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Hong Kong Facts

Population 7,234,800 (2014) Source: Hong Kong Census
Area 1,104 km² • 426 mi² Source: CIA World Factbook
150m+ Buildings 355 Completed • 1 Under Constr.
300m+ Buildings 6 Completed
Tallest Building International Commerce Centre (484 m)
Global Ranking #1 in the world by no. of 150m+ completed buildings
Regional Ranking #1 in Asia by no. of 150m+ completed buildings
Country Ranking #1 in China by no. of 150m+ completed buildings
First 150m+ Building Jardine House (1973)
Average Building Age 18 years
Most Common Function Residential , 75%
Most Common Material Concrete , 93%

All building-related facts are for 150m+ buildings.

Buildings See All Buildings in City

1   International Commerce Centre 2010 484 m
2   Two International Finance Centre 2003 412 m
3   Central Plaza 1992 374 m
4   Bank of China Tower 1990 367 m
5   The Center 1998 346 m
6   Nina Tower 2006 320 m
7   One Island East 2008 298 m
8   Cheung Kong Centre 1999 283 m
9   Victoria Dockside 2017 272 m
10   The Cullinan I 2008 270 m
See full building list
CTBUH Height Criteria
  Completed   Arch. Topped Out   Struct. Topped Out   Under Constr.
1   International Commerce Centre 2010 484 m
2   Two International Finance Centre 2003 412 m
3   Central Plaza 1992 374 m
4   Bank of China Tower 1990 367 m
5   The Center 1998 346 m
6   Nina Tower 2006 320 m
7   Mong Kok East Station Redevelopment, Tower 2 - 320 m
8   One Island East 2008 298 m
9   URA Tower - DA4 - 285 m
10   Cheung Kong Centre 1999 283 m
See full building list
CTBUH Height Criteria
  Completed   Proposed

Building Function More Charts

Based on 356 Buildings Over 150m Height

 

Structural Material More Charts

Based on 318 Buildings Over 150m Height

 

Building Completions Timeline (Last 50 Years, 150 m+) Create Your Own Timeline

 
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CTBUH Initiatives

Four New Chapters Formed in 2018
19 Oct 2018 – CTBUH News

Vertical Transportation: Ascent & Acceleration
12 Sep 2017 – CTBUH Research

CTBUH 2016 Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong Conference
16-21 Oct 2016 – Conference

