Only One of HSBC's Headquarters Was Ever the Tallest Building in Hong Kong

Visiting Hong Kong, one may be surprised to notice that the HSBC Main Building, the headquarters of the largest bank in Hong Kong, is a relatively short building. As a matter of fact, standing at a height of 178.8 metres (586 feet), the HSBC Main Building does not rank among the 150 tallest buildings in Hong Kong.

Perhaps more surprising is the fact that, although HSBC has been the most influential company in Hong Kong for over a century and a half, only one of its headquarters has ever held the title of tallest building in the city.

In 1934, the second-generation HSBC Building was demolished to make way for the third-generation HSBC Building. Upon its completion in 1935, HSBC’s 70-metre-tall new headquarters stood as the tallest building in Hong Kong, dominating the view over Victoria Harbour.

In 1951, however, the headquarters of the Bank of China’s Hong Kong branch was completed. One of the instructions given to the architectural firm Palmer and Turner was simple: surpass the height of their rivals' headquarters. The Bank of China Building achieved that goal, standing 6 metres (20 feet) taller than the third-generation HSBC Building. In doing so, it became the tallest building in the city.

Today, only the Bank of China Building remains, as the third-generation HSBC Building was demolished to make way for the current headquarters of HSBC.