International Finance Centre (Hong Kong)

The International Finance Centre, abbreviated as ifc) is a skyscraper and an integrated commercial development on the waterfront of Hong Kong's Central District.

A prominent landmark on Hong Kong Island, IFC consists of two skyscrapers, the ifc mall, and the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Twe 02 is the second tallest building in Hong Kong at a height of 415 m, behind the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, and the 31st-tallest building in the world. It is the fourth-tallest building in the Greater China region and the eighth-tallest office building in the world, based on structural heights; It is of similar height to the former World Trade Center. The Airport Express Hong Kong station is directly beneath it, with subway lines to Hong Kong International Airport.

ifc was constructed and is owned by IFC Development, a consortium of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land and Towngas.

In 2003, ''Financial Times'', HSBC, and Cathay Pacific put up an advertisement on the facade that stretched more than 50 storeys, covering an area of 19,000 m² (200,000 square ft) and a length of 230 m, making it the world's largest advertisement ever put on a skyscraper.

History

Tower 1 is also known as 1IFC and branded in lowercase letters, as "''One ifc''". Likewise, Tower 2 is also known as 2IFC and branded as "''Two ifc''".

1IFC opened in December 1998, towards the end of the Asian financial crisis. Tenants included ING Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Fidelity International, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority and the Financial Times.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority purchased 14 floors in 2IFC; the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation signed a 12-year lease on ; Nomura Group agreed to take at 2 IFC; the Financial Times, an existing tenant at One IFC, took . Ernst & Young took six floors (from the 11th to 18th floors), or about , in 2IFC, to become the biggest tenant.

2IFC, which was completed at the height of the SARS epidemic, was initially available to rent at HK$25-HK$35 per square foot. In 2007, as the economy has improved, high quality ("''Grade A''") office space is highly sought after; rents for current leases are $150 per square foot as of March 2007.

The IFC's towers have featured in several Hollywood films, including '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life'', where Lara Croft leaps off the then-under-construction 2 International Finance Centre, landing on a ship out in the Kowloon Bay, ''The Dark Knight'', where Batman leapt from 2 IFC to 1 IFC, and Godzilla vs Kong, where an action scene then takes place.

One International Finance Centre

One International Finance Centre was opened on 6 July 1998. It is tall, has 39 stories and four trading floors, 18 high speed passenger lifts in 4 zones, and comprises . Completed in 2004, has a similar design and appearance with the “Two IFC”. The building currently accommodates approximately 5,000 people.

Current office tenants include Ballie Gifford, Bank of Singapore, China Development Bank, China Orient Asset Management, CICC, Industrial Bank, Julius Baer, Macquarie, Prudential and
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking.

Two International Finance Centre

Two International Finance Centre, completed on 18 October 2003, is attached to the second phase of the ifc mall. This building, currently Hong Kong's second tallest, is quoted as having 88 storeys and 22 high-ceiling trading floors to qualify as being extremely auspicious in Cantonese culture. It is, however, short of the magic number, because "taboo floors" like 14th and 24th are omitted as being inauspicious – In Cantonese and Chinese,"4" is pronounced similarly to "death" .

The highrise is designed to accommodate financial institutions. For example, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is located at the 55th floor. It is equipped with advanced telecommunications, raised floors for flexible cabling management, and nearly column-free floor plans. The building expects to accommodate up to 15,000 people. It is one of relatively few buildings in the world equipped with double-deck elevators.

The 55th, 56th, and the 77th to 88th floors were bought by the HKMA for HK$3.7 billion in 2001. An exhibition area, currently containing an exhibit of Hong Kong's monetary history, and a library of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre occupy the 55th floor, and are open to the public during office hours.

Despite common practice for owners to allow naming buildings after its important tenants, the owners decided not to allow renaming of the building.

Current office tenants include Banco Santander, Baring Private Equity Asia, BGC Partners, Blackstone Group, BNP Paribas, China Universal Asset Management, Citadel, Coatue Management, DST Advisors, E Fund Management, Hillhouse Capital, Hony Capital, Investec Asset Management, Jefferies, Lazard, Lexington Partners, Millennium Management, Nomura, Sidley Austin LLP, Silver Lake, UBS and Warburg Pincus.

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

The Four Seasons Hotel is a luxury hotel that was built near the IFC One and Two. It was completed and opened in October 2005. The 206 m (674 ft), 60-storey oceanfront hotel is the only ''Four Seasons Hotel'' in Hong Kong. The hotel has 399 guest suites, and 519 serviced apartments. Amenities include a French restaurant Caprice and spa.

IFC Mall

It is an , 4-storey luxury shopping mall, with many luxury retail brands and wide variety of restaurants. Anchored by Lane Crawford, PALACE Cinema (part of Broadway Circuit), and C!ty'super, the first official Apple Store was also located in this mall (a 3-storey flagship store in Hong Kong). In May 2018, the first Shake Shack restaurant was opened in the mall.

See also

* List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong
* List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
* List of tallest buildings
* Shanghai IFC - Sister project located in Shanghai

Similar towers

*Salesforce Tower, building in San Francisco

References

External links

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Elevator Layout
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Central, Hong Kong
Landmarks in Hong Kong
Tourist attractions in Hong Kong
Shopping centres in Hong Kong
Skyscraper office buildings in Hong Kong
César Pelli buildings
Sun Hung Kai Properties
Henderson Land Development
Commercial buildings completed in 1999
Office buildings completed in 2003
1999 establishments in Hong Kong