More Initiatives

CTBUH Initiatives Related to Hong Kong

Four New Chapters Formed in 2018
19 Oct 2018, Chicago – CTBUH News
In 2018, CTBUH established four new Chapters in Hong Kong, Philadelphia, Scandinavia and Seattle, more than have ever been established in a single year.
Vertical Transportation: Ascent & Acceleration
12 Sep 2017, Chicago – CTBUH Research
CTBUH partnered with Guinness World Records to identify the commercial building with the fastest elevator speeds and longest vertical runs.
CTBUH 2016 Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong Conference
16-21 Oct 2016 – Conference
There is perhaps nowhere on the planet that demonstrates the impact of urbanization as markedly as the cities of China’s Pearl River Delta.
CTBUH Board of Trustees Set the Agenda for 2017
16 Oct 2016, Shenzhen – Event Report
The Board of Trustees held their second meeting of the year in conjunction with the 2016 Conference to discuss the Council’s plans for 2017.
CTBUH-IIT Design Research Studio Student 2016 Conference Tour
15-22 Oct 2016, Shenzhen – Tour Report
Students from the 2016–2017 CTBUH-IIT design research studio attended the 2016 CTBUH International Conference and toured Shenzhen & Hong Kong.
2016 Conference Steering Meeting
16 May 2016, Hong Kong – Event Report
Preparations for the upcoming CTBUH 2016 Conference are now significantly advancing, following a Steering Committee meeting in Hong Kong.
CITAB-CTBUH Name 2016 China Tall Building Award Recipients
25 Feb 2016, Shanghai – CTBUH News
CITAB and CTBUH are pleased to announce the award recipients for the inaugural CITAB-CTBUH 2016 China Tall Building Awards.
Inaugural Steering Committee Meetings in All Three Cities
10-20 Jan 2016 – Event Report
Plans for the 2016 CTBUH Conference are now well underway, beginning with initial meetings of the Conference Steering Committee in all three cities.
Hong Kong Regional Tour Report
20 Sep 2014, Hong Kong – Tour Report
The tour began at Hong Kong’s One Island East, a 298-meter office building. After a day of activity and touring, the tour ended with an evening harbor cruise, on a Chinese junk.
Four-City Tour Generates Strong Shanghai Conference Support
14-18 Oct 2013, Shanghai – Tour Report
Preparations for the 2014 CTBUH Conference are now underway. Executive Director Antony Wood embarked on a four-city tour, meeting with more than 30 companies over the course of 10 days.
The Tallest 15 Cities in China
Sep 2012 – CTBUH Research
With over 1.3 billion citizens and a rapidly urbanizing population, China is developing tall buildings more than any other country globally.
Hong Kong & Shenzhen Tour Report: Touring Two Tall Cities
22-23 Sep 2012, Hong Kong – Tour Report
Delegates from the Congress flew to Hong Kong to visit one of the tallest cities in the world. The second day included a side trip to Shenzhen, including a private tour of KK100.
iSQUARE Chosen as Featured Building
Aug 2011, Hong Kong – Featured Tall Building
iSQUARE, a 28-story tall retail mall, achieves height with grace and transparency.
International Commerce Centre Chosen as Featured Building
Jan 2011, Hong Kong – Featured Tall Building
Soaring 484 meters (1,588 feet) above Victoria Harbor, the International Commerce Centre (ICC) is the essence of Hong Kong in one destination.
Discovering Asia, from Moscow
23 Apr-2 May 2009, Shanghai – Tour Report
Elena Shuvalova, the CTBUH Country Representative for Russia reports on the 4th Russian Intellectual Business.
CTBUH / Nakheel Asia Tour Report
19-29 Apr 2007, Shanghai – Tour Report
CTBUH collaborated with the Dubai-based developer Nakheel and architects Woods Bagot to facilitate a 5-nation tour of seminal tall buildings in south-east Asia.
1990 Hong Kong 4th World Congress: Tall Buildings 2000 and Beyond
5-9 Nov 1990, Hong Kong – Conference
The Fourth World Congress was held in Hong Kong, China, November 5-9, 1990 on "Tall Buildings: 2000 and Beyond".
1988 Hong Kong/Shanghai Conference: Design and Development
22-29 Apr 1988, Hong Kong – Conference
The Fourth International Conference in Hong Kong/Shanghai on Tall Buildings in 1988 on Design and Development of High-Rise Buildings.
1984 Guangzhou 3rd International Conference on Tall Buildings
10-15 Dec 1984, Guangzhou – Conference
The 1984 3rd International Conference on Tall Buildings was held from December 10-15 in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China.
1976 Hong Kong Conference: Tall Buildings and Urban Design
20-22 Sep 1976, Hong Kong – Conference
The 1976 Regional Conference on Tall Buildings and Urban Design was held in Hong Kong, China from September 20th-22nd.
1973 Hong Kong Regional Conference on Tall Buildings
23-24 Aug 1973, Hong Kong – Conference
The 1973 Regional Conference on Tall Buildings was held in in Hong Kong, China for a 2 day event, August 23-24.
CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2014
Dec 2014 – CTBUH Journal Paper
An All-Time Record 97 Buildings of 200 Meters or Higher Completed in 2014 and 2014 showed further shifts towards Asia, and also surprising developments in building functions and structural materials.
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2010
Dec 2010 – CTBUH Journal Paper
In a year dominated by news coverage of the new “World’s Tallest Building” – Burj Khalifa, Dubai – one may be surprised to learn that, besides being the year in which a building first surpassed the…
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2008
Dec 2008 – CTBUH Journal Paper
Against the backdrop of global economic crisis, 2008 witnessed the most successful year of skyscraper construction to date, with more skyscrapers constructed globally within a single year than ever…
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2007
Dec 2007 – CTBUH Journal Paper
333 meters high with 72 stories and 480 suites, Rose Rotana Tower in Dubai leads the list of the 10 tallest buildings completed in 2007. The tower, which is developed by Bonyan International…
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2006
Dec 2006 – CTBUH Journal Paper
Nina Tower 1 in Hong Kong, at 319 meters high, leads the list of the ten tallest buildings completed in 2006. The Sports City Tower/Aspire Tower (Doha, United Arab Emirates) at 300 meters, and Eureka…

Videos

Greening the Streetscape and the Skyline
31 May 2018 – Edwin Chi Wai Chan, New World Development; Janette Wan Ming Chan, P & T Group

Shaping Skylines Through Engineering Innovation
30 May 2018 – Aine Brazil, Thornton Tomasetti

CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Plenary 7: Technical & Social Issues Q&A
20 Dec 2016 – Vijay Jayachandran, Otis Elevator Company; Carol Willis, The Skyscraper Musuem; Ada Y.S. Fung, Hong Kong Housing Authority; Kwok-chung Choi, Hong Kong Fire Services Department

