China Resources to build HK$300m Wan Chai hotel
22 June 2009
South China Morning Post

China Resources (Holdings) plans to build a boutique hotel in Wan Chai at an estimated cost of more than HK$300 million to enhance its asset portfolio and help give the area a facelift.

Chairman Song Lin said the company would build an international-standard hotel on top of the lower block of the China Resources Building, its headquarters, on Harbour Road. The lower block is occupied by the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre and departmental store Chinese Arts and Crafts.

The development plot ratio of the lower block has not been used up and the group is allowed to build about 200,000 square feet on top of the tower, according to China Resources Property, a wholly owned unit of the unlisted conglomerate.

CR Property said it was in talks with an international hotel consultant to discuss the type of hotel to be built. One option is a boutique hotel with more than 20 storeys and more than 200 rooms.

No cost has been disclosed, but analysts said a boutique hotel or five-star hotel would cost from HK$1.5 million to HK$1.8 million per room, or between HK$300 million and HK$360 million in total.

Together with the ongoing renovation of the higher block of China Resources Building and a plan to revamp the old publicly owned Harbour Road Garden next to its headquarters, north Wan Chai would see a facelift, Mr Song said.

To boost its international image as a green developer, CR Property is renovating its 25-year-old headquarters at a cost of about HK$600 million.

When the renovation is completed in 2012, the tower will be the first old building in Hong Kong to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) requirements.

Leed was created by the United States Green Building Council as a system for rating the environmental impact of buildings.

The retrofitted 50-storey headquarters building will have its water consumption cut by 30 per cent, power use by more than 10 per cent and carbon dioxide emissions by 7.5 per cent.

Chee Hok-yean, an executive vice-president of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, said there was demand for such a facility in the area, although five-star hotels were not as profitable as economy hotels in the current business environment.

But a source at China Resources said its chairman hoped to build an international-standard hotel in the hope of revamping the whole project as a premium mixed-used development with office and hospitality uses.

China Resources also plans to revamp the old Harbour Road Garden by upgrading the surrounding environment at its own expense.

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20071227/IMG_3590.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051018/IMG_2315.jpg

Nice to see companies that care about the appearance of their buildings.

By 鄧麗欣之戀 from skyscrapers.cn :

http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr95/kalvinkong/004-31.jpg

11/29

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2009/1129/IMG_3587.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2009/1129/IMG_3589.jpg

They're stripping the finish! Aaaa!

They're stripping the finish! Aaaa!

The facade is actually not too aged - wonder whether they'll go for a reflective change?

華潤大廈重建精品酒店
http://the-sun.on.cc/img/logo_tsn.png
2009年12月16日(三)

http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/news/20091216/photo/1216-00407-052b1.jpg

Both tall and short buildings in the China Resources Ctr. complex are affected by the $600 million plan. The tall building is 25 years old and will be renovated. The shorter building will be redeveloped into a 18-storey boutique hotel, which will be subject to government approval. The hotel will open in 2016.

Renovation is more environmentally-friendly, and will incorporate green glass features, among other improvements to drainage and other energy-efficiency plans. The renovation should be complete by Feb 2011.

【本報訊】華潤物業現正斥資六億元翻新有二十五年樓齡的灣仔華潤大廈高座，同時計劃將低座香港展覽中心重建為十八層高精品酒店，因地契列明不可作酒店用途，華潤要向地政總署申請修訂地契，涉及補地價，預計二○一六年啟用。

負責項目的呂元祥建築事務所副主席呂慶耀透露，翻新華潤大廈高座較清拆重建更合乎環保，除斥資逾一億元加設環保玻璃幕牆外，內部冷氣、通風、鮮風管道、照明、電力及供水系統均會改善，以達到節能目標。華潤物業副經理關博文補充，翻新只需六億元，預計項目可於二○一一年二月完成。

So it's confirmed. The taller block will be glassed up.

Too bad the short block is only 18 floors :-(

So it's confirmed. The taller block will be glassed up.

Too bad the short block is only 18 floors :-(

18 is quite tall already in that area! We can probably see it from the Island.

http://the-sun.on.cc/cnt/news/20090608/photo/0608_00407_017b2.jpg

1/17

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Is this project on hold? Nothing changed the last few weeks.

They're taking out the existing cladding at the top floors and working their way down. There is slight progression as I see more darker areas without cladding.

3/20

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2010/0320/IMG_7951.jpg

10/5

http://api.photoshop.com/home_11e5fbb8309740b9aa8ad5872ce63dff/adobe-px-thumbnails/d262167e0c274ae7be158a593dfd7d63/fullsize.jpg

so that's that new cladding... makes it more boring imho

Nice change though ... not very glassy yet modern.

