Famous Commercial Building in Admiralty

With its unique design, Lippo Centre is the landmark of Admiralty.

Not only was Lippo Centre, the core of Admiralty awarded the name of Office Miracle due to its unbeatable high value but also elected as the third ugliest skyscraper in the globe.  The poll was organised by Architectural Digest, a US architectural media.  Lippo Centre was one of the ugliest among other 24 ugly skyscrapers.


It’s not the first time Hong Kong’s architectural designs are criticised for its design and appearance but being on top of the list is Lippo Centre’s first time. Moreover, the positive comments about Lippo Centre have been way more than the negative ones. Let’s see whether Lippo Centre deserves the notorious name.


Lippo Centre was completed back in 1988 and it was designed by Paul Rudolph, a famous architect in USA with the assistance of Wong and Ouyang Consultants in Hong Kong.  The twin towered grade A office buildings were in Octagon and the two blocks were connected with a large platform.

When you pay attention to the details of the buildings, it’s easy to spot the twelve thick pillars supporting the twin towers from both inside and outside of the buildings. At the front entrance of the building, there’s a large fountain with a spacious area for leisure purposes.


One of the greatest features is the robot-like trunk of the towers. The octagonal building is separated into 3 sections and you can see the strong contrast of the 3-dimentional design in each session.

Although the unique design of the landmark leaves a remarkable impression to visitors, it pays a high cost in maintenance and cleaning.  The suspended working platforms are custom made to facilitate the special design of the towers.


Once Lippo Centre was criticised for its impractical use of space because the average area of each floor is less than 1,000 square feet.  However, it doesn’t affect its position of the landmark of the international financial centre.  Many photographers and tourists visit the building and take pictures of the surrounding area.