Hong Kong is truly a place where east meets west, and is well known for its impressive skyline and supertall skyscrapers. Most of Hong Kong’s architecture is new, featuring Modern and Post-Modern design. Much of the terrain of Hong Kong is hilly and mountainous, and with 7 million people occupying 426 square miles, there is a strong demand to build up. Many of the older buildings of Hong Kong have been demolished in favor of supertall skyscrapers to provide both housing and commercial office space for the thriving financial and banking center of Hong Kong.
Prior to 1841, when Great Britain colonized Hong Kong, most of the architecture was traditional Chinese design. Hong Kong’s population was made up mostly of fishers who had to cope with the vagaries of pirates and typhoons. Hong Kong’s architecture was characterized by its’ many Tin Hau temples and fortified villages.
After Great Britain founded Victoria City as part of their crown colony, the population greatly increased. Tong Laus, or Chinese tenements, were constructed to meet the greater demand for housing. These three to four story buildings combined both European and Chinese architectural elements and design and were built close together in crowded city blocks. Most of the buildings had shops on the ground floors and apartments on the upper stories. The Ton Lau was the major form of architecture in Hong Kong up until World War II.
During the colonial period, the British introduced Edwardian and Victorian architecture into Hong Kong. Examples of these architectural styles that still in existence include the Central Police Station, Murray House and the Legislative Council Building.
The first high rises in Hong Kong was built in 1904-1905 by the Hong Kong Land Company. These were five buildings that were each five to six stories tall. Hong Kong’s first skyscraper was the Hong Kong Bank in 1935. Multi-story residential buildings did not begin to appear in Hong Kong until after 1955 when a building ordinance removed the height limit that had been in place for residential buildings. The demand for housing had increased due to the wave of refugees coming into Hong Kong following the communist takeover of China in 1949. Seven story public housing estates with public bathrooms, crowded conditions and no kitchens were quickly built to house the homeless. At the same time private apartment houses began to be constructed and by the 1960s had grown to 20 stories or more.
Beginning in the 1980s, and continuing to the present day, Hong Kong has seen a huge construction boom. This boom was fueled by Hong Kong’s transformation from a manufacturing-based to service-based economy, with Hong Kong emerging as one of the leading financial and banking centers in the world. Hong Kong has more skyscrapers and high-rise buildings than anywhere in the world. A few of the most notable buildings, known for both their height and architectural style include the Two International Finance Centre, One Island East, Nina Tower 1, and the Bank of China Tower, designed by world famous architect I.M. Pei. The building boom in Hong Kong continues, including plans for a new waterfront development, governments buildings, and the International Commerce Centre, which when it opens in 2010 will be Hong Kong’s tallest building.