More Videos

Videos Related to Hong Kong

Greening the Streetscape and the Skyline
31 May 2018 – Presentation at CTBUH 2018 Chicago Tall + Urban Conference; Edwin Chi Wai Chan, New World Development; Janette Wan Ming Chan, P & T Group
Skypark is a mixed-use development located at Mong Kok, one of the densest urban districts in Hong Kong, with 439 residential units and a shopping mall. The objective was…
Shaping Skylines Through Engineering Innovation
30 May 2018 – Presentation at CTBUH 2018 Chicago Tall + Urban Conference; Aine Brazil, Thornton Tomasetti
Aine M. Brazil is a leading structural engineer who has been instrumental in shaping the skylines of cities across the globe. In her 40-plus year career, she has been…
CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Plenary 7: Technical & Social Issues Q&A
20 Dec 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Vijay Jayachandran, Otis Elevator Company; Carol Willis, The Skyscraper Musuem; Ada Y.S. Fung, Hong Kong Housing Authority; Kwok-chung Choi, Hong Kong Fire Services Department
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Vijay Jayachandran of Otis Elevator Company; Carol Willis of The Skyscraper Museum in New York City; Ada Y.S. Fung of the…
ICC – Rising High for the Future of Hong Kong
20 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Tony Tang, Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Tony Tang of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 6: Hong Kong Developments…
West Kowloon Cultural District – Hong Kong’s Ultra-Connected Cultural Hub
20 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Duncan Pescod, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Duncan Pescod of West Kowloon Cultural District presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 6: Hong Kong Developments…
Skyscrapers in Hong Kong
20 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Eric Ma, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Eric Ma of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 6: Hong Kong Developments
CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Plenary 6: Hong Kong Developments Q&A
20 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Antony Wood, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; Eric Ma, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Tony Tang, Sun Hung KaiProperties Limited; Duncan Pescod, West Kowloon Cultural District
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Antony Wood of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; Eric Ma of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Tony Tang…
Challenge of Height
20 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; kwok-chung Choi, Hong Kong Fire Services Department
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Kwok-chung Choi, of the High Angle Rescue Team, Hong Kong Fire Services Department presents at the 2016 China Conference…
Singularly Slender: Sky Living in New York, Hong Kong, and Elsewhere
20 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Carol Willis, The Skyscraper Museum
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Carol Willis of The Skyscraper Museum in New York City presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 7: Technical & Social…
Quality Public Housing in a Vertical City
20 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Ada Y.S. Fung, Hong Kong Housing Authority
Thursday October 20, 2016. Hong Kong, China. Ada Y.S. Fung of the Hong Kong Housing Authority presents at the 2016 China Conference Session 13: Technical & Social Issues…
Superdensity: A New Model for Vertical Urbanism
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; David Tickle, HASSELL
Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Guangzhou, China. Daivid Tickle of HASSELL, presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 5: "Beyond Guangzhou: Other Settings" Hong Kong…
CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Plenary 5: Beyond Guangzhou: Other Settings Q&A
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Vince Pirrello, Woods Bagot; Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre; William Murray, Wordsearch; David Tickle, HASSELL
Wendsday, October 19, 2016. Guangzhou, China. Vince Pirrello of Woods Bagot; Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre; William Murray of Wordsearch and David Tickle of HASSELL…
Major Issues for the Implementation of an Effective Cost Management for Super High-Rise Buildings
18 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Stephen Y.F. Lai, Rider Levett Bucknall
Tuesday October 18, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Stephen Y.F. Lai of Rider Levett Bucknall presents at the 2016 China Conference Session 6c: Economic Considerations.…
CTBUH Video Interview – Stefan Krummeck
18 Oct 2016 – 2016 China Conference Interviews; Stefan Krummeck, Farrells
Stefan Krummeck of Farrells is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Stefan discusses the high density development patterns of Hong Kong…
Shifting Urban Gravity, from “Central to Core” Business Districts
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Tim Blackburn, Swire Properties
In the age of the multi-million inhabitant city, the concept of a single, concentrated Central Business District is increasingly becoming unsustainable. As we are seeing…
The Largest Megacity in the World: Assessing the Urbanization of the Pearl River Delta
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Peter Kindel, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
With the world’s urban population expected to increase by roughly 2.5 billion people by 2050, developing an understanding of megalopolises is critical to understanding…
City Hubs
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Keith Griffiths, Aedas
Our lives are adapting to a convenient, vibrant, and connected live-work dynamic, and our cities must change and respond to those new requirements. Much of the urban…
The Roots of Tall Buildings: Connecting the City
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Peter Brannan, Arquitectonica
This presentation investigated the integration of tall tower, mixed-use developments and how they connect with the city and the public when they meet the ground. Critical…
CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Session 3a: Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Q&A
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Richard Witt, Quadrangle Architects; James von Klamperer Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Keith Griffiths, Aedas; Peter Brannan, Arquitectonica
