Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank 
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The imposing offices of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in Queen's Road cost almost £900 million/US $1300 million, making this the most expensive office building in the world - even dearer than the neighboring 70-story Bank of China of 1989. It has 52 storys, is almost 179m/590ft high, and houses a working population of 3500.
Designed by the British architect Sir Norman Foster and built in only two and a half years, the building is well worth a visit. The site was originally occupied by a 1930s-style building; the only items preserved from this were the two bronze lions known as Stitt and Stephen which now guard the main entrance; in accordance with Chinese tradition they had also protected the entrance to the previous office building.
The lighting system inside the tower is unusual. A computer-controlled mirror on the south front reflects the light of the sun on to a second mirror above the central well, and from there 120 built-in directional antennae beam daylight down into the main hall. Other features include the dining room in the penthouse and the helicopter landing-pad on the roof, reminiscent of the upper deck of an aircraft carrier (neither is open to visitors).
Designed by the British architect Sir Norman Foster and built in only two and a half years, the building is well worth a visit. The site was originally occupied by a 1930s-style building; the only items preserved from this were the two bronze lions known as Stitt and Stephen which now guard the main entrance; in accordance with Chinese tradition they had also protected the entrance to the previous office building.
The lighting system inside the tower is unusual. A computer-controlled mirror on the south front reflects the light of the sun on to a second mirror above the central well, and from there 120 built-in directional antennae beam daylight down into the main hall. Other features include the dining room in the penthouse and the helicopter landing-pad on the roof, reminiscent of the upper deck of an aircraft carrier (neither is open to visitors).
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