THE BANK OF CHINA TOWER

Background Information Located in the Heart of Downtown Hong Kong 1208 ft. tall 72 Floors Commercial Use, Bank Branch Hybrid of Hancock (X Brace) and Sears Tower (Tapered) 5th Tallest When Built 11th Tallest Currently Steel, Concrete, Glass, Aluminum Cost of Construction: Approx. $150 Million

I.M. PEI Chinese-American Harvard & MIT Famous Architect Most Famous Works Include Pyramide du Louvre Hancock Place (Boston) Sharp geometry Conceived Idea for Tower Himself Worked with Robertson previously

Leslie Robertson Berkley- Civil Engineer Owns Structural Engineering Firm World Trade Center Twin Towers ENR Constructions Man of the Year 1989 Figured out how to Support Pei’s Inventive idea Utilizes innovative forms (3D Space Truss)

Thesis The Bank of China Building is the most unique work of Structural Art of its kind, ever. IM Pei has the ability to create simple yet unbelievably exciting forms which enthrall the viewer and satisfy the ideals of Society and Symbolism. Pei’s genius however would never be portrayed if not for the incredible technical imagination of Leslie Robertson, responsible for the Scientific aspects of the building.

Social/Economic Very Economic Open Floors—Many Uses Open to Public $150 Million to Build Uses Much less Steel than similar buildings Only Excess is Aluminum Cladding Open Floors—Many Uses Open to Public Easily Experienced

Scientific/Efficient Materials Steel Glass Aluminum Concrete 3-D Space Truss Design Withstands Winds 2x NYC Earthquakes 4x LA

Support Column Comparisons Traditional Tube (Hancock) Bank of China Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4

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Live Load vs. Height BOC Tower Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Load/Column

Symbolic/Elegant The Pride of China Designed, Financed and Built by Chinese Sharp, Smooth Visually Intriguing Unique Began Hong Kong Tower Race Built and Modified to Pass Fung Shui X’s turned to Diamonds Chopsticks on top Sharp Edges Under Fire

Scientific Comparison Hancock Tower Cross Bracing Hancock’s Supports Building from Wind Loads BOC’s Supports Wind Loads and Building Forces while being more Artistic & Pleasing Hancock uses much more Steel

Form Comparison Sears Tower Similar Form Bundled Tube Smaller Towers abruptly end as Building Rises However BOC maintains Fluidity as tower rises BOC more Artistic

Cost Comparison HSBC Tower Bank Headquarters Norman Foster Designed Believed $1 Billion Cost Same Floor Space as BOC

Structural Art? YOU KNOW IT First of its kind Building Integrates Aluminum and Glass as one Sharp edges as insisted by Pei Peak Blends into Backdrop (Mt. Victoria) Geometry is not rigid—Form Flows Makes you want to experience the building