Monday, October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Richard Witt, Quadrangle Architects; James von Klamperer Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Keith Griffiths, Aedas; Peter Brannan,…
CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Session 2a: Development Drivers Q&A
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference;
Monday, October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Andy To, CBRE; Stanley Wu, New World Development Company Ltd; Tim Blackburn, Swire Properties; Jovi Chu, Shum Yip Land Company…
Megacities - Setting the Scene Q&A
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Daniel Safarik, CTBUH; Peter Kindel, Skidmore Owings & Merrill; Travis Soberg, Goettsch Partners
Monday, October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Daniel Safarik, CTBUH; Peter Kindel, Skidmore Owings & Merrill; Travis Soberg, Goettsch Partners, answer questions at the end…
Panel Discussion: Future Cities: What are the Biggest Threats and Opportunities?
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Steve Watts, Alinea Consulting; Jianping Gu, Shanghai Tower C&D; Rui Gu, CAPOL; Ray Shick, Gensler; Chris Yoshii, AECOM
Monday, October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. A panel discussing the challenges of growing urban populations throughout the globe.
CTBUH Video Interview – Keith Griffiths
17 Oct 2016 – 2016 China Conference Interviews; Keith Griffiths, Aedas
Keith Griffiths of Aedas is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Chris discusses the concept of city hubs and the methodology of…
CTBUH Video Interview – Peter Kindel
17 Oct 2016 – 2016 China Conference Interviews; Peter Kindel, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Peter Kindel of Skidmore, Owings & Merill is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Peter discusses the urbanization of the Pearl River…
CTBUH Video Interview – Claude Bojer Godefroy
17 Oct 2016 – 2016 China Conference Interviews; Claude Bojer Godefroy, Henning Larsen Architects
Claude Bojer Godefroy of Henning Larsen Architects is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Claude discusses the design process for…
ICC Hong Kong: Exemplary Performance
26 Oct 2015 – Presentation at CTBUH 2015 New York Conference; Patrick Leung, Sun Hung Kai Properties
The International Commerce Centre (ICC) is a landmark skyscraper located in Hong Kong. It is the tallest building in Hong Kong with office spaces, fine dining restaurants…
Tall Building Performance Award Management + Measurement = Performance: International Commerce Centre
6 Nov 2014 – CTBUH "13th Annual Awards"; Dakki Hui, Kai Shing Management Services Limited
At 98 percent occupancy, the International Commerce Centre houses some of the most prominent financial institutions in the world. The building is routinely recognized as…
Monthly Video: International Commerce Centre
6 Nov 2014 – Monthly Video Series; Dakki Hui, Kai Shing Management Services Limited
Thursday, 6th November 2014. Chicago, USA. Dakki Hui, Senior Property and Facility Manager, Kai Shing Management Services, discusses International Commerce Centre, the…
Interview: International Commerce Centre
6 Nov 2014 – 2014 Awards Ceremony/Symposium Interviews; Dakki Hui, Kai Shing Management Services Limited
Thursday, 6th November 2014. Chicago, USA. Dakki Hui, Senior Property and Facility Manager, Kai Shing Management Services, discusses International Commerce Centre, the…
Interview: James Robinson
18 Sep 2014 – 2014 Shanghai Conference Interviews; James Robinson, Hongkong Land
James Robinson of Hongkong Land is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2014 CTBUH Shanghai Conference at the Jin Mao Tower. James discusses the urban habitat of tall…
2014 Shanghai International Conference - Technical Workshop 01 - Q & A
16 Sep 2014 – Presentation at CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference; Panel Questions & Answers
2014 Shanghai International Conference Technical Workshop 01 Questions & Answers session with speakers Matthew Clifford, JLL; Cathy Yang, Taipei Financial Center; Jason…
2014 Shanghai International Conference - Technical Workshop 04 - Q & A
16 Sep 2014 – Presentation at CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference; Panel Questions & Answers
2014 Shanghai International Conference Technical Workshop 04 Questions & Answers session with speakers Don Davies, MKA; Mark Sarkisian, SOM; Dario Trabucco, CTBUH / Iuav…
Modernization: Renewing the Lifecycle of Vertical Transportation
16 Sep 2014 – Presentation at CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference; Franz Arnold, Schindler Elevators
Traditionally much of the focus in the tall building sector has been centered on the ground breaking technology being put in place for the pioneering “Skyscrapers of…
Interview: Interconnecting Tall Buildings
21 Sep 2012 – 2012 Shanghai Congress Interviews; James Robinson, Hongkong Land
James Robinson of Hongkong Land Limited is interviewed by Jeff Herzer during the 2012 CTBUH Shanghai Congress at the Jin Mao, Shanghai. James talks about the current…
Comparative Study of the Urban Complex in Shanghai and Hong Kong
21 Sep 2012 – Presentation at CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Zhendong Wang, Tongji University
This presentation analyzes the financial value, space value and urban value of urban building complexes in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The complexes will be examined via…
Innovative Tall Buildings Design – The Story of International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong
Oct 2011 – Presentation at CTBUH 2011 Seoul Conference; Yau Chun Yee, Arup
The presentation describes the contribution of various engineering experts in overcoming the difficulties faced during the design process. Innovative engineering…
Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award: From New York to Shanghai: A Lifetime of Tall
21 Oct 2010 – CTBUH "9th Annual Awards"; William Pedersen, KPF
William Pedersen, Partner, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. Mr. Pedersen’s approach to design has been one that weds formal and technical originality with a modesty informed…
Foster in China
31 Oct 2008 – CTBUH Leader Presentations & Meetings; Chris Abel
Eminent academic and author Chris Abel presents a detailed overview of the Chinese work of architecture firm Norman Foster and Partners at S. R. Crown Hall at the College…

