List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong

This list of tallest buildings in Hong Kong ranks skyscrapers in the Hong Kong Special administrative region of the People's Republic of China by height. The tallest building in Hong Kong is the 88-storey Two International Finance Centre, which was built in 2003 and stands Convert|415|m|ft|0 tall. It stands as the 7th-tallest building in the world and 3rd-tallest building in the People's Republic of China. The second-tallest building in the city is Central Plaza at Convert|374|m|ft|0|abbr=on tall with 78 stories. The structure contains the Hong Kong City Church, the highest church in the world located inside a skyscraper. The third-tallest building in the city is the 70-storey Bank of China Tower, which is Convert|367|m|ft|0|abbr=on high and was designed by famed architect I. M. Pei. The skyscraper has the distinction of being the first skyscraper outside the United States to exceed Convert|305|m|ft|-1|abbr=on in height. As of 2008, six completed buildings in Hong Kong exceed Convert|300|m|ft|0|abbr=on in height; this is more than any other city in the world.ref label|note01|A|^

The history of skyscrapers in Hong Kong began in 1935 with the completion of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank building, which is regarded as the first high-rise in the city. The building stood Convert|70|m|ft|0|abbr=on tall with 13 floors and existed for six decades before being demolished for the construction of the HSBC Main Building.Cite web|title=Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=hongkongshanghaibank-hongkong-china|publisher=Emporis.com|accessdate=2008-06-27] High-rise construction was limited in the early part of the 20th century, but beginning in the 1970s, Hong Kong experienced widespread building construction that has continued to the present; this boom is in large part a result of the city's rugged, mountainous terrain and lack of flat land. [Cite web|title= Vertical Cities: Hong Kong / New York|publisher=The Skyscraper Museum|url=http://www.skyscraper.org/EXHIBITIONS/VERTICAL_CITIES/|accessdate=2008-06-27|date=2008-03-03|first=Carol|last=Willis] [Cite web|title=Hong Kong|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/?id=101300|publisher=Emporis.com|accessdate=2008-06-28] The city entered into a building boom from 1980 to 1993, during which 22 of the city's 106 tallest buildings were constructed, including the Hopewell Centre, Bank of China Tower, and Central Plaza. Beginning in 1998, Hong Kong entered into a second, much larger building boom that has continued to the present. In an eight year span between 2000 and 2008, 38 buildings taller than Convert|200|m|ft|0|abbr=on were completed, including several supertall skyscrapers such as Two International Finance Centre, Nina Tower I and One Island East.cite web|title=Top 15 Skylines of The World v 5.0 (Actually Top 30)|url=http://www.diserio.com/hongkongskyline.html|publisher=diserio.com|accessdate=2008-06-28] Unlike the previous building trend of the 1980s and early 1990s, the city saw many skyscrapers rise out of Kowloon, such as Sorrento, the Langham Place Office Tower, and The Harbourside, all of which exceed Convert|200|m|ft|0 in height. This was due to the closure of the Kai Tak Airport located to the northeast, which lifted height restrictions across Kowloon, allowing taller buildings to be built in the region.Cite book|first=Fallon|last=Steve|year=2006|title=Hong Kong and Macau|publisher=Lonely Planet Publishing|isbn=9812582460]

