International Finance Centre
| 2 International Finance Centre 國際金融中心二期 |
|
2 International Finance Centre, 6 December, 2006 |
|
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location |  Hong Kong |
| Status | Complete |
| Constructed | 1997 - 2003 |
| Opening | 2003 |
| Use | Office, parking garage, retail |
| Height | |
| Antenna/Spire | 415.8 m (1,364.2 ft) |
| Roof | 406.9 m (1,335.0 ft) |
| Top floor | 401.9 m (1,318.6 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 88 |
| Floor area | 185,805 m2 (1,999,988 sq ft) |
| Elevator count | 62 |
| Companies | |
| Architect |
|
References: [1] |
|
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, it consists of two skyscrapers, the ifc mall, and the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Tower 2 is the tallest building in Hong Kong, usurping the place once occupied by Central Plaza. It is the third-tallest building in the Greater China region and the seventh-tallest office building in the world, based on structural heights; by roof height, only the Taipei 101, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Sears Tower exceed it. It is the exact height of the former World Trade Center. The International Commerce Centre, currently under construction above the MTR Kowloon station and scheduled for completion in 2010, will usurp 2IFC's various titles.
The Airport Express Hong Kong Station is directly beneath it.
Contents |
ifc as a brand
Tower 1 is also known as 1IFC and branded as "Ifc One". Likewise, Tower 2 is also known as 2IFC and branded as "Ifc Two".
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[2] and the Financial Times[3].
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority purchased 14 floors in 2IFC[3]; the HK Mortgage Corporation signed a 12-year lease on 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2)[4]; Nomura Group agreed to take 60,000 sq ft (6,000 m2) at 2 IFC; the Financial Times, an existing tenant at One IFC, took 10,000 sq ft (1,000 m2)[3]. Ernst & Young took six floors (from the 11th to 18th floors), or about 180,000 square feet (17,000 m2), in 2IFC, to become the biggest tenant[5].
2IFC, which was completed at the height of the SARS epidemic[2], was initially available to rent at HK$25-HK$35 per square foot[6]. In 2007, as the economy has improved, high quality ("Grade A") office space is highly sought after, rents for current leases are $150 per square foot as of March 2007.[7]
One International Finance Centre
One International Finance Centre was completed in 1998 and opened in 1999. It is 210 m tall [1], has 38 storeys and four trading floors, 18 high speed passenger lifts in 4 zones, and comprises 784,000 square feet (72,850 m²). It is similar in design and appearance to the Goldman Sachs Tower. The building currently accommodates approximately 5,000 people.
Notable tenants
- 3i
- Bain & Company
- ING Group
- Moody's Corporation
- Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
- Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
- Starbucks
Two International Finance Centre
Two International Finance Centre, completed in 2003, is attached to the second phase of the ifc mall. This 415 m tall building, currently Hong Kong's tallest, is quoted as having 88 storeys and 22 high-ceiling trading floors to qualify as being extremely auspicious in Chinese culture. It is, however, short of the magic number, due to the fact that "taboo floors" like 14th and 24th etc. are omitted as being inauspicious - 14 sounds like "definitely fatal" and 24 like "easily fatal" in Cantonese.
The highrise is designed to accommodate financial institutions. For example, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is located at the 55th floor. It is equipped with advanced telecommunications, raised floors for flexible cabling management, and nearly column-free floor plans. The building expects to accommodate up to 15,000 people. It is one of relatively few buildings in the world equipped with double-deck elevators.
The 55th, 56th and the 77th to 88th floors were bought by the HKMA for US$ 480 million in 2001[4]. 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[8]. 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.
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 in fairness to all[9].
Notable tenants
- Bank of America
- BBVA
- BNP Paribas
- Ernst & Young
- Hong Kong Monetary Authority
- Lehman Brothers
- Mallesons Stephen Jaques
- Nomura International
- SinoPac
- Texas Pacific Group
- The Blackstone Group
- UBS AG
ifc mall
The ifc mall is located directly above the Hong Kong MTR Station and provides an indoor connection for the two office buildings (One IFC and Two IFC) and the Four Seasons Hotel. The ifc mall houses over 200 different brands and features a number of top fashion, health & skin care, jewellery and accessory shops, restaurants, a number of cafés (such as Starbucks, Pacific Coffee Company, MIX) and a cinema. It also features Hong Kong's third c!ty'super store, a high-end supermarket.
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
The Four Seasons Hotel is a five-star luxury hotel that 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 513 service apartments. Amenities include what is claimed to be a world-class French restaurant Caprice and spa.[10] It is the largest Four Seasons Hotel.
Pop Culture
- 2 IFC was featured in the Hollywood movie Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, from which Lara Croft and Terry Sheridan (Gerald Butler) base jumps.
- The complex was also used for filming in the 2008 Batman film, The Dark Knight. In one scene, Batman jumps off of 2 IFC and soars around the central district before breaking into 1 IFC.[11]
- Financial Times, HSBC, and Cathay Pacific put up an advertisement on the facade from October to November 2003 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.
Image gallery
2 International Finance Centre
International Finance Centre Mall
Miscellaneous
See also
| International Finance Centre | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese: | 國際金融中心 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese: | 国际金融中心 | ||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
- List of skyscrapers
- List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
- List of the world's tallest structures
- List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
- List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong
References
- ↑ "2 International Finance Centre - SkyscraperPage.com". Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Tenanting tallest tower looks likely to be a tall order", Bloomberg, Hong Kong Standard (June 18, 2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lau, Eli (September 22, 2003). "SHKP net profit tipped to drop 24.6pc", Hong Kong Standard. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tong, Sebastian (April 7, 2003). "HKMC 'to pay $90m' for lease at Two IFC", Hong Kong Standard. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
- ↑ Wang, Raymond (November 13, 2003). "Interest grows in mega project", Hong Kong Standard. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
- ↑ "2IFC optimism", Keith Wallis, Hong Kong Standard (October 22, 2003). Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
- ↑ Kuo, Patricia (March 11, 2007). "Hong Kong's IFC gets $242 billion loan", International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.
- ↑ "HKMA Information Centre", Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
- ↑ Danny Chung, Name of the game is signage rights, The Standard, June 23, 2006
- ↑ Ann Collier, Room at the top for elite, The Standard, Monday, June 13, 2005
- ↑ "New Batman movie completes high profile shooting in Hong Kong", International Herald Tribune (2007-11-12). Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
External links
- ifc's website
- Emporis - Two International Finance Centre
- ifc website case study
- ifc2 elevator layout
| Preceded by Central Plaza |
Tallest Building in Hong Kong 2003 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||