Browse hundreds of other videos from Council events including conferences and interviews with prominent tall building professionals in the Video Library

Research Papers

Tall Buildings’ Lower Public Spaces: Impact on Health and Behavior
Jan 2020 – CTBUH Journal 2020 Issue I

Tall Buildings as Urban Habitats: A Quantitative Approach for Measuring Social Impacts of Tall Buildings
Mar 2019 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 8 Number 1

Green Communal Spaces at Height In a High-Density City
Jan 2019 – CTBUH Journal 2019 Issue I

More Papers

Papers Related to Hong Kong

Tall Buildings’ Lower Public Spaces: Impact on Health and Behavior
Jan 2020 – CTBUH Journal 2020 Issue I; Yu Ye, Zhendong Wang, Nannan Dong & Xihui Zhou, Tongji University
Tall buildings unquestionably need to improve their impact on the urban habitat. A human-focused approach to measuring the social impact of tall buildings’ ground…
Tall Buildings as Urban Habitats: A Quantitative Approach for Measuring Social Impacts of Tall Buildings
Mar 2019 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 8 Number 1; Xihui Zhou & Yu Ye & Zhendong Wang, Tongji University
After decades of high-speed development, designing tall buildings as critical components of urban habitat, rather than simply standing aloof from their environments, has…
Green Communal Spaces at Height In a High-Density City
Jan 2019 – CTBUH Journal 2019 Issue I; Edwin (Chi Wai) Chan, New World Development Company Ltd.; Janette (Wan Ming) Chan, P&T Architects and Engineers Ltd.
In contrast to the typically generic design of mixed-use developments in Hong Kong, SKYPARK is an exploration of the potential of “com-living” (communal living) in a…
Creating Industry-Accepted Criteria for Measuring Tall Building Floor Area
Jan 2019 – CTBUH Journal 2019 Issue I; William Miranda & Dario Trabucco, CTBUH
The entire tall building industry relies on floor-area measurements to serve as a precise, unambiguous calculation to guide decisions. This can range from architects…
How Much Development Can a Rail Station Lead? A Case Study of Hong Kong
Jul 2018 – International Journal of High-rise Buildings Volume 7 Number 2; Charlie Qiuli Xue & Cong Sun, City University of Hong Kong
Since the concept was first introduced in the 1970s, transit-oriented-development (TOD) has greatly expanded in East Asian cities such as Hong Kong. Rail stations are…
Cyclone-Glazing and Façade Resilience for the Asia-Pacific Region: Market and Code Study
Apr 2018 – CTBUH Journal, 2018 Issue II; Angela Mejorin, Dario Trabucco, CTBUH; Reisuke Nakada, Malvinder Singh Ruprai & Ingo Stelzer, Trosifol World of Interlayers
This paper summarizes the Stage 1 results of the CTBUH Research Division’s project “Cyclone-Glazing and Facade Resilience for the Asia-Pacific Region.” The project was…
Applying Ancient Structural Principles To a New Prefabricated Steel System
5 Feb 2018 – CTBUH Journal, 2018 Issue I; Derry Yu, Ivan Kong & Michael Lu, New World China Land Limited
Numerous ancient timber structures located in high seismic zones of China are still standing today, long after experiencing strong earthquakes over hundreds of years. One…
The Global Tall Building Picture: Impact of 2017
Feb 2018 – CTBUH Journal, 2018 Issue I; CTBUH Staff, CTBUH
In 2017, 144 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed. This is the fourth record-breaking year in a row, and it brings the total number of 200-meter-plus…
Micro-MACRO Living in the Global High-Rise
8 Aug 2017 – CTBUH Journal, 2017 Issue III; Mimi Hoang & Ammr Vandal, nARCHITECTS
What housing models should dense urban cities pursue to address population rise, housing shortages, and changes in demographics? As cities seek to address large…
Capturing the Underlying Structure of a ‘Segment-line’ City
Jun 2017 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 6 Number 2; Michelle Xiaohong Ling, South China University of Technology
Analyzing morphological evolution over a long period of time is deemed an effective way to identify problems occurring in the process of urban development, in addition to…
An Analytical Approach to Measuring the Degree of Urbanity of Urban Building Complexes
Jun 2017 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 6 Number 2; Shuchen Xu, Yu Ye & Leiqing Xu, Tongji University
The importance of designing urban building complexes so that they obtain ‘urban’ power, rather than become isolated from the surrounding urban context, has been well…
Shifting Urban Gravity, from “Central to Core” Business Districts
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Tim Blackburn, Swire Properties
In the age of the multi-million inhabitant city, the concept of a single, concentrated Central Business District is increasingly becoming unsustainable. As we are seeing…
City Hubs
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Keith Griffiths, Aedas
Our lives are adapting to a convenient, vibrant, and connected live-work dynamic, and our cities must change and respond to those new requirements. Much of the urban…
High Intensity Urban Order
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadid Architects
Density via high-rise structures remains a primary agenda in our era of urban concentration. It is crucial to understand the societal forces that drive concentration:…
The Roots of Tall Buildings: Connecting the City
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Peter Brannan, Arquitectonica
This paper investigates the integration of tall tower, mixed-use developments and how they connect with the city and the public when they meet the ground. Critical…