The high-rises that have been constructed in Hong Kong are spread throughout the special administrative region, but most are concentrated in an area stretching from Tsuen Wan in the west across the Kowloon Peninsula to Yau Tong in the east and on the north shore of Hong Kong Island. New towns like Tseung Kwan O, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Fanling, Yuen Long and Tuen Mun in the rural-suburban New Territories region also contain large clusters of high-rises. Several communities on the south shore of Hong Kong Island, including Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen and Repulse Bay, contain significant numbers of high-rises. Two small islands, Tsing Yi and Ap Lei Chau, are also home to several skyscrapers. The only two places on Lantau Island that contain skyscrapers are Tung Chung and Discovery Bay. [Cite web|title=Google Maps:Hong Kong|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=hong+kong&ie=UTF8&ll=22.348806,114.095764&spn=0.538537,1.318359&t=h&z=10|publisher=Google|accessdate=2008-06-28] Hong Kong ranks first in the world in both skyscraper and high-rise count, with at least 228ref label|note02|B|^ completed skyscrapers over convert|150|m|ft|0|abbr=on and 7,558 highrise buildings. [Cite web|title=Hong Kong: High-rise Buildings (completed)|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101300&bt=9&ht=3&sro=221|accessdate=2008-02-08|publisher=Emporis.com] Cite web|title=Emporis Skyline Ranking|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/sr/|accessdate=2008-02-08|publisher=Emporis.com] In addition, Hong Kong's skyline is often considered to be the best in the world, with the surrounding mountains and Victoria Harbour complementing the skyscrapers. [cite web|title=Best Skyline Poll|url=http://www.snappoll.com/view_results.php?poll_id=159740|accessdate=2008-02-08] [Cite web|title=The World's Best Skylines|url=http://homepages.ipact.nl/~egram/skylines.html|first=Egbert|last=Gramsbergen|coauthor=Paul Kazmierczak|accessdate=2008-02-08] Every night, many skyscrapers and buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour light up in a synchronized show called A Symphony of Lights, named by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest permanent light and sound festival in the world. [Cite web|title=Guinness world record for harbour show|publisher=News.gov.hk|accessdate=2008-06-28|date=2005-11-21|url=http://news.gov.hk/en/category/businessandfinance/051121/html/051121en03016.htm]

The tallest development taking place in Hong Kong is the International Commerce Centre, located in Union Square in West Kowloon. The Convert|484|m|ft|0|abbr=on supertall skyscraper is expected to become the tallest building in Hong Kong upon completion in 2010. It will be the first time since 1966 that a building on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour holds the title of tallest building in the city. As of June 2008, there are 288 high-rises under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in Hong Kong. [Cite web|title=High-rise Buildings of Hong Kong|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/?id=101300|publisher=Emporis.com|accessdate=2008-06-28]

__TOC__

Tallest buildings

This lists ranks Hong Kong skyscrapers that stand at least 180 metres (591 ft) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. Existing structures are included for ranking purposes based on present height.

* Table entries without text indicate that information regarding building heights, and/or dates of completion has not yet been released.

Proposed

This lists buildings that are proposed in Hong Kong and are planned to rise at least 180 metres (591 ft). A floor count of 50 stories is used as the cutoff in place of a height of convert|180|m|ft|abbr=on|0 for buildings whose heights have not yet been released by their developers.

* Table entries without text indicate that information regarding building heights, floor counts, and/or dates of completion has not yet been released.

Timeline of tallest buildings

This is a list of buildings that in the past held the title of tallest building in Hong Kong.

Notes

:A.note label|note01|A|^Hong Kong has six completed skyscrapers taller than convert|300|m|ft|0, Chicago has five and Dubai has four. Source: SkyscraperPage: [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=7&statusID=1 Hong Kong] , [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=4&statusID=1 Chicago] , [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=23&statusID=1 Dubai] .:B.note label|note02|B|^The figure 228 counts only buildings with known height figures greater than Convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on|0. There are a number of completed buildings ranging from 50 to 63 stories tall that do not have height figures listed as seen [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101300&bt=9&ht=2&sro=881 here] , [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101300&bt=9&ht=2&sro=901 here] and [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101300&bt=9&ht=2&sro=921 here] on Emporis. It is possible but not definite that some of these skyscrapers are taller than Convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on|0; thus, it can only be stated that there are at least 228 buildings that are at least Convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on|0 high.:C.note label|note03|C|^Two height figures are given for the Gateway Tower III: Convert|405|m|ft|0|abbr=on and Convert|450|m|ft|0|abbr=on. An official figure from the developer has not yet been released.:D.note label|note04|D|^Two floor counts are given for the Mega Tower Hotel: 60 and 88. An official figure from the developer has not yet been released.:E.note label|note05|E|^This building was constructed as the Connaught Centre, but has since been renamed Jardine House.

ee also

*Architecture of Hong Kong
*List of tallest buildings and structures in the world by country

References

;General
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101300&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1 Emporis.com - Hong Kong] ;Specific

External links

* [http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=7 Diagram of Hong Kong skyscrapers] on SkyscraperPage