Hong Leong Finance Building () is a high-rise office
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
in the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. This is the flagship building of Hong Leong Holdings Limited. It is located on 16 Raffles Quay, in the zone of
Raffles Place
Raffles Place is the centre of the Financial District of Singapore and is located south of the River, mouth of the Singapore River. It was first planned and developed in the 1820s as Commercial Square to serve as the hub of the commercial zone o ...
.
It is just next to the historic
Lau Pa Sat Market. There are many skyscrapers near the building, such as
One Raffles Quay
One Raffles Quay () is an office building complex located at Raffles Place, the central business district of Singapore.
Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, One Raffles Quay (ORQ) consists of the 50-storey North Tower and the 29-storey South Tower, tot ...
, 6 Raffles Quay,
Robinson Towers, John Hancock Tower, and AIA Tower, all of which are less than 100 metres away. With 45 floors of office space (parking levels from 4 to 7) and one basement level consisting of shops and a cafeteria, the building stretches 158.0 metres above ground.
Hong Leong Finance Building currently houses the Embassy of
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
on the 41st floor and the Embassy of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
on the 44th floor.
History
Hong Leong Building was designed by Swan and Maclaren, and was completed in 1976. Other firms involved in the development include Ssangyong Engineering & Construction Private Limited, and Knight Frank.
Tremors
In March 2007, about 5000 workers were evacuated from the building, after they felt some tremors. They were caused by
two earthquakes in
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. Some people complained of headaches and dizziness while others vomited. Most of these complaints originated from those working at the higher floors of the building. Several businesses operating at the building were disrupted after the evacuation.
Tenants
Office tenants include
KPMG Singapore, Hong Leong Group Singapore Holding, Hawksford, etc.
Ground floor tenants include
Maybank
Malayan Banking Berhad (doing business as Maybank) is a Malaysian universal bank, with key operating "home markets" of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. According to the 2020 Brand Finance report, Maybank is Malaysia's most valuable bank b ...
and
Watsons
Watsons () is a Hong Kong health care and beauty care chain store in Asia and Europe. It is the flagship health and beauty brand of the A.S. Watson Group, which is majority owned by CK Hutchison Holdings.
It operates near 8,000 stores and ...
.
See also
*
List of tallest buildings in Singapore
The city-state of Singapore has over 9,000 completed high-rises, the majority located in the Downtown Core, the city centre of Singapore. In the city, there are 96 skyscrapers. The Guoco Tower currently holds the title of tallest building in S ...
*
CapitaLand
CapitaLand is a Singaporean headquartered company focusing on investment, development and management of real estate. It is one of Asia's largest real estate companies and the owner and manager of a global portfolio comprising integrated develo ...
*
Shenton Way
Shenton Way is a major trunk road serving Singapore's Central Area and is most commonly known for the commercial skyscrapers flanking both sides of the road. The road is a one-way street that starts at the junction of Boon Tat Street, Raffles Qu ...
*
Tanjong Pagar
Tanjong Pagar ( alternatively spelled ''Tanjung Pagar'') is a historic district located within the Central Business District in Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urb ...
References
External links
{{Singapore skyscrapers
Skyscraper office buildings in Singapore
Downtown Core (Singapore)
Office buildings completed in 1976