Norman Fosters Reinterpretation of the Skyscraper

The Hongkong Shanghai Bank:

By Jonathan Parks APH 447 5/2/08

Contents
Introduction Site and Architect Important concepts Construction Design Features Conclusion 2 2 4 5 6 11

Introduction Every so often, an architect emerges who challenges the ideas of others. When a certain form of architecture becomes stagnant, it is only a matter of time before a new interpretation of the existing trends breathes new life into design. Ever since Mies van der Rohe designed the Seagram building in New York, other architects had been following his lead and erecting various tall buildings which are based on the glass boxes that he was famous for. It was not that glass boxes were the only possibility, but that they were the accepted norm of the twentieth century. Some architects were able to design steel and glass buildings which were unlike anything seen before, but few were as successful as Sir Norman Foster. His designs were completely original. Many of his projects utilized new technology and they pushed the boundaries and capabilities of the materials used. In 1985 when the Hongkong Shanghai Bank headquarters opened, it signaled a new age in tall building construction. By using new construction techniques and structural forms, Foster was able to produce one of the most significant and inspirational milestones in the construction of skyscrapers. Site and Architect The original headquarters for the Hongkong Bank opened in 1935. For years it had been a symbol of prosperity in Hong Kong. The city had few landmarks which stood out to the people, but as a symbol of financial security, the bank was known by a huge

portion of the population. However, in a rapidly changing economy, the old building was no longer viable and the institution felt it was time to construct a new headquarters which would be an even stronger symbol and a landmark for the city (Williams, 30). Property values had increased so much by the time they decided to build a new headquarters that it made more sense to tear down the old building and start from scratch. The original site was perfect for the project anyway because it was in the prime financial district and had amazing views (Williams, 30). Not only that, but it also had a designated public space right in front of it (Williams, 34). It could be said that the bank was lucky because of the wonderful location already in its ownership. All that was needed now was an architect who was up to the task of designing such a financial and cultural icon. Choosing an architect would not be as simple as finding a suitable location. Roy Munden, the assistant general manager was put in charge of the project. The bank did not wish to hold an international competition to find a design; instead, they used a limited selection process. As stated by Stephanie Williams: Most architectural competitions are held in search of inspiration, a good design; who the architect might be is of secondary consideration. The brief is kept as open as possible. Here the chief aim was to find the best architect for the job a person with whom those at the Bank felt it could work and whom it could confidently expect to come up with the kind of building it wanted. (Williams, 41) All seven of the architectural firms involved in the selection process were kept in the dark about the specific needs of the Hongkong bank. They were simply given a list of problems that were to be solved in their design proposals. Each of the firms was well experienced in the construction of large office buildings with the exception of Norman Foster. He was truly the wild card in the limited competition, but he was asked to

participate because he had built a reputation for coming up with creative designs. All of the participants proposals were intriguing, but none stood out like Fosters written proposal. It was clear that he stood alone as an architect and would be able to provide some of the most creative solutions to the banks problems, therefore, he was appointed as the architect for the project (Williams, 49). Important Concepts For the Hongkong Shanghai Bank, there were many requirements that Norman Foster had to fulfill, but the two most important ideas of his own. The first concept was that of public space. Of course Fosters priority was to build a new headquarters for the bank, but he took it on himself to understand the local culture and the need for places of community. Hong Kong was limited in size by the agreement between China and Great Britain. As a result, there was a major shortage of land. Property values were extremely high and there was a major lack of public spaces. Foster claimed that the short-comings of the high-rise office are a complete absence of variety poor technical performance and an almost complete indifference to the public or semi-public domain at street level (www.greatbuildings.com). He compensated for the intrusion on public domain by designing a plaza in front of the building which the people could use to socialize. The second key concept in Fosters opinion was that of flexibility. He not only understood the ever-changing nature of banks and their management, but he also knew

