Thursday, October 2, 2008

Aigburth (Hong Kong)

The Aigburth is a skyscraper located in the Mid-levels district of Hong Kong. The tower rises 48 and in height. The building was completed in 1999. It was designed by architectural firm Wong Tung & Partners, and was developed by Kerry Properties Limited. The Aigburth, which stands as the 66th-tallest building in Hong Kong, is composed entirely of residential units. It is an example of postmodern architecture.

Grand Promenade

2005 The entire complex, also known as the Sai Wan Ho Harbour Plaza, was developed by Henderson Land Development and the The building is composed entirely of residential units, and contains 2,020 apartments.

Buildings of the complex

Grand Millennium Plaza II

The Grand Millennium Plaza II is a 30-floor tower part of the Grand Millennium Plaza on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, China. The tower has a total structural height of 123 m . Construction of the Grand Millennium Plaza II was completed in 1998.

Caribbean Coast

Caribbean Coast is a multiphase residential and commercial development in Tung Chung as part of the station development of .

It was developed by Cheung Kong Limited, and Hutchison Whampoa Limited. As the grantee of the lot, MTR Corporation was retained as the property manager overseeing the estate.

Description


Grantee of the lot: MTR Corporation

Architect: Hsin Yieh Architects & Engineers Ltd 興業建築師
Landscape Architect: Belt Collins HK Ltd.

Site: Site 5, Tung Chung Town Centre

Site Area: 6.79 ha

Zoning: Comprehensive Development Area “CDA”

''Total GFA: ''

Domestic : 407,300 m?

''
Non-domestic : ''

5,000 m?

350 m?

500 m?

379 m?

3,800 m?

''No. of Blocks: ''

13

56

''No. of Storeys:''

50-52

4

''No. of Units:''

5,300

56

''
No. of Car Parking Spaces:''

1,090

125

''
No. of Loading/Unloading Bays:''

14

6

Summary of developments




High-rise Towers


There are 13 high-rise towers in total. Each phase has special names for their respective towers. There is no block 4, for reasons of superstition.

In Phase I during 2003 four towers were released; Monterey Cove 1, 2, 3, 5. Phase II released in 2004 had Albany Cove 6, 7, 8. In 2005, completion of four more towers including Carmel 9, 10, 11, 12 in Phase III. The name of Phase IV is omitted as taboo in Cantonese.

Phase V finished in 2007 conclude with the last two towers, Crystal Cove 15, 16.

All towers are about 170.0 m high and are 54 stories except for Monterey Cove 1 and Albany Cover 6. Apartment sizes range from 636 to 1,295 sq ft. Floor-to-floor height measures up to 9 ft. 7 in. All units have balconies, except for those on 33rd floor and below in phase 1.

Garden Houses


According to the latest amendment plan, a total of 56 houses will be built. Each house is 4-storey high and size from 3,000 sq ft to 3,800 sq ft each, attached with private ground garden. The original plan was to build 10 low-rise buildings as be part of Phase VI.

Clubhouse


Under Construction.

Caribbean Bazaar Shopping Arcade


Retail Floor Area : 4,996 m?.
Wet Market Floor Area: 508 m?

In 2005, the Lands Department issued a Waiver to allow the Wet market to be combined as part of the supermarket.

Shops include among others, , Watson's, 7-Eleven, and Circle K.

Construction



;Foundations
*Main Contractor: Chun Wo Foundations Limited
*Date of Completion: October 2000
*Contract sum: HK$217,000,000

;Phase 1
* Main Contractor: China Overseas
* Date of Completion : December 2002
* Declared Building Cost: HK$1,060,000,000

;Phase 2
* Main Contractor: Hong Kong Construction
* Date of Completion : September 2004
* Declared Building Cost: HK$975,000,000 including the three-level podium from Tower 6 to Tower 16, the shopping arcade, car park and clubhouse.

;Covered Walkway & Footbridge
* Date of Completion : April 2005
* Declared Building Cost: HK$32,000,000

;Phase 3
* Main Contractor: Paul Y-ITC
* Date of Completion : July 2005
* Declared Building Cost: HK$679,700,000

;Clubhouse
* Main Contractor:
* Date of Completion : July 2006
* Declared Building Cost: HK$67,181,223

;Phase 4
* Main Contractor: Paul Y-ITC
* Date of Completion : September 2006
* Declared Building Cost: HK$307,000,000

Surrounding area




Neighbor residential estates in Tung Chung



*Coastal Skyline
*Seaview Crescent
*Tung Chung Crescent
*Yat Tung Estate
*Fu Tung Estate

Schools


There are two local schools in the area. Ho Yu College and Ho Yu School.

