The Hongkong Shanghai Bank: Norman Foster’s Reinterpretation of the Skyscraper

By Jonathan Parks APH 447

5/2/08

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Contents

Introduction 2

Site and Architect 2

Important concepts 4

Construction 5

Design Features 6

Conclusion 11

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Introduction

Every so often, an architect emerges who

challenges the ideas of others. When a certain form of

architecture becomes stagnant, it is only a matter of

time before a new interpretation of the existing trends

breathes new life into design. Ever since Mies van der

Rohe designed the Seagram building in New York,

other architects had been following his lead and

erecting various tall buildings which are based on the

glass boxes that he was famous for. It was not that

glass boxes were the only possibility, but that they

were the accepted norm of the twentieth century. Some architects were able to design

steel and glass buildings which were unlike anything seen before, but few were as

successful as Sir Norman Foster. His designs were completely original. Many of his

projects utilized new technology and they pushed the boundaries and capabilities of the

materials used. In 1985 when the Hongkong Shanghai Bank headquarters opened, it

signaled a new age in tall building construction. By using new construction techniques

and structural forms, Foster was able to produce one of the most significant and

inspirational milestones in the construction of skyscrapers.

Site and Architect

The original headquarters for the Hongkong Bank opened in 1935. For years it

had been a symbol of prosperity in Hong Kong. The city had few landmarks which stood

out to the people, but as a symbol of financial security, the bank was known by a huge

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portion of the population. However, in a rapidly changing economy, the old building was

no longer viable and the institution felt it was time to construct a new headquarters

which would be an even stronger symbol and a landmark for the city (Williams, 30).

Property values had increased so much by the time they decided to build a new

headquarters that it made more sense to tear down the old building and start from

scratch. The original site was perfect for the project anyway because it was in the prime

financial district and had amazing views (Williams, 30). Not only that, but it also had a

designated public space right in front of it (Williams, 34). It could be said that the bank

was lucky because of the wonderful location already in its ownership. All that was

needed now was an architect who was up to the task of designing such a financial and

cultural icon.

Choosing an architect would not be as simple as finding a suitable location. Roy

Munden, the assistant general manager was put in charge of the project. The bank did

not wish to hold an international competition to find a design; instead, they used a

limited selection process. As stated by Stephanie Williams:

“Most architectural competitions are held in search of inspiration, a good design; who the architect might be is of secondary consideration. The brief is kept as open as possible. Here the chief aim was to find the best architect for the job — a person with whom those at the Bank felt it could work and whom it could confidently expect to come up with the kind of building it wanted. (Williams, 41)”

All seven of the architectural firms involved in the selection process were kept in

the dark about the specific needs of the Hongkong bank. They were simply given a list

of problems that were to be solved in their design proposals. Each of the firms was well

experienced in the construction of large office buildings with the exception of Norman

Foster. He was truly the wild card in the limited competition, but he was asked to

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participate because he had built a reputation for coming up with creative designs. All of

the participants’ proposals were intriguing, but none stood out like Foster’s written

proposal. It was clear that he stood alone as an architect and would be able to provide

some of the most creative solutions to the banks problems, therefore, he was appointed

as the architect for the project (Williams, 49).

Important Concepts

For the Hongkong Shanghai Bank, there were many requirements that Norman

Foster had to fulfill, but the two most important ideas of his own. The first concept was

that of public space. Of course Foster’s priority was to build a new headquarters for the

bank, but he took it on himself to understand the local culture and the need for places of

community. Hong Kong was limited in size by the

agreement between China and Great Britain. As a result,

there was a major shortage of land. Property values

were extremely high and there was a major lack of

public spaces. Foster claimed that “the short-comings of

the high-rise office… are a complete absence of variety

… poor technical performance … and an almost

complete indifference to the public or semi-public

domain at street level (www.greatbuildings.com).” He compensated for the intrusion on

public domain by designing a plaza in front of the building which the people could use to

socialize.

The second key concept in Foster’s opinion was that of flexibility. He not only

understood the ever-changing nature of banks and their management, but he also knew

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that banks utilized the newest technologies. Foster recognized the rapidly changing

telecommunications industry and he knew that the bank would need to accommodate

new technologies as they became available as well as future technologies which were

unknown at the time. In order to pull of this seemingly impossible task, he would have to

design a structure which is easily retrofitted to house these new infrastructures as they

are made available (Seddon, 213). This would not be an easy task, but Foster had built

a reputation on bringing fresh ideas to the architectural community which would solve

problems in unexpected ways.