that banks utilized the newest technologies. Foster recognized the rapidly changing telecommunications industry and he knew that the bank would need to accommodate new technologies as they became available as well as future technologies which were unknown at the time. In order to pull of this seemingly impossible task, he would have to design a structure which is easily retrofitted to house these new infrastructures as they are made available (Seddon, 213). This would not be an easy task, but Foster had built a reputation on bringing fresh ideas to the architectural community which would solve problems in unexpected ways. Construction The demolition of the original Hongkong Shanghai Bank marked the beginning of construction on the new project. Before getting started, different companies from all over the world were contracted to prefabricate the many different structural elements which were to make up the structure (Lambot, ii). Speed in construction was a major priority for the project because the missing building in the landscape threw off the fungshui of the city. The superstitious culture would see this as a bad omen, so it was imperative that the new landmark correct the imbalance. Unlike normal skyscraper construction methods, the foundation was not excavated before they began building the main structure. Instead they would excavate a portion of the basement, cast it, and then excavate the next lower level. Meanwhile, construction began on the ground level as the foundation became sufficient to support the weight (Lambot, 6). This method of building greatly increased the speed at which the bank took shape. Crews did not have to wait for one section to be completely finished before they could start construction on another portion.

Three storey sections of the masts, the main structural elements, were installed one by one, reaching farther into the skyline. At the same time, the tunnels underneath the building were nearing completion. These tunnels would be used to store sea water which would aid in the air conditioning systems and also provide water for the buildings toilets. As little as one month later, the first service modules were lifted and slid into place. These were similar in concept to Le Corbusiers wine rack idea for the apartments in his Unite dHabitacion, however instead of being used for housing, they were solely for the service areas of the bank. The prefabrication of these modules was yet another efficient way to expedite the construction process. The demolition of the old structure occurred in 1981. By 1985 the new headquarters was open for business (Lombot, 176). The prefabrication of parts and the tight construction schedule working both day and night allowed the Hongkong Bank to be constructed very quickly. Very few problems presented themselves in construction, partly due to Fosters obsession with tight tolerances. Within the span of a few short years Hong Kong had a new landmark and an even more confident symbol of economic prosperity and hope for the future. Design Features Being in a tropical region, Hong Kong is susceptible to typhoons on a regular basis. As a result, building anything strong enough to stand such powerful winds is difficult, much less to build a skyscraper. When the building was designed, models had to be tested for strength in wind tunnels. To counteract the forces of the wind, Foster placed the masts out to the corners in order to maximize stability (Curtis, 659). Now that the main structural supports were pushed to the outside of the structure, the traditional

high-rise format of stacked floors around a central core was no longer possible. This was no problem at all for the architect. Instead, the unconventional structure allowed for greater creativity and a new organization. Rather than building each floor up around the supports, Foster connected the piers like a ladder with incredibly strong mega trusses from which the floors would be suspended (Curtis, 659). The concept of hanging floors rather than stacking them permitted the architect to experiment with new layouts, forms, and open spaces. The suspension of the floors actually turned the typical construction methods upside down. Instead of having a dropped ceiling which hid some of the service elements, it featured raised floors which served the same purpose (Lambot, 151). The floor surface is actually laid on top of the service elements. No acoustic ceilings are necessary with this design, and maintenance is made somewhat easier since crews do not need to get on ladders and reach over their heads. They may simply remove the floor panels on the areas that need work. Because the truss system divided the building into sections, the lowest section was reserved for the public banking areas. Since this would be the portion of the building with the most traffic, a huge twelve storey atrium rises through the middle of the floors. As visitors ride up from street level on the escalator to the third floor, the immense atrium is presented in a stunning manner. In the daytime it is naturally lit by a sun scoop which captures light from the outside and reflects it through the atrium via a

system of mirrors and reflective surfaces (Moffet, 555). Simply by standing in the atrium, visitors with a keen eye can see that the design of the bank is in no way traditional. The structure is revealed, but also has an elegant beauty which lends a sense of stability and further confidence in the institution. The light as reflected throughout the atrium further gives a sense of mysticism to the space and is able to evoke an emotional response in the visitors. The ladder-like division of the structure actually helps to organize the building as a whole. The huge truss systems take up two stories each. In these larger spaces created by the trusses, the employees are given access to meeting rooms, recreation areas, and food services (Moffet, 556). The fact that the structure is organized in a ladder-type system greatly increases the amount of free space on each floor. It allows for a clear visual perspective spanning the length of the building. These large two-storied spaces further serve to emphasize the openness of the plan. Not only that, but the division also serves to separate the bank hierarchy. The administrators are at the top. The more elite and private businessmen do their business in the middle, and the base of the building is reserved for the members of the public.