Shopping


* Fu Tung Shopping Centre
* Yat Tung Shopping Centre - the first and second phase was completed in March 2001 and May 2002 respectively, providing supermarkets, services, and a number of eating outlets.
* Citygate Outlet - constructed in the glass and steel style of the Hong Kong International Airport, contains 500,000 square feet of shopping, entertainment, and food outlets spread across five floors.

Transportation


Caribbean Coast is connected by a free residents' shuttle service to the on the Tung Chung Line of the MTR.

Bellagio Towers

The Bellagio Towers is a high-rise development located in Hong Kong. The tallest tower in the complex is the Bellagio Tower 6-9, which rises 60 and in height. The entire complex was completed in 2002. Bellagio Tower 6-9, which stands as the 55th-tallest building in Hong Kong, is composed entirely of residential units. It is the only structure in the development that ranks among the 100 tallest buildings in Hong Kong.

Banyan Garden

Banyan Garden is a highrise private housing estate in Hong Kong. Located in Cheung Sha Wan of New Kowloon, it was built on a former site of a shipyard which was relocated owning to the commencement of the West Kowloon Reclamation. The estate is in adjacent to . Together with The Pacifica, the three estates are packed in an island of high residential buildings between Lai Chi Kok Road and Sham Shing Road.

Banyan Garden is comprised of seven towers. Each of the tallest towers has 57 floors and the roof height is 191 metres . They are among the 100 tallest residential skyscrapers.

The estate is located within walking distance from the Lai Chi Kok Station of MTR.

The estates was built by Cheung Kong Holdings, a corporation founded by Li Ka Shing. Its shopping centre thus has PARKnSHOP and the broadband services is monopolised by Hutchison Whampoa.

Architecture of Hong Kong

The Architecture of Hong Kong features great emphasis on Contemporary architecture, specially Modernism, Postmodernism ,, etc. Due to the lack of available space, 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.

Chinese architecture era


Before the British colonization of Hong Kong in 1841, architecture in Hong Kong belonged to the . With the majority of the population being s at the mercy of typhoons and pirates, numerous were dedicated to their patron Goddess. Likewise farmers built fortified villages to defend themselves from bandits.

After the British established the entrep?t of Victoria City , the local population increased substantially, and as a result ''Tong Lau'' 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 were typically shops, with apartments and small balconies upstairs. These buildings had stairs but no elevators, and sometimes had neither toilet facilities. These ''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.

European architecture era


Meanwhile, the British introduced Victorian architecture 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 style in 1897. The building was the subject of a bitter heritage struggle in the late 1970s, which ultimately failed to save the 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 . Most high rise buildings to be built afterwards were for business purposes; the first true skyscraper in Hong Kong was built for 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 Moderne 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.

As far as residential buildings are concerned, 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 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 storeys high by the mid-1960s.

The private housing estate began in 1965 with Mei Foo Sun Chuen. The first major private construction came from 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.

Present


Until the late 1990s, the primary demand for high-end buildings was in and around . 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 s could come in to land. These restrictions have now been lifted, and many new skyscrapers in Kowloon have been constructed, with several others under construction, including the International Commerce Center at the West Kowloon , which will be the tallest building in Hong Kong upon its completion in 2010.



Many commercial and residential towers built in the past two decades are among the tallest in the world, including Highcliff, , and The Harbourside. 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 skyscapers, 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. Many would argue that .

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.

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 , 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 suspension bridge, , 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, , which links Ma Wan and Lantau; and the world's first major 4-span cable-stayed bridge, , which connects Tsing Yi and the mainland New Territories.

Gallery

Tregunter Towers

Residential The last building of the complex, Tregunter 3, was completed in 1993 or twelve years after Tregunters 1 and 2. Tregunter 3 stands significantly taller than the first two buildings of the complex at 220 m with 66 . Tregunter 3 held this distinction until the completion of Trump World Tower in 2001.

The Westpoint

The Westpoint is a skyscraper located in the Sai Ying Pun district of Hong Kong. The tower rises 41 and in height. The building was completed in 1999. It was designed by architectural firm Ho & Partners Architects, and was developed by Chun Wo Construction & Engineering. The Westpoint, which stands as the 84th-tallest building in Hong Kong, is composed entirely of commercial office space. The building is architecturally unique due to its ball structure that adorns the roof; the ball is home to a private club.