Construction

The demolition of the original Hongkong Shanghai Bank marked the beginning of

construction on the new project. Before getting started, different companies from all

over the world were contracted to prefabricate the many different structural elements

which were to make up the structure (Lambot, ii). Speed in construction was a major

priority for the project because the missing building in the landscape threw off the fung-

shui of the city. The superstitious culture would see this as a bad omen, so it was

imperative that the new landmark correct the imbalance.

Unlike normal skyscraper construction methods, the foundation was not

excavated before they began building the main structure. Instead they would excavate a

portion of the basement, cast it, and then excavate the next lower level. Meanwhile,

construction began on the ground level as the foundation became sufficient to support

the weight (Lambot, 6). This method of building greatly increased the speed at which

the bank took shape. Crews did not have to wait for one section to be completely

finished before they could start construction on another portion.

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Three storey sections of the “masts,” the main structural elements, were installed

one by one, reaching farther into the skyline. At the same time, the tunnels underneath

the building were nearing completion. These tunnels would be used to store sea water

which would aid in the air conditioning systems and also provide water for the building’s

toilets. As little as one month later, the first service modules were lifted and slid into

place. These were similar in concept to Le Corbusier’s “wine rack” idea for the

apartments in his Unite d’Habitacion, however instead of being used for housing, they

were solely for the service areas of the bank. The prefabrication of these modules was

yet another efficient way to expedite the construction process.

The demolition of the old structure occurred in 1981. By 1985 the new

headquarters was open for business (Lombot, 176). The prefabrication of parts and the

tight construction schedule working both day and night allowed the Hongkong Bank to

be constructed very quickly. Very few problems presented themselves in construction,

partly due to Foster’s obsession with tight tolerances. Within the span of a few short

years Hong Kong had a new landmark and an even more confident symbol of economic

prosperity and hope for the future.

Design Features

Being in a tropical region, Hong Kong is susceptible to typhoons on a regular

basis. As a result, building anything strong enough to stand such powerful winds is

difficult, much less to build a skyscraper. When the building was designed, models had

to be tested for strength in wind tunnels. To counteract the forces of the wind, Foster

placed the masts out to the corners in order to maximize stability (Curtis, 659). Now that

the main structural supports were pushed to the outside of the structure, the traditional

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high-rise format of stacked floors around a central core was no longer possible. This

was no problem at all for the architect. Instead, the unconventional structure allowed for

greater creativity and a new organization.

Rather than building each floor up around the supports, Foster connected the

piers like a ladder with incredibly strong mega trusses from which the floors would be

suspended (Curtis, 659). The concept of hanging floors rather than stacking them

permitted the architect to experiment with new layouts, forms, and open spaces. The

suspension of the floors actually turned

the typical construction methods upside

down. Instead of having a dropped ceiling

which hid some of the service elements, it

featured raised floors which served the

same purpose (Lambot, 151). The floor

surface is actually laid on top of the

service elements. No acoustic ceilings are necessary with this design, and maintenance

is made somewhat easier since crews do not need to get on ladders and reach over

their heads. They may simply remove the floor panels on the areas that need work.

Because the truss system divided the building into sections, the lowest section

was reserved for the public banking areas. Since this would be the portion of the

building with the most traffic, a huge twelve storey atrium rises through the middle of the

floors. As visitors ride up from street level on the escalator to the third floor, the

immense atrium is presented in a stunning manner. In the daytime it is naturally lit by a

“sun scoop” which captures light from the outside and reflects it through the atrium via a

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system of mirrors and reflective surfaces (Moffet,

555). Simply by standing in the atrium, visitors with a

keen eye can see that the design of the bank is in no

way traditional. The structure is revealed, but also has

an elegant beauty which lends a sense of stability and

further confidence in the institution. The light as

reflected throughout the atrium further gives a sense

of mysticism to the space and is able to evoke an

emotional response in the visitors.

The ladder-like division of the structure actually helps to organize the building as

a whole. The huge truss systems take up two stories each. In these larger spaces

created by the trusses, the employees are given access to meeting rooms, recreation

areas, and food services (Moffet, 556). The fact that the structure is organized in a

ladder-type system greatly increases the amount of

free space on each floor. It allows for a clear visual

perspective spanning the length of the building.

These large two-storied spaces further serve to

emphasize the openness of the plan. Not only that,

but the division also serves to separate the bank

hierarchy. The administrators are at the top. The

more elite and private businessmen do their business

in the middle, and the base of the building is reserved

for the members of the public.