The section view to the left shows the division of the floors, including the doubleheight ones created by the truss system. Interestingly, Norman Foster did not choose to use the elevator as the primary means of conveyance from one floor to the next. Instead, he uses escalators to establish spatial continuity between the various levels (Moffet, 556-557). Very rarely will one see this in a skyscraper, but Foster has pulled it off quite well. Although an escalator may not be as efficient or as fast as a high-speed elevator, it allows occupants to actually experience the building and the process of going from one place to another. Employees and privileged visitors are practically forced to be aware of the building as they pass through it. Malcolm Quantrill even notes that the building has a profound impact even on the employees who have worked there for some time. He states that they seem to be buoyed up by a pride that is akin to that of the crew on a large ocean liner (110). Truly Foster succeeded in not only designing a magnificent structure but also one that has a lasting impact on the people who live and work in and around it. As stated earlier, the Hongkong Bank provides some public space for pedestrians and visitors to use. The thing which sets it apart from other structures like

the Seagram Building is that it not only has a plaza in front of it, but it allows people to pass underneath the building. Because the structural support is mainly at the corners instead of the core, the ground floor can be opened up. In fact, the bank is elevated over the heads of the pedestrians so that those just passing by might not even notice that they are underneath one of the most important financial institutions in all of Hong Kong. It is only when they ascend the escalators into the massive atrium that they see the bustling center of economic activity that it really is. Despite its importance in the financial world, it is still able to serve as a gathering place where people carry on their lives. The culture has truly accepted it as a part of their culture and they are teeming with pride because of it. The bank is now an international organization which deals with many other financial matters around the world, so it is only appropriate that the style be international in nature. Norman Foster did not ignore the history of architecture. In fact, the symmetry, the axial layout, and the plaza could almost be considered classical in nature. Likewise, the giant atrium, its window, and the service towers almost carry a Gothic quality (Seddon, 215). However this bank does not fully conform to either of these broad classifications. Foster has designed and built something which responds to history, yet transcends it and creates something new while still maintaining the cultural identity and economic symbolism of the Hong Kong culture. Foreign businessmen will

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feel comfortable within the skeletal walls of the institution, but the true pride and appreciation lies within the people who see it as an icon of their society.

Conclusion Perhaps Coop Himmelblau was on to something when he made the following claim: Architecture should be cavernous, fiery, smooth, hard, angular, brutal, round, delicate, colorful, obscene, voluptuous, dreamy, alluring, repelling, wet, dry and throbbing. Alive or dead. Cold then cold as a block of ice. Hot then hot as a blazing wing. Architecture must blaze (Jenks, 276). Norman Foster undoubtedly fulfilled all of these seemingly paradoxical requirements. He harnessed the new construction materials and techniques available to him to produce a dynamic and paradoxical place. The Hongkong Shanghai Bank was truly a new innovation which gave a breath of new life into the tired old form of the skyscraper. This structure is both an inspiration to architects, and a reminder that design does not need to fall into complacency. It can continually evolve and innovate.

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Works Cited Abel, Chris. Norman Foster.Tokyo, Japan: a+u Publishing Co., Ltd., 1988 Curtis, William J.R. Modern Architecture Since 1900. New York: Phaidon Press Limited, 1996. Fazio, Michael. Moffet, Marian. Wodehouse, Lawrence. A World History of Architecture. London: Lawrence King Publishing Ltd. 2004 Great Buildings Online. Hongkong and Shanghai Banks http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Hongkong_and_Shanghai_Ban.html (accessed April 18, 2008). Jenks, Charles. Kropf, Karl, eds. Theories and Manifestoes of Contemporary Architecture. London: Artmedia Press. 2007 Lambot, Ian. The New Headquarters for the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. Hong Kong: South China Printing Company. 1985 Morton, Thomas. Modernism and Its Discontents. Arizona State University, Tempe 22 April 2008 Quantrill, Malcolm. The Norman Foster Studio: consistency through diversity. New York: Routledge. 1999 Williams, Stephanie. Hongkong Bank. London: Jonathan Cape Ltd. 1989

Note: All images are from Great Buildings Online with the exception of the section drawing on page 7 which comes from Thomas Mortons class lecture cited above.

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