A
Work of Glamour and Perspectives - Bank of China Tower
(2004)
Hong Kong’s renowned cityscape is dotted with
famous skyscrapers, all reaching up towards the sky
as if fighting to show to the world watching who was
the most powerful in the territory. In day and at night,
the scene changes from a business world to an image
of an elegant lady all dressed up for a formal party.
Achieved through the use of lighting, Hong Kong is a
city which seems to process a certain charisma, lifting
it up above and setting it apart from other cities in
the world.
The
individual buildings which build up this cityscape all
have their own history, a story behind its design and
architecture. It is, however, the Bank of China Tower
which stand out most from the crowd, both aesthetically
and in its rich architectural history. Designed by Ieoh
Ming Pei, the Bank of China Tower stands 369 meters
high in the heart of Hong Kong. When one looks at the
skyline of the city from the opposite side of Victoria
Harbor back towards the island of Hong Kong, it is hard
to miss the Bank of China Tower with its distinguishing
features. The headquarters of its namesake, it is an
important landmark to Hong Kong and although it is no
longer the tallest in the city, it still remains a sign
and symbol of the strong economical base there.
Bank
of China Tower was built in 1989, and over the years,
has witnessed much change in the city it stands atop.
People of Hong Kong pass by the building day after day,
yet depending on their perspective, the tower can be
understood as two completely different sentiments. For
example, the most common choice of commuters in Hong
Kong, the bus, offers a radically different perspective
of the building in comparison to that experienced by
a pedestrian. This paper will look at in more depth
the contrast proposed.
Buses
in Hong Kong are usually double-decker in order to accommodate
the large amount of people which travel on them. Because
of this, passengers on the second floor are offered
a higher perspective of the streets. Their position
is set up from the pedestrian as well if they choose
to look up towards the sky. As they glance upwards from
the large windows of the bus up towards the Bank of
China Tower, they would see the tall building evolve
upwards towards the top, ending in a pointed tip at
the top. There is a sense of power and strength, and
a certain coolness which the neutral colour of the exterior
suggests. Pei probably chose to use glass and steel
to convey a sense of stability, an important message
to the public for a bank.
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