The Summit (Hong Kong)

1999-2001 Construction of the building began in 1999 and it opened in 2001. Highcliff, another tall skyscraper, stands right next to this building.

Due to the visual effect of its proximity to Highcliff, another very thin and tall building, the two together are often referred to as "The Chopsticks".

The Pacifica

each of which rank among the . The towers, numbered 1, 2–5, 6 and 7, each rise and 50 floors, The entire complex began construction in 2001 and was completed in 2005. The structures, designed by architectural firm Hsin Yieh Architects & Associates and developed in a collaboration between Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings and Sun Hung Kai Properties, are composed entirely of residential units. The complex contains roughly 2,000 condominiums, and a total floor area of .

The Merton

The Merton is a high-rise development located in Hong Kong. The complex consists of three towers. The Merton 1 rises 59 floors and , and stands as the 60th-tallest building in city. The Merton 2 and The Merton 3 rise 51 floors and , and stand as the 100th-tallest buildings in the city; the two structures are tied in rank with the Sham Wan Towers and . The entire complex, composed almost entirely of residential units, was designed by architectural firm Ronald Lu & Partners and developed by New World Development Company. It began construction in 1998, and was completed in 2005.

Buildings of the complex




The main community forum for merton residents is www.dacasa.hk/merton where additional information can be found out about the building and area.

The Harbourfront Landmark

The Harbourfront Landmark is a 70-floor 233 meter tall skyscraper completed in 2001 located in Hong Kong, China.

The Gateway III Tower

The Gateway III Tower is a proposed supertall skyscraper in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Although no floor figure has been given, the tower will stand 450 m if built, becoming Hong Kong's second tallest building at only about 34 m shorter than the currently under construction International Commerce Center. Still at 450 m, it will be taller than any building on Hong Kong Island, since the tallest building there is the 415 m .

The Cullinan Towers

The Cullinan is the name of a residential project located in . The complex also goes by Kowloon Station Development Package 6 or Union Square Phase 6. The developer of the complex is Sun Hung Kai Properties. Both north and south towers of the The Cullinan complex, called The Cullinan North Tower and The Cullinan South Tower, will be Hong Kong’s tallest residential towers at 68 stories and 270 metres . The project on this prime waterfront location will have glass curtainwalls and sweeping views of the Victoria Harbour. The glass facade will give the twin towers a futuristic image in line with the nearby International Commerce Centre.

Kowloon Station Development Package 6 was named after the 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond found in 1905; the largest diamond in the world. The two largest polished gems from the Cullinan diamond are now mounted on the Sceptre and Cross and Imperial State Crown in the British crown jewels.

Original proposal


The Cullinan complex was proposed at only 45 stories up until the cancellation of Union Square Phase 5. After Phase 5 was dropped, the Cullinan Towers were proposed at the current 68 floors instead.

The Belcher's

The Belcher's is a high-rise residential development situated in the Mid-levels area of Hong Kong. It consists of six residential buildings which were constructed in two phases; three buildings were constructed in each phase. Construction for the first phase was completed in 2000, and for the second phase, in 2001. There are 63 floors in two of the buildings, and 61 floors in the other four buildings. The development's facilities include, amongst other things, carparks, swimming pools, and a shopping mall.

According to real estate data company Emporis, at 227 metres tall, two of the buildings are the 16th and 17th tallest buildings in Hong Kong. Another two buildings, at 221 metres tall, ranks as the 18th and 19th tallest buildings in Hong Kong. The last two buildings, at 214 metres tall, are the 26th and 27th tallest buildings in Hong Kong.

The Arch (Hong Kong)

The Arch is a 65-floor 231 meter tall skyscraper completed in 2005 located in Hong Kong. It is the third tallest residential building in Hong Kong.

Sorrento, Hong Kong

Sorrento is a residential complex on the reclamation in west of , Kowloon, Hong Kong. The complex contains five buildings named Sorrento 1 through to Sorrento 6. In common with many developments in Hong Kong, tower 4 is omitted because the Cantonese number "4" is a homophone for the Cantonese word "death". The tallest tower, Sorrento 1, is 256 metres tall with 75 floors, it is the tallest residential building of Hong Kong, and fifth-tallest residential building in the world. All five buildings of the complex were completed in 2003.

Located at of the MTR, Sorrento comprises five towers with ascending height. Completed in 2003, it was built by and MTR Corporation.