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The section view to the left shows the

division of the floors, including the double-

height ones created by the truss system.

Interestingly, Norman Foster did not choose

to use the elevator as the primary means of

conveyance from one floor to the next.

Instead, he “uses escalators… to establish

spatial continuity” between the various levels

(Moffet, 556-557). Very rarely will one see

this in a skyscraper, but Foster has pulled it

off quite well. Although an escalator may not

be as efficient or as fast as a high-speed

elevator, it allows occupants to actually

experience the building and the process of

going from one place to another. Employees

and privileged visitors are practically forced to be aware of the building as they pass

through it. Malcolm Quantrill even notes that the building has a profound impact even

on the employees who have worked there for some time. He states that they “seem to

be buoyed up by a pride that is akin to that of the crew on a large ocean liner (110).”

Truly Foster succeeded in not only designing a magnificent structure but also one that

has a lasting impact on the people who live and work in and around it.

As stated earlier, the Hongkong Bank provides some public space for

pedestrians and visitors to use. The thing which sets it apart from other structures like

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the Seagram Building is that it not only has a plaza in front of it, but it allows people to

pass underneath the building. Because the structural support is mainly at the corners

instead of the core, the ground floor can be opened up. In fact, the bank is elevated

over the heads of the pedestrians so that those just passing by might not even notice

that they are underneath one of the most important financial institutions in all of Hong

Kong. It is only when they ascend the escalators into the massive atrium that they see

the bustling center of economic activity that it really is. Despite its importance in the

financial world, it is still able to serve as a gathering place where people carry on their

lives. The culture has truly accepted it as a part of their culture and they are teeming

with pride because of it.

The bank is now an international organization which deals with many other

financial matters around the world, so it is only appropriate that the style be

“international” in nature. Norman Foster did not

ignore the history of architecture. In fact, the

symmetry, the axial layout, and the plaza could

almost be considered classical in nature. Likewise,

the giant atrium, its window, and the service

towers almost carry a Gothic quality (Seddon,

215). However this bank does not fully conform to

either of these broad classifications. Foster has

designed and built something which responds to

history, yet transcends it and creates something new while still maintaining the cultural

identity and economic symbolism of the Hong Kong culture. Foreign businessmen will

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feel comfortable within the skeletal walls of the institution, but the true pride and

appreciation lies within the people who see it as an icon of their society.

Conclusion

Perhaps Coop Himmelblau was on to something when he made the following

claim:

“Architecture should be cavernous, fiery, smooth, hard, angular, brutal, round, delicate, colorful, obscene, voluptuous, dreamy, alluring, repelling, wet, dry and throbbing. Alive or dead. Cold – then cold as a block of ice. Hot – then hot as a blazing wing. Architecture must blaze (Jenks, 276).”

Norman Foster undoubtedly fulfilled all of these seemingly paradoxical requirements.

He harnessed the new construction materials and techniques available to him to

produce a dynamic and paradoxical place. The Hongkong Shanghai Bank was truly a

new innovation which gave a breath of new life into the tired old form of the skyscraper.

This structure is both an inspiration to architects, and a reminder that design does not

need to fall into complacency. It can continually evolve and innovate.

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Works Cited

Abel, Chris. Norman Foster.Tokyo, Japan: a+u Publishing Co., Ltd., 1988 Curtis, William J.R. Modern Architecture Since 1900. New York: Phaidon Press Limited,

1996. Fazio, Michael. Moffet, Marian. Wodehouse, Lawrence. A World History of Architecture.

London: Lawrence King Publishing Ltd. 2004 Great Buildings Online. “Hongkong and Shanghai Banks”

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Hongkong_and_Shanghai_Ban.html (accessed April 18, 2008).

Jenks, Charles. Kropf, Karl, eds. Theories and Manifestoes of Contemporary

Architecture. London: Artmedia Press. 2007 Lambot, Ian. The New Headquarters for the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking

Corporation. Hong Kong: South China Printing Company. 1985 Morton, Thomas. “Modernism and Its Discontents.” Arizona State University, Tempe 22

April 2008 Quantrill, Malcolm. The Norman Foster Studio: consistency through diversity. New York:

Routledge. 1999 Williams, Stephanie. Hongkong Bank. London: Jonathan Cape Ltd. 1989 Note: All images are from Great Buildings Online with the exception of the section

drawing on page 7 which comes from Thomas Morton’s class lecture cited above.