, owns 47.5 per cent of the development, Henderson Land took a 32.5 per cent stake in the project and its associate Hong Kong and China Gas unit owns 15 per cent. Bank of China holds 5 per cent^[1].

Both 1IFC, and 2IFC were designed by architect César Pelli. 1IFC resembles 30 Hudson Street in Jersey City, a tower also designed by Pelli. The construction costs of 2IFC was reputed to have been HK$ 19.5 billion^[1].

[edit] ifc as a brand

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".

1IFC opened in December 1998, towards the end of the Asian financial crisis. Tenants included ING Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Fidelity Investments, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority^[1] and the Financial Times^[2].

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority purchased 14 floors in 2IFC^[2]; the HK Mortgage Corporation signed a 12-year lease on 24,000 square foot^[3]; Nomura Group agreed to take 60,000 sq ft at 2 IFC; the Financial Times, an existing tenant at One IFC, took 10,000 sq ft^[2]. Ernst & Young took six floors (from the 11th to 18th floors), or about 180,000 square feet, in 2IFC, to become the biggest tenant^[4].

2IFC, which was completed at the height of the SARS epidemic^[1], was initially available to rent at HK$25-HK$35 per square foot^[5]. 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.^[6]

Through its location, array of big-name retailers, and transport connections, it also aims to attract visitors to the ifc mall, which features a number of top fashion, health & skin care, jewellery and accessory shops, restaurants, and a cinema. The ifc mall houses over 200 different brands. It also features Hong Kong's third c!ty'super store, a high-end supermarket.

[edit] One International Finance Centre

One International Finance Centre was completed in 1998 and opened in 1999. It is 210 m tall[1], has 38 storeys and four trading floors, 18 high speed passenger lifts in 4 zones, and comprises 784,000 square feet (72,850 m²). The building currently accommodates approximately 5,000 people.

[edit] Two International Finance Centre

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

The highrise is designed to accommodate financial firms. 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 the third tallest bulding in the Greater China region and the 7th tallest office building in the world, based on structural heights; by roof height only Taipei 101 and Sears Tower exceed it. The top floor of Two ifc is slightly higher than the city's Victoria Peak viewing gallery in Hong Kong. Some locals as well as tourists criticised that the tower obstructed the famous view of Victoria Harbour from the Peak.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

The Four Seasons Hotel was completed in 2005. The 40-storey waterfront hotel is the first Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong.

[edit] 2ifc trivia

• It is one of relatively few buildings in the world equipped with double-deck elevators.
• The Hong Kong Monetary Authority bought 55th, 56th and the 77th to 88th floors for US$ 480 million in 2001^[3].
• 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^[7].
• The 88th floor of the tower contains the office of the Chief Executive of the HK Monetary Authority, and is served by an individual lift.
• Financial Times, HSBC, and Cathay Pacific put up an advertisement on the facade from October to November of 2003 that stretched more than 50 storeys, covering an area of 0.2 million square ft (19,000 m²) and a length of 230 m; making it the world's largest advertisement ever put on skyscraper.
• Two ifc's reign as Hong Kong's tallest will not be long, as Union Square Phase 7 built above the MTR Kowloon station is under construction and will claim the title in 2010.
• More than 3,500 workers from various places around the world worked at the construction site during the peak construction period.
• The Two ifc building was featured in the Hollywood movie Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, in which Lara Croft and Terry Sheridan leap off it.

[edit] Image gallery

The IFC logo on the building facade	Two IFC at night	Sun glinting off Two IFC	Two IFC from Victoria Peak against the backdrop of other buildings and the harbor.
Various shops and a cinema inside the IFC mall	Fashion show in the IFC mall	The office lobby in Two IFC	The Hong Kong Station in IFC
Airline passengers' check-in at Hong Kong Station, next to the IFC	A flyover from ifc to the outlying island piers (Small) The Lantau Island Pier	A station of the Airport Express is beneath IFC	Four Seasons Hotel
IFC mall near the MTR HK Station	The One IFC (right) and the Two IFC (left) as seen from the Star Ferry Pier at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon	Afternoon view of the Two IFC
	IFC2 seen left and IFC1 on the right

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of the world's tallest structures
• List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
• List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong

[edit] External links

• Satellite image of ifc by Google Maps
• ifc's website
• Emporis - Two International Finance Centre
• Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
• ifc website case study

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