The Largest Megalopolis in the World: Assessing the Urbanization of the Pearl River Delta
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Peter Kindel, Ellen Lou & Lingyue Anne Chen, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
With the world’s urban population expected to increase by roughly 2.5 billion people by 2050, developing an understanding of megalopolises is critical to understanding…
Density Our Strength: The Linear City in Practice
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Stefan Krummeck & Ben MacLeod, Farrells
Hong Kong is unique as a linear city. More than 7 million people reside, mainly in high-rise buildings, in a series of highly dense coastal settlements. These are well…
Integrated Transport Networks, Communities and the Design of Mixed-Use Developments
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; David Zaballero, Arquitectonica
The paper examines the importance of integrated public and private transportation in mixed-use developments within the city and how this affects and improves our lives.…
From Meadows to Megacities: Creating Urban Density in the Pearl River Region
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Travis Soberg, Goettsch Partners
The Greater Pearl River Delta region emerged as a result of China’s 1979 reform policies. Within the last 20 years, the GPRD has grown from a population of less than 10…
Do We Need 700 Meter High-Rise Buildings?
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Jovi Chu, Shum Yip Land Company Limited
Through analysis of dense urban high-rise building complexes as well as research on the relationship of those structures to a city’s social organization, this paper puts…
Superdensity: A New Model for Vertical Urbanism
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; David Tickle, HASSELL; Richard Palmer, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
Hong Kong has been, for decades, one of the world’s most fascinating urban experiments. In one year alone (following the 2nd world war) the city grew by 50%, with a…
ICC – Rising High for the Future of Hong Kong
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Tony Tang, Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited
Standing at 484 meters, Sun Hung Kai’s ICC is the tallest building in Hong Kong and currently the 7th tallest in the world. ICC does not only add to the stock of the tall…
New World Centre Remodeling – Sustainable Building Design and Next-Generation Mixed-Use Developments
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Jeff Tung, New World Development Company Limited
As one of the most concentrated metropolises in the world, Hong Kong developers and architects face some unique challenges on sustainable building design. The Hong Kong…
Extending the Public Realm Into the Sky
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Claude Bøjer Godefroy & Julian Chen, Henning Larsen Architects
The design of tall buildings in our megacities is going through an exciting paradigm shift: globally, we are observing new trends towards greater numbers of publicly…
Singularly Slender: Sky Living in New York, Hong Kong, and Elsewhere
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Carol Willis, The Skyscraper Museum
This paper highlights a new 21st-century skyscraper typology – the very tall and slender residential tower – and analyzes the economic, engineering, and urbanistic forces…
21st Century Vertical Lifestyles - Intergenerational, Integrated Communities
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Stephan Reinke, Stephan Reinke Architects Limited
How does the 21st Century youth culture of social media integrate and merge with an ever increasing tech savvy senior population? As our cities and urban environments…
Affordable Housing Under Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Elena Generalova, Viktor Generalov & Natalia Potienko, Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering
Rapid urbanization causes major problems of urban sprawl and social stratification, and at the same time it opens up new opportunities of shaping dense vertical urbanism…
Megacities: Setting the Scene
Oct 2016 – CTBUH Journal, 2016 Issue IV; Daniel Safarik, Shawn Ursini & Antony Wood; Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The rise of the megacity presents unprecedented opportunities to understand the human urbanization phenomenon, and to observe the effects of multicore, polycentric cities…
Shifting Urban Gravity, from “Central” To “Core” Business Districts
Oct 2016 – CTBUH Journal, 2016 Issue IV; Tim Balckburn, Swire Properties
In the age of the multi-million inhabitant city, the traditional concept of a single Central Business District (CBD) is becoming increasingly unrealistic. As we are…
Cities to Megacities: Perspectives
Oct 2016 – CTBUH Journal, 2016 Issue IV; CTBUH 2016 Conference Speakers
The CTBUH 2016 International Conference is being held in the three cities of the Pearl River Delta, the world’s largest “megacity,” projected to have 120 million…
Pedestrian Distribution in High-Rise Commercial Complexes
Jun 2016 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 5 Number 2; Leiqing Xu, Tongji University; Zhengwei Xia, Changzhou Institute of Technology
One of the key problems in the design of high-rise commercial complex is how to guide reasonable pedestrian distribution in commercial space. In this study, pedestrian…
Deep Foundations for High-Rise Buildings in Hong Kong
Dec 2015 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 4 Number 4; James Sze, Arup
