Hong Kong's giant skyscrapers are the calling card of the city of the future

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The Autonomous Territory, which is part of the PRC, everyone is accustomed to consider a country. Hong Kong, which grew out of a small village, is one of the most mysterious and colorful places on our planet. The largest business and cultural center of Asia is a true paradise for tourists who dream of the exotic.

Residential skyscrapers looking at the sky

The calling card of the city-state growing upwards is skyscrapers. Hong Kong, a former British enclave, has excelled in building the tallest buildings in the world that look like something out of science fiction movies and has long eclipsed rivals in Japan, the US and Singapore. High population density and land scarcity are the main reasons for the transformation of the administrative center of China into the most densely built-up city on our planet.

The authorities have found the only way to meet the housing needs of more than 7millions of citizens, and every year anthill houses appear, piercing the heights and consisting of cubes of tiny apartments with narrow balconies.

Business cards of the metropolis

In the Asian city of the future, adjusted to European standards, skyscrapers are everywhere. The first giant, consisting of glass and concrete, appeared in the 30s of the last century. The 13-story HSBC bank building was the first building to reach a height of about 70 meters. But the real boom in skyscraper construction in Hong Kong falls on the 80s. At this time, there are 60 buildings over 200 meters high. Most of them are located in the Kowloon area.

The skyscrapers that have made Asia's leading financial center famous throughout the world are a necessity due to its special status. They house business and office space, as well as meeting the needs of the local population and visitors for housing. Many buildings are erected on the backfilled offshore areas. It should be noted that all skyscrapers are able to withstand the most destructive blows of the elements, and the designers provide them with multi-colored evening illumination.

International Financial Center Building

Colorful Hong Kong, whose skyscrapers are recognized as the most beautiful on the planet, ranks first in the world in terms of their number. The tallest building in the metropolis is the building of the International Financial Center with a height of 425 meters. The 90-storey building, which was under construction for 6 years, rises on the embankment in the Central District. For its unusual shape, the residents nicknamed the tower, equipped with high-tech telecommunications, "corn".

The offices of the largest financial companies are located here. The MFC is the main attraction of the city, the construction of which caused a scandal. Residents were dissatisfied with the fact that the building blocked the panorama of the picturesque Mount Victoria, and filed complaints with local authorities, but the authorities were on the side of the designers.

Central Plaza skyscraper

Among the tallest skyscrapers in Hong Kong stands out the building on top of which is a large neon clock that changes color. Central Plaza, built of reinforced concrete, resembles a three-dimensional triangle in its shape. This giant with a height of 374 meters consists of two parts - the office building itself and a huge recreation area with green gardens and luxurious fountains. At the very top of the structure rises the spire, which houses the tallest church in the world.

Feng Shui building: skyscrapers with holes in Hong Kong

When constructing skyscrapers, builders take into account the rules of Feng Shui: many buildings lack 4th, 14th and 24th floors. The thing is that their name in Cantonese is consonant with the words associated with death.

In addition, tourists are extremely surprised by the fact that huge openings gape in the middle of skyscrapers. And such unusual architecture for Europeans raises a lot of questions. Some think that this is done so that huge houses can cope with wind loads, others simply admire the unusual modern design.

However, onin fact, strange constructions are evidence that the traditions of the ancient Chinese civilization are sacredly revered in the Celestial Empire. For many centuries, people have comprehended the wisdom of interaction with the world. The locals worship dragons that come down from the mountains to the water to bathe and drink. Every year, the coastline is overgrown with skyscrapers, blocking the path to life-giving moisture for mythical creatures, which are carriers of positive energy, which is fraught with trouble. And developers are sure to leave giant holes the size of several apartments in the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, which are called "dragon holes".

As modern architects say, designing such a hole is not so easy, and it takes a lot of skill to create additional space.

The modern urban landscape of a large financial center, where life does not stop for a second, cannot be imagined without high skyscrapers. Hong Kong is a city-rhythm, presenting a lot of surprises. Projects of skyscrapers of the metropolis are developed by both architects and Feng Shui masters who do everything so that the residents are in harmony with nature. It is no coincidence that large-scale structures are compared with ancient Chinese teachings that are experiencing a rebirth, and well-known companies spend fabulous sums on expert advice.