All five towers were designed by Wong & Ouyang Ltd and follow the same design however reduced in height consecutively with the tallest being Sorrento 1 and the shortest being Sorrento 6. There is a gap between Sorrento 2 and Sorrento 3, where a foot bridge connects the Sorrento residential complex to Kowloon Station and the Elements Mall.

There are only two duplexes in the entire complex: Unit 81C and 81D of Sorrento 1.

Buildings of the complex

Sham Wan Towers

each of which rank among the . The towers, numbered 1, 2, and 3, each rise , but differ in floor counts; Towers 1 and 2 contain 52 floors, while Tower 3 has 45. The entire complex was completed in 2003. The structures, designed by architectural firm AGC Design and developed in a collaboration between Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings and Sun Hung Kai Properties, are composed entirely of residential units.

Ocean Pointe

Ocean Pointe is a skyscraper located in the Sham Tseng district of the New Territories in Hong Kong. The tower rises 54 and in height. The building was completed in 2001. It was designed by architectural firm DLN Architects & Engineers, and was developed by Kerry Properties Limited. Ocean Pointe, which stands as the 89th-tallest building in Hong Kong, is composed entirely of residential units, of which it contains 560.

Metro Town

Metro Town Phase One, also spelled simply as Metro Town , is a residential high-rise development located in the Tseung Kwan O district of the New Territories in Hong Kong. The complex consists of four towers, each of which ranks among the . The tallest buildings in the complex are Metro Town Tower 1 and Metro Town Tower 2, which both rise and 62 floors. The towers are tied with as the 45th-tallest buildings in Hong Kong. Towers 3 and 5 rise and 57 floors, standing as the 76th-tallest buildings in the city and tied in rank with and . The entire complex was completed in 2006. This first phase of the project contains 1,676 residential units.

Manhattan Hill

Manhattan Hill was initially designed to rise in height, but the towers were later enlarged to the present heights to accommodate larger residential units. At the same time, the total number of units planned for each of the five towers decreased; the entire complex was initially designed to contain 1,300 units, but this was later downsized to 1,100 units to allow for larger suites.

Buildings of the complex

Manhattan Heights

Manhattan Heights is a residential skyscraper located in , Hong Kong. Completed in the year 2000, the greenish tower stands tall and has 55 floors. The architect of this building is Hsin Yieh Architects & Associates Ltd.

Island Resort (Hong Kong)

Island Resort is a high-rise complex located in the Siu Sai Wan district of Hong Kong. The complex contains four towers, each of which rises 60 floors and in height; although the property is classified as containing nine towers, real estate data company Emporis ranks the complex as only four skyscrapers, as several are interconnected. The entire complex began construction in 1999, and was completed in 2001. The buildings are composed almost entirely of residential units, with a total of 3,098 apartments; the lowermost floors are used as and restaurant space.

The land on which the Island Resort complex is situated holds the distinction of being the most expensive in the city; in 1997, prior to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, the Sino Land Company purchased the piece of land for 1,515,384,620 in order to develop the Island Resort complex. The purchase was the last major land sale in Hong Kong that took place while the United Kingdom was still in control, and was also the most expensive land transaction in the city's history.

Indi Home

Indi Home is a skyscraper located in the Tsuen Wan district of the New Territories in Hong Kong. The tower rises 56 and in height. The building was completed in 2005. It was designed by architectural firm Kwong Sang Hong Limited. Indi Home, which stands as the 39th-tallest building in Hong Kong, is almost composed entirely of residential units, of which it contains 950; the lower floors also have retailing space. The structure has a total floor area of .

Vision City

Vision City is a residential high-rise development located in the Tsuen Wan district of the New Territories in Hong Kong. The complex consists of five towers, each of which ranks among the . The tallest buildings in the complex are Vision City 2 and Vision City 3, which both rise and 52 floors. The towers are tied as the 67th-tallest buildings in Hong Kong. Towers 1 and 5 rise and 52 floors, standing as the 70th-tallest buildings in the city. Tower 6 rises 50 floors and high, and is the city's 90th-tallest building. The entire complex was completed in 2007. Vision City contains 1,446 condominiums and of floor area.

Victoria Towers

2003 The towers currently stand as the second tallest buildings in Tsim Sha Tsui, behind the 64-storey Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, and as the 35th-tallest buildings in all of Hong Kong. The complex was designed by Rocco Design Limited and developed by Cheung Kong Holdings and . The towers are composed entirely of residential units.

Buildings of the complex