The 190-meter office building 2 Murray Road has been under construction since last year on the site of a multi-storey garage on Murray Road (using the underground and above-ground parts of the old building, which adds to the skyscraper "green" points).
The shape of the tower is defined by the bud of Blake's bauhinia,
the heraldic flower of Hong Kong, also called the Hong Kong Orchid tree. It seems to be about to bloom, but so far the dense petals are compressed. These curved contours will be made of 4-layer glass panels with double curvature and double lamination - this will be the first such façade in the city. It provides increased insulation and is able to withstand summer typhoons.
2 Murray Road is located in the heart of Hong Kong's financial district, next to
YM Pei's Bank of China skyscraper; and Norman Foster's HSBC headquarters. It adjoins the small Charter Garden park and is connected with a system of overhead passages, and through them - with the infrastructure of the area. The green area outside is continued by landscaping in the lobby, as well as a "sky garden" with a jogging track on