Redevelopment means Wan Chai's dragons need new home
16 July 2010
South China Morning Post

http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20100716/photo/0716-00176-036b2.jpg

http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20100716/photo/0716-00176-036b1.jpg

Government arts and heritage officials have been asked to help find a new home for a 16-metre-long, glazed-tile wall in Wan Chai - modelled on the Nine Dragons Wall near to Beijing's Forbidden City - which is being relocated because of redevelopment.

China Resources Property offered the wall - built for HK$2 million in 1983 - to the government as a gift, but officials said it could not be stored.

The wall, which stands on the ground floor of the China Resources Building, on Harbour Road, will have to be removed from the site in September to make way for rebuilding and refurbishment of the public park that stands in front of it.

It was created in a Beijing workshop, then shipped to Hong Kong when the company set up its base here 27 years ago, Daniel Kwan Pok-man, the company's deputy general manager, said.

"The company wanted a strong presence in Hong Kong as a reminder of its roots. The wall has become well known among Hong Kong people. Many people have come to have their photographs taken alongside it," Kwan said.

The wall, which is four metres high, features glazed tiles depicting nine different coloured dragons flying in heaven. One end of the wall shows a scene at sunrise and the other end shows night time with moonlight shining over the sea.

The wall was modelled on the design and proportions of the original Nine Dragons Wall in Beihai Park, to the northwest of the Forbidden City, and created during the Qing Dynasty.

It was assembled with 4,700 glazed tiles made in a burning process under 1,300 degrees Celsius.

The company is refurbishing the existing office building to improve its efficiency and enhance the working environment and has obtained government approval to renovate the public park in front of the building. But the wall, which stands between the park and the tower, would block access and sunlight, Kwan said.

"We'd like to keep this wall and move it elsewhere, but we can't find a suitable place that is large enough. We actually want to give it to the government," he said.

The company approached the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Development Bureau for help. "Officials said they had no place to store it and that the wall was not old enough to be recognised as heritage." Kwan said.

China Resources Property plans to carefully place the wall in storage until a new home is found.

A spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said staff would be visiting the wall today before making any comment.

Yeung Chun-tong, director of the museum and art gallery at the University of Hong Kong, said he found the wall quite beautiful. "It is difficult to make such a huge wall with glazed tiles. It would be a pity if it is broken up and thrown away," he said.

7/25

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2010/0725/IMG_1605.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Genuine007/UC/100726c_002s.jpg
__________________
Buildings that don't get posted often (HK) Part I (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=211362) or here ( http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=209576) | Part II (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=212436) or here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=212435) | Part III (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=316338) | Part IV (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=366314) | Part V (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=13282175)
Artistic decorations inside and outside of the buildings (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=319077)

By touch from skyscrapers.cn :

http://pic.qnpic.com:83/r.jsp?fn=//fanjoin/share/2010/7/15/DSC03065.JPG

It's a welcome change!!! Next on the agenda should be that ugly concrete block next to it.

It's a welcome change!!! Next on the agenda should be that ugly concrete block next to it.

haha yah right. I have a friend who lives there he said less than 30% of the tenants are even interested at this point... it's tough when ur talking about relatively-newer units with harbor view...

haha yah right. I have a friend who lives there he said less than 30% of the tenants are even interested at this point... it's tough when ur talking about relatively-newer units with harbor view...

I can imagine. It's an amazing spot. Just an odd spot for apartments. Some glass on the facade would be ok already.

The owners probably don't want to sell because the meagre compensation they get won't give them any ability to buy a newer unit at a nearby location.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1114/5100744033_62586d45a9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54972786@N05/5100744033/)
IMG_3221 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54972786@N05/5100744033/) by skyscraperspicytimothy (http://www.flickr.com/people/54972786@N05/), on Flickr

Looks like a good investment on CR's behalf. The cladding is a great improvement!

Yah in person it was already looking pretty nice.

By Car_L :

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Genuine007/UC/101209c_018s.jpg

Also by Car_L :

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y181/Genuine007/UC/101218_152s.jpg

Topped out

This project is a recladding, so T/O isn't so relevant. The entire facade is being replaced much like Toronto's First Canadian Place.

5/8

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2011/0508/IMG_9681.jpg

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7/23 - work still ongoing @ the lower levels

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2011/0723/IMG_0541.jpg

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neat tower, perfect gap-filler

@hkskyline
Do you know how tall it is?

neat tower, perfect gap-filler

@hkskyline
Do you know how tall it is?

This is not a new tower, but just a recladding of the exterior. Emporis lists it at 178m (48 floors) : http://www.emporis.com/building/120959?lng=3

Lit up at night on 8/14 :

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2011/0814/IMG_7465.jpg

That's a pretty bright lighting scheme!

All done - note the building with the white lighting at the top by ANTHONY615 from dchome :

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd487/anthonylam8/DSC_0183.jpg

The renovation of the China Resources Building may be finished, but what about the proposed hotel? Has that been scrapped?

^ Not sure about that. Seems construction is still under way. I need to go again to take a look once it's finished.

2/5

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/2012/0205/IMG_9484.jpg

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