Hong Kong Architecture The Architecture of Hong Kong features great emphasis on Contemporary architecture, especially Modernism,

Postmodernism, Functionalism, etc. Due to the lack of available land, few historical buildings remain in the urban areas of Hong Kong.

However, Hong Kong has become a centre for modern architecture as older buildings are cleared away to make space for newer, larger buildings.

It has more buildings above 35m (or 100m) and more skyscrapers above 150m than any other city. Hong Kong's skyline is often considered to be the best in the world, with the surrounding mountains and Victoria Harbour complementing the skyscrapers.

Chinese Architecture Prior to the British settlement of Hong Kong in 1841, architecture in Hong Kong was predominately Chinese.

With the majority of the population being fishers at the mercy of typhoons and pirates, numerous Tin Hau Temples were dedicated to their patron Goddess. Likewise farmers built fortified villages to defend themselves from bandits.

Tin Hau

After the British established the entrepôt of Victoria City (now Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island), the local population increased substantially, and as a result Tong Lau (Chinese tenement) began to appear.

These were three-to-four storey buildings, tightly packed in city blocks, and combining Chinese and European architectural elements. The ground floor was typically shops, with apartments and small balconies upstairs.

These buildings had stairs but no elevators, and sometimes had neither toilet facilities. This Tong Lau remained the mainstay of Hong Kong architecture until at least World War II; a number of these building survive to this day, albeit often in a derelict state.

Tong Lau

European Architecture Meanwhile, the British introduced Victorian and Edwardian architecture styles from the mid-19th century

onwards. Notable surviving examples include the Legislative Council Building, the Central Police Station and Murray House.

One building that has since been demolished was the Hong Kong Club Building; it was built atop a smaller structure designed in Italian Renaissance Revival style in 1897.

The building was the subject of a bitter heritage conservation struggle in the late 1970s, which ultimately failed to save the building.

Legislative Council Building

The first building in Hong Kong to be classified as the first high rise was constructed between June 1904 and December 1905.

It consisted of 5 major buildings, each stacking 5 to 6 stories high. The structures were raised by the Hong Kong Land Company under Catchick Paul Chater and James Johnstone

Keswick. Most high rise buildings to be built afterwards were for business purposes; the first true skyscraper in Hong

Kong was built for Hong Kong Bank in 1935, which was also the first building in Hong Kong to have air conditioning; however this has since been replaced with the HSBC Main Building, Hong Kong of 1985. Likewise the few examples of 1930s Streamline Modern and Bauhaus architecture in Hong Kong, such as the Central Market and the Wan Chai Market, are facing imminent demolitions despite protests from heritage conservation groups.

Central Market

Wan Chai Market

In the residential sector, multi-story buildings did not appear until the Buildings Ordinance 1955 lifted the height limit of residential buildings.

This change was necessitated by the massive influx of refugees into Hong Kong after the Communist revolution in China in 1949, and the subsequent Shek Kip Mei slum fire in 1953.

Public housing estates, originally seven-storeys high with notoriously cramped conditions, public bathrooms and no kitchens, were hastily built to accommodate the homeless; meanwhile private apartments, still tightly packed into city blocks like the Tong Lau of old, had grown to over 20 stories high by the mid-1960s.

Tong Lau of old The private housing estate began in 1965 with Mei Foo Sun Chuen. The first major private construction came

from Swire properties in 1972 with the development of middle-class estate of Taikoo Shing. With little space wasted on statues or landmarks that consumed unnecessary real estate, Taikoo Shing's design was the new standard.

Private Housing Estate Mei Foo Sun Chuen Swire Properties

Taikoo Shing

Contemporary Architecture Until the late 1990s, the primary demand for high-end buildings was in and around Central. The buildings of

Central comprise the skyline along the coast of the Victoria Harbour, a famous tourist attraction in Hong Kong.

But until Kai Tak Airport closed in 1998, strict height restrictions were in force in Kowloon so that airplanes could come in to land.