Hong Kong is a renowned small city with densely placed skyscrapers. It is no surprise that heavy duty or even mega foundations are built over the years to support these…
Integrated and Intelligent Buildings: An Imperative to People, the Planet and the Bottom Line
26 Oct 2015 – The Future of Tall: A Selection of Written Works on Current Skyscraper Innovations; Kelly Romano, Mead Rusert & Hayden Reeve, United Technologies Corporation
With the impact of urbanization, larger cities, operating pressures and the rise of megatall skyscrapers, today’s new and existing buildings are increasingly being…
ICC Hong Kong: Exemplary Performance
26 Oct 2015 – The Future of Tall: A Selection of Written Works on Current Skyscraper Innovations; Patrick Leung & Howard Yeung, Sun Hung Kai Properties
The International Commerce Centre (ICC) is a landmark skyscraper located in Hong Kong. It is the tallest building in Hong Kong, with office spaces, fine dining…
Global Cyclical Resurgence and Clustering of Office Skyscrapers
26 Oct 2015 – Global Interchanges: Resurgence of the Skyscraper City; Sofia Dermisi, University of Washington
Skyscraper development has been linked with financial extremes; this paper explores this relationship by analyzing global construction trends for office skyscrapers with…
It’s Not About the Skyline, It’s About the Base Condition
26 Oct 2015 – Global Interchanges: Resurgence of the Skyscraper City; Terri Boake, University of Waterloo
The rapid densification of cities is a fairly recent phenomenon and seems in many cases to be progressing without regard to important already established urban theory…
Climate Change in Hong Kong: Mitigation Through Sustainable Retrofitting
Aug 2015 – CTBUH Journal, 2015 Issue III; Kevin Wan, Gary Cheung & Vincent Cheng, Arup
Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have raised public awareness of energy use and its environmental implications. There are more than…
Genesis of a Vertical City in Hong Kong
Jun 2015 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 4 Number 2; Stephen S. Y. Lau and Qianning Zhang, National University of Singapore and Tongji University
A vertical city with multifunctional land use turns out to be the most viable solution for an urban condition characterized by increasing density due to population…
Townscape in a High-rise: Imageability and Accessibility of Vertical Malls in Hong Kong
1 Jun 2015 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 4 Number 2; Zheng Tan, Tongji University
The increasing integration of public space and consumerism in Hong Kong has yielded new urban forms. The emergent vertical malls in Hong Kong and other East Asian…
Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2014
Dec 2014 – CTBUH Journal, 2015 Issue I; Daniel Safarik, Antony Wood, Marty Carver & Marshall Gerometta, CTBUH
An All-Time Record 97 Buildings of 200 Meters or Higher Completed in 2014 and 2014 showed further shifts towards Asia, and also surprising developments in building…
Learning From 50 Years of Hong Kong Skybridges
Sep 2014 – CTBUH Journal, 2014 Issue III; James Robinson, Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land was instrumental in developing Hong Kong’s famous network of skybridges between buildings. CTBUH Editor Daniel Safarik spoke to James Robinson, Executive…
Learning from Hong Kong: Why High Density TODs Spell the Future for Asia’s Most Populous Cities
16 Sep 2014 – CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference Proceedings; Bryant H.Y. Lu, Andy K.M. Leung & Anthony M.C. Cheung, Ronald Lu & Partners
The paper utilizes examples in Hong Kong and Shanghai to demonstrate why high- density Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs) spell the future for Asia’s most populous…
Beyond Icons: Developing Horizontally in the Vertical Realm
16 Sep 2014 – CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference Proceedings; James Robinson, Hongkong Land Limited; Antony Wood, CTBUH
If the horizontal growth of cities is considered unsustainable in terms of land use, infrastructure, energy use and pollution creation, then cities need to grow denser,…
Fire Safety Strategies for Supertall Buildings in Hong Kong
Feb 2013 – CTBUH Journal, 2013 Issue I; Wan-ki Chow, Nai-kong Fong, Che-heng Lui, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; et al.
In the course of updating fire safety standards in Hong Kong, an array of fire safety issues in supertall buildings were found, raising concerns about the effectiveness…
International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong
13 Jan 2013 – Corporate Publication
As the tallest building in Hong Kong, the International Commerce Centre is an icon, not only for its scale, but also for its iconic ‘dragon tail’ feature at the base of…
The Tallest 15 Cities in China
Sep 2012 – CTBUH Journal, 2012 Issue III; CTBUH Research
With over 1.3 billion citizens and a rapidly urbanizing population, China is developing tall buildings more than any other country globally. Currently it has 239…
Considering Place in an Integrated Approach to Tall Building Design
Sep 2012 – CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Brian Lee, William Baker & Luke Leung, SOM
The rapid development of modern Chinese cities has provided designers and developers with unique opportunities to create architecture that either responds to its existing…
Comparative Study of the Urban Complex in Shanghai and Hong Kong
Sep 2012 – CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Zhendong Wang & Jianduan Chen, Tongji University
