Statue Square Was Once Surrounded by Victorian and Edwardian Buildings

Any tourist visiting Hong Kong will, at some point, find themselves in Statue Square, the square located directly across the street from the HSBC Main Building, one of Hong Kong’s most iconic landmarks. Although the square is now surrounded by lackluster modern buildings, it was once bordered by exquisite Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco masterpieces.

The present-day HSBC Main Building was constructed on the site of Wardley House, which was demolished to make way for the Second Generation HSBC Building. This was subsequently replaced by the Third Generation HSBC Building, which was also demolished to make way for the current HSBC Main Building.

The Old City Hall was demolished in two phases to accommodate the Third Generation HSBC Building in 1933 and the Bank of China Building in 1947. Queen’s Building was demolished in 1963 to make way for the Mandarin Oriental. The original Prince’s Building was demolished in 1965 to construct the second-generation Prince’s Building. Similarly, the second-generation Hong Kong Club was demolished in 1981 to make room for a bland, third-generation Hong Kong Club.

As of 2026, only two buildings have survived this wave of demolitions: the Old Supreme Court Building, now known as the Court of Final Appeal, and the Bank of China Building.