These restrictions have now been lifted and many new skyscrapers in Kowloon have been constructed, including the International Commerce Center at the West Kowloon reclamation, which has been the tallest building in Hong Kong since its completion in 2010.

Victoria Harbour Kai Tak Airport

Kowloon International Commerce Center

West Kowloon Reclamation Many commercial and residential towers built in the past two

decades are among the tallest in the world, including High cliff, The Arch, and The Harbour side. Still, more towers are under construction, like One Island East.

At present, Hong Kong has the world's biggest skyline with a total of 7,681 skyscrapers, placing it ahead of even New York City, despite the fact that New York is larger in area. Most of these were built in past two decades.

High cliff The Arch and The Harbour side

One Island East

Hong Kong Skyline Hong Kong's best-known building is probably

Ieoh Ming Pei's Bank of China Tower. The building attracted heated controversy from the moment its design was released to the public, which continued for years after the building's completion in 1990.

The building was said to cast negative feng shui energy into the heart of Hong Kong due to the building's sharp angles.

One rumour even went so far as to say that the negative energy was concentrated on the

Government House as a Chinese plot to foil any decisions taken there. The two white aerials on top on the building were deemed inauspicious as two sticks of incense are burned for the dead.

Bank of China Tower

Buildings with Sharp Angles

One of the largest construction projects in Hong Kong has been the new Hong Kong International Airport on Chek Lap Kok near Lantau, which was the most extensive single civil engineering project ever undertaken.

Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the huge land reclamation project is linked to the centre of Hong Kong by the Lantau Link, which features three new major bridges: the world's sixth largest suspension bridge, Tsing Ma, which was built in 1997, connecting the islands of Tsing Yi and Ma Wan; the world's longest cable-stayed bridge carrying both road and railway traffic, Kap Shui Mun, which links Ma Wan and Lantau; and the world's first major 4-span cable-stayed bridge, Ting Kau, which connects Tsing Yi and the mainland New Territories.

Macau Architecture A collection of over twenty locations that witness the unique assimilation and co-existence of Chinese and

Portuguese cultures in Macau, a former Portuguese colony . It represents the architectural legacies of the city's cultural heritage, including monuments such as urban squares, streetscapes, churches and temples.

Landmarks In Macau A-Ma Temple

Situated on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula, is one of the oldest and most famous Taoist temples in Macau. Built in 1488, the temple is dedicated to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

China Insurance Building, Macau

Is a 24 storey office tower in the Special Administrative Region of Macau?

Coloane VillageStands as a living testament to Macau's dual Portuguese and Cantonese heritage. The quality of air in

Coloane is relatively fresh compared to that of the Macau Peninsula because there are fewer local residents

and less urban development. Nowadays, the Coloane Islands is a good place for beach lovers, hikers and golfers.

Dom Pedro V Theatre

Situated at Largo de Santo Agostinho, Macau, is one of the first western-style theatres in China. The theatre is an important landmark in the region and remains a venue for important public events and celebrations today. The Dom Pedro V Theatre was built in 1860 by local Portuguese to commemorate their reigning king, Peter V. The theatre is neo-classical in design, incorporating a portico front on a rectilinear plan.

Fortaleza do Monte Built by the Jesuits

China) principal military defence structure and was crucial in successfully holding off the attempted Dutch invasion of Macau in 1622.

It was built on top of Mount Hill, strategically located in the centre of thecity in all directions.

The fortress is in the shape of an irregular trapezoid that covers an area of approximately 8000 square metres. In the past, it was equipped with cannons, military barracks, wells and an arsenal that held sufficient ammunition and supplies to endure a siege lasting two years.

Kuan Tai Temple Is the Anglicized spelling of Guan Yu, an important general during the Three Kingdoms period in China, being

now worshipped both in Taoism and Buddhism?

