The AIA Insurance Central Building. Hong Kong. By Skidmore, Owings and Merrill



This is one of the two office towers bearing the name of AIA insurance company in Hong Kong. It is located in the Central District towards Admiralty underground station. 


The design is work of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill from the United States. This is one of the largest architectural firms in the world. This was the first that led the way to the widespread use of the modern or "glass box" skyscraper.




Skidmore, Owings and Merrill are the same architects who designed the Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport. 

The AIA tower is quite nice, better looking that other dull rectangles like the one just built on its left size. However, just as Airport Terminal 2 lacks the emotional attraction of the older Terminal 1 designed by Norman Foster, this tower lacks the "wow factor" and the emotional attraction of other buildings designed by Renzo Piano, for example, or by Norman Foster or by I.M. Pei like the Bank of China Tower nearby.






At night the lights on the side of the building continuously change colour, an idea that seems a bit childish. 




You may have the same feeling of "pleasant but childish" when looking at the ceiling of the Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International airport. The ornaments on the ceiling reproduce the waves of the sea. The ceiling of Terminal 1 has no ornaments, everything on it is functional to its job of reflecting light or holding the structure together. However the Terminal 1 is impressive and attracts your attention like the ceiling of a cathedral. Terminal 2 is pleasant but dull, both from inside and from outside.


The Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong.


Try to compare this AIA tower with the Bank of China Tower designed by I.M. Pei and the feeling is the same. Everything in Pei’s building is structural and functional, yet the result is impressive majestic. The surface of the AIA tower is curved on one side, the exterior is covered by decorative rails with no structural job and lighted up by lights of ever changing colours, and the result may be pleasant, but it is certainly a bit dull.


This article of the Financial Times gives some detail of the recent corporate history of AIA insurance: AIG raises $6.45bn as it exits AIA


A night view of the Bank of China Building is here: http://youtu.be/1Q84SBbuLxk 

In this video you can see the Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport: 
http://youtu.be/1v9D0hLXObY . You may notice the ornaments of the ceiling similar to waves in the sea.

In this video you can see the Terminal 1 of Hong Kong International Airport: 
http://youtu.be/0_vWgnOeyHE  This terminal is was designed by Norman Foster.




Here are some more photos of the AIA Central Building.










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