The paper analyzes the financial value, space value and urban value of the urban building complex in Shanghai and Hong Kong through three levels: direct synergy, indirect…
Urban Models for the 21st Century
Sep 2012 – CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Stefan Krummeck, TFP Farrells Limited
Recently, Asia has witnessed an astonishing proliferation of high-rise buildings. Towers are growing in numbers and in height which presents enormous opportunities and…
Humanizing High-rise Urbanism: Design Strategies and Planning Tools
Nov 2011 – CTBUH Journal, 2011 Issue IV; Vinayak Bharne, Moule & Polyzoides
From a global standpoint, the high-rise city remains a negotiated territory, a juggling act between private interests, political processes and public good. But while…
The Culture of Compactness: Dimensions of Density in Hong Kong
Feb 2011 – CTBUH Journal, 2011 Issue I; Peter Cookson Smith, Urbis Limited
Compact cities are, by their nature, relatively sustainable, and Hong Kong is eminently so on many counts. Peter Cookson Smith from Urbis Limited writes on the…
Tallest Buildings Completed in 2010
Dec 2010 – CTBUH Journal, 2011 Issue I; CTBUH Research
In a year dominated by news coverage of the new “World’s Tallest Building” – Burj Khalifa, Dubai – one may be surprised to learn that, besides being the year in which a…
Case Study: Hong Kong International Commerce Centre
Dec 2010 – CTBUH Journal, 2010 Issue IV; David Malott, KPF
Soaring 484 meters (1,588 feet) above Victoria Harbor, the International Commerce Centre (ICC) is the essence of Hong Kong in one destination: high-powered finance,…
Tallest Buildings Completed in 2008
Dec 2008 – CTBUH Journal, 2009 Issue I; CTBUH Research
Against the backdrop of global economic crisis, 2008 witnessed the most successful year of skyscraper construction to date, with more skyscrapers constructed globally…
Tallest Buildings Completed in 2007
Dec 2007 – CTBUH Research
333 meters high with 72 stories and 480 suites, Rose Rotana Tower in Dubai leads the list of the 10 tallest buildings completed in 2007. The tower, which is developed by…
Tallest Buildings Completed in 2006
Dec 2006 – CTBUH Research
Nina Tower 1 in Hong Kong, at 319 meters high, leads the list of the ten tallest buildings completed in 2006. The Sports City Tower/Aspire Tower (Doha, United Arab…
Three Mega-Tall Buildings in Hong Kong: Central Plaza, Two International Finance Centre, and International Commerce Centre
Oct 2005 – CTBUH 2005 7th World Congress, New York; John W. K. Luk, Julia M.K. Lau & Tim M.T. Mak; Lau Sun Hung Kai Properties
The paper goes over Sun Hung Kai Properties Group as the developer/co-developer of three major tall building commercial complexes in Hong Kong: the Central Plaza, the…
Learning from the Past - Tall Buildings and the Evolution of Old Cities
Oct 2004 – CTBUH 2004 Seoul Conference; Dennis Lau Wing-Kwong & Alexander Lush, Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers
The paper draws attention to the similarities of the impact of high-rise structures upon historical cities with past new development and re-development, particularly with…
A General Survey on Lift Ride Quality at Public Buildings of the Hong Kong Special Adminstrative Region
Oct 2004 – CTBUH 2004 Seoul Conference; K. K. Li, Andy M. T. Suen & Eddie W. K. Wu, Architectural Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (ArchSD of HKSAR)
This paper summarizes the measurement results and analyses of a quantitative research undertaken by the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) of the Hong Kong…
Two International Finance Centre
Oct 2004 – CTBUH 2004 Seoul Conference; Andrew Luong, Craig Gibbons, Alexis Lee & John MacArthur, Ove Arup & Partners
This paper describes the some of the geotechnical design considerations, the structural design development and construction of the 420m tower, Two International Finance…
The Foundation Design for Two Super High-Rise Buildings in Hong Kong
Oct 2004 – CTBUH 2004 Seoul Conference; John Davies, James Lui, Jack Pappin, et al., Ove Arup & Partners
This paper examines the foundation design for the IFC Tower II and Union Square, 420 meters tall and 480 meters tall, respectively.
Assessment of the Life Safety Aspects and Structural Robustness of High Rise Buildings in Hong Kong
Oct 2003 – CTBUH / CIB Kuala Lumpur 2003 Conference; Craig Gibbons & Mingchun Luo, ARUP; David Dumigan, Central Waterfront Property Project Management
At the time of the events in New York of September 11, 2001, a 420m high 88 storey office building in Hong Kong was constructed up to the 20th floor level. This paper…
New Towns in Hong Kong: Planning for the Next Generation
Feb 2001 – CTBUH 2001 6th World Congress, Melbourne; Pun Chung Chan
Hong Kong is perhaps the city in this planet that is subject to the most intense development pressures.The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to give a brief…
Recent Infrastructure Developments in Hong Kong – the Background, Current and Future Developments
Feb 2001 – CTBUH 2001 6th World Congress, Melbourne; Raymond W. M. Wong, City University of Hong Kong
To accommodate somewhat 7 million people in a piece of land of size slightly bigger than 1050 sq km like Hong Kong is not an easy task. This paper aims to provide a…
Asian Urban Futures
11 Feb 2000 – Architecture and Identity; Chris Abel, University of Sydney
Chris Abel writes on the development of the future Asian megacities and their urban landscapes.

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