Manulife Plaza
Hong Kong, China

HEIGHT: 240m/789 feet
FLOORS: 52 floors
COMPLETION: 1998
ARCHITECT: DLN Architects & Engineers

also known as Lee Gardens

The Lee Gardens is an office and retail development on Hysan Avenue in Causeway Bay. A requirement of the developer was that the new Lee Gardens should become as highly regarded a landmark as the well-known 1950's vintage hotel that previously occupied the same site.

The building has a very urban character at street level where there are numerous entrances to the six-story shopping mall and the split-level five-storey glass-roofed office tower lobby. The mall has become one of the smartest addresses in Hong Kong's leading shopping district and is home to leading European fashion retailers and exclusive restaurants.

The office tower is of a truncated-triangular plan form and is placed towards the back of the site in order to optimise the views out. Cantilevered bay windows at favoured corner locations impart a sculptural effect.

In view of the address of the building, its urban nature and the atmosphere required, a restrained design and detail vocabulary was employed. Natural stone and glass are the principle materials of the podium. The main lobby features custom-made glass sculptures and a roof garden at second floor level.

http://www.dln.com.hk/images/lee_gardens_02.jpg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ssc1819/manulife.jpg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/manulife01.jpeg

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/rotpics01/manulife02.jpeg

absolute beauty .. blue!! 9/10:D

For some reason I don't like it very much. 4/10.

Looks good in daytime but strangely at night it doesn't look good.

7/10

Bright and blue, shape needs improvement.

6/10

bright and very blue
8/10

In some pics bright 'n blue, in others darker blue. It's a glass scraper that reflects the light and depending on the weather or time of day, it will change.

Interesting enough form with some sharp edges.

Nice

8

6/10

No no no. This building just doesnt look good to me. Like a tacky version of the Boston Hancock. The horizontal elements spoil the facade IMO.

the night shot really lowers it down..7

yup. Night shots rock. 8/10

I don't like the style to much.

7/10

7/10. Nothing special, although shiny is always cool.

Well, it's really only okay. Enough said. 6.

Shiny , bold tower . an eight here

It's unique, but too odd for my taste.
6.5/10

Not bad, but not "landmark" material. 7.5/10

7/10 very nice building

its bloody blutiful!

9/10

6/10

Looks like a nice facade, but a bad shape.

I can't begin to describe how awful this building is. It's a total failure in every sense...the fact that it's pretty tall makes it worse...something like this should be short and hidden from sight.




KGB

the design is a little to busy and the signage on top just ruins the facade...the glass is nice though...6.5/10

Its a dull design. I dont like buildings that have neon signs on them. It kills the building IMO, especially if they are big and take over the building at night.
5.

one of many (in Hongkong)! 7/10

it's bloody awful (this cheap glas facade hurts!) - 4/10

Nothing special.Maybe that's because i only can see 1 bloody pic of the tower.

Nothing special.Maybe that's because i only can see 1 bloody pic of the tower. 6.0/10

Quite Good Looking!:) 8/10

I agree with RafflesCity 4

Like a tacky version of the Boston Hancock.That's an apt description! :D

5.5/10

8/10

7/10 like the blue glass but it seems a bit wide on some angles

Its tall no doubt..but the facade design seems to ruin this building. It could do with more creative finishing, or it will look like a high rise hostpital. 6.5/10.

Magnificent! I like buildings with irregular corners. The facade and color are just perfect...If only 'Manulife' was written in another font. I absolutely love its base...it suits that street corner very well. I give it 9/10.

That 2nd pic is :eek: !!

The tower looks ok to me, 7/10

nice shape!! 10

It's an ordinary skyscraper. 7.5/10

too much sharp edges. 6/10

facade: glassy but those horizontales are not ok
form: nö
points: 5

7/10 Looks ok

6.5/10 - It has a nice, shiny blue facade that really dances with the light, and it has good, soaring height seen from the apex of the "triangle." (the shape reminds me a bit of the Flatiron building in NYC).

But it looks really chunky seen broadside on, it has a flat roof, and those horizontal whatever-they-ares don't do a thing for the height. I'm also not sure whether those curved attachments add more interest to the design, or merely clutter it up. And I really think the facade needs more vertical emphasis instead of those horizontal indentations where the spandrels would be.

You have a point, Raffles - it does look a bit like a cheap imitation of the Boston Hancock....