Leal Senado Building Was the seat of Macau's government (Legislative Assembly of

Macau and Municipal Council of Macau) during its time as a Portuguese colony. It is located at one end of the Senado Square . The title was bestowed on Macau's government in 1810 by Portugal's Prince Regent João, who later became King John VI of Portugal. This was a reward for Macau's loyalty to Portugal during the Philippine Dynasty , between 1580 and 1640.

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Lotus Bridge is a cross-border bridge linking the Cotai reclamation area

of Macau with Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, Guangdong

Province,People's Republic of China (PRC). The bridge is the second road crossing between mainland China and Macau, the other being the Posto Fronteiriço das Portas do Cerco at the northernmost point of the Macau Peninsula. This border crossing is open between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The Lotus Bridge is located about 8 km (5 mi) west of the Macau International Airport.

Macau Government HeadquartersBuilt in 1849 by Tomás de Aquino, Baron do Cercal,

the two story pink facade structure is one of the historic properties preserving Portuguese influence in Macau and located on Avenida da Praia Grande , in the St. Lawrence Parish. The building used Pombaline style imported from Portugal and popular in the 18th to mid-19th Century.

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Macau Government House

Is the state guest house of the Chief Executive of Macau (currently Fernando Chui)? It is one of a few historic properties preserving Portuguese influence in Macau. Like many historic buildings it is clad

in a pink like colour.

Macau Legislative Assembly Building Is the home of the Legislative Assembly of Macau and various

government offices? Construction began in 1998 and was completed in 1999 for the

handover. The building is triangular in shape and overlooks Nam Van Lake and within the Cathedral Parish. The assembly's hall overlooks the lake at the rear. The building is also home to:

Administrative Offices Legislative Assembly member’s offices

Archive and Library Auditorium Function Hall The building was built by local architect Mario Duarte Duque, who also designed the Superior Court of Macau

Building built next door. Macau Tower

Is a tower located in the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Macau used to be a Portuguese colony until 1999. The tower was created by the architecture firm of Craig Craig Moller .

The tower is one of the members of the World Federation of Great Towers. Besides being used for observation and entertainment, the tower is also used for telecommunications and broadcasting.

Nova Taipa Gardens

Is a properly development project in Taipa, Macau. The land ford is Hopewell Holdings Ltd and Shun Tak Holdings Ltd . Nova Taipa Gardens includes Nova City.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial House

Is located in Macau where former family members and relatives of Sun Yat-sen, the 'Father of Modern China' used to live. The House bears witness to his short but significant stay in Macau in the early 20th century where Macau serve as the starting point for Dr. Sun's travels around the world; it also act as an important venue in which he conducted revolutionary activities and finally as the ideal place he chose to settle his family in later years.

Superior Court of Macau Building Is the home of the high courts of Macau. Construction of the court house began in 1997 and was

completed in 1999 in time for the handover. The court building is located next to the Macau Legislative Assembly Building in Nam Van Lake area.

The three storey structure uses various types of stones on a concrete core:

Bushamered Portuguese limestone polished gray lined marble – arabescato

Portuguese black cleft slate Norwegian Cleft Alta Quartzite Steel, glass, copper and wood are other materials used throughout the building.

The building was built by local architectural firm Mario Duarte Duque.World Trade Center (Macau)

Is a trade and convention facility in Macau. The 19-story tower and complex was built by Portuguese architect Manuel Vicente and completed in 1996, 3 years before the handover from the Portuguese back to China.

Squares In Macau

Senado SquareIs a paved area in the centre of the former Portuguese colony of Macau, China, enclosed by the buildings of the Leal Senado , the General Post Office, and St. Dominic’s Church. The square is paved in the traditional Portuguese pavement. The main road of Macau's historic centre, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro passes through the square.

Tong lauIs used to describe tenement buildings built in late 19th century to the 1960s in Hong Kong, Macau, southern China and Taiwan. Designed for both residential and commercial uses, they are similar in style and function to the shop houses of Southeast Asia.