Hopewell Centre, Hong Kong
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Hopewell Centre (合和中心) is a skyscraper in Hong Kong. It is located at 183 Queen's Road East, in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. It is the first circular skyscraper in Hong Kong.
The 64-storey building is 216 metres tall. Construction started in 1977 and was completed in 1980. Upon completion, Hopewell Centre replaced Jardine House as Hong Kong's tallest building. It was also the second tallest building in Asia. It kept its title in Hong Kong until 1989, when the Bank of China Tower was completed.
The building uses a circular floor plan. Although the front entrance is on the 'ground floor', commuters are taken through a set of escalators to the 3rd floor elevator lobby. Hopewell Center stands on the slope of a hill so steep that the building has its back entrance on the 17th floor towards Kennedy Road. There is a circular private swimming pool on the roof of the building.
A revolving restaurant located on the 62nd floor, called Revolving 66 (aka R66), overlooks other tall buildings below and the harbour. It was originally called Revolving 62, but soon changed its name as locals kept calling it Revolving 66. It serves a buffet lunch for HK$168 (as of 2000) and completes a 360-degree rotation each hour. Passengers take either office elevators (faster) or the scenic elevators (with a view) to the 56/F, where they transfer to smaller elevators up to the 62/F.
The building comprises of several groups of elevators manufactured and maintained by Schindler Elevator Corporation. Lobbies are on the 3rd and 17th floor, and are connected to Queen's Road East and Kennedy Road respectively. A mini-skylobby is on the 56th floor and serves as a transfer floor for eaters heading to the 60/F and 62/F restaurants. Hopewell head Sir Gordon Wu Ying Sheung has his office on the top floor.
The building's white 'bumps' between the windows have built in window-washer guide rails.
This skyscraper was the filming location for R&B group Dru Hill's music video for "How Deep Is Your Love," directed by Brett Ratner, who also directed the movie Rush Hour, whose soundtrack features the song.
[edit] Access
- MTR Wan Chai Station Exit A3, followed by a 5-10 minute walk south through Wan Chai market.
[edit] See also
- Hopewell Holdings Ltd
- Central Plaza, Hong Kong
- The Center, Hong Kong
- List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
[edit] External links
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