7.5/10 :)
I like the blue colour, but the big sign at the top is ugly.

@Huaiwei
...or it will look like a high rise hostpital
Like Guys hospital in London? ;)

This building is an insult to its surroundings. The least thing one can do to improve it, is to remove the lettering.

3/10

7.5/10


it looks nice

dunno why, but i don't really appreciate the glassiness of this tower. guess it's the shape that ruined it.

7

What's that stupid round part doing there? Tsss... 5

7/10

messy

It is quite nice, but could be better.

7.5/10

Well I must say that I like it a lot more then the Manulife tower in NYC!!! 9.5/10

7

I kinda like it- fits the block well. Do not care for the elongated bubble running down the side but oddly doesn't reach either the top or base. Nice color and facade.

6.5/10

Looks like a futuristic version of the Flat Iron building. I like the shiny blue colour.

I don't really have a problem with the sign on top.

8/10

I've never seen this tower before and I like it. 8.5

very nice 10/10

nice metallic shine on the glass

8.5/10

7/10

Good facade. 8.5/10.

7.5/10 good looking

Another great building in HK. Has a bunch of personality and it's own little impact on the skyline. I give it a 9/10. :okay:

Fits well with the area. 5.5/10

Average cladding, average shape, and its attempt at being different gives out average results.
Average mark.
5.

8/10

9/10 very nice

8/10

I like the facade and the base as well.The spire is simple yet fits nice.

8.5.

9/10

There is only one pic in this thread, i can't rate it.

9/10

It's just OK, but nothing special. 7/10

7/10

7,5/10

9/10

sexy!!!
8/10

nice one..9.0/10

7.5/10

On the ball, 8/10.

It's okay for Manulife.. a million times better than the slab of a building Manulife Plaza in Toronto. Somehow I think the logo could be made to fit the building a bit better. 8.5

7.5/10 some nice glass

Im ok with the shaoe and colors and height though i dont really love this building but that weird rounded growth running un and down the spines and corners looks weird and out of place. 6.5/10

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051004/OCT04-S03-004.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051004/OCT04-S03-066.jpg

7.5

9/10

7.5/10.

6,5/10

8.5/10

9/10

6,5/10

great 8.5/10

7/10.

Love the colour! 9/10!

7.5/10

8.5/10

10/10

8/10

7/10

10. hot!

8/10 Nice shiny glass

6/10

not bad
8/10

futuristic in part, shiny the rest

9

8.0/10.:)

just another great HK skyscraper 8.5/10

3.5 / 10

half a rung better than mainland Chinese crap.

Pretty cool i guess

9/10

7/10

7/10

Don't know why they didn't extend the semi circle thing all the way, overall though it looks good. It's not supposed to be a landmark or anything.

7/10

Average and boring, the horizantal lines doesn't complement the shape.
5.5/10

Not much going on, but pleasant to look at. 6/10

7/10

8,5/10

Nice shiny glassy *****. 8.5

Has the potential to be better. 6.5

Nah not bad, a 7 out of 10.

6.5/10

9/10

8/10

8/10

It looks nice enough. 8.5

I gave this 8/10

decent box 8/10

8...

9/10

8/10

10/10 :applause:

7/10

It's okay- not my favorite. 5/10

8/10

Well, the building is okay and good.

3,5/10

simply nice box ;) 9

great glass cladding.

8/10 :yes:

8,5/10

its nice. 8

8/10

8/10

Interesting design, looks nice.

9/10

generic & dull. 5/10

8,5/10

7.5/10

9/10

8/10

Manulife Hong Kong
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/3022242790_6986fe05cb_o.jpg

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24971519@N03/3022242790

5,5/10

8/10

7/10

just ok...

6.0/10

ok 8.0

8. Good building. Regards.

7.5/10

8/10

Pleasing forms but too dark and uninviting. 7

Too dark ? Like it though.:)
8.5/10

6/10

8/10

6.5

8/10

6.5/10

8/10

5/10

...

These tower scored a 7.45 on average. Go to http://gbuscraper.blogspot.com/2010/07/manulife-plaza-hong-kong-74510.html to read more.

6.5/10

just so so

9/10

Too massive, but not ugly.7/10

7.5

6/10

7.5 i like the glass

8/10

5/10

7.5/10

8,5/10

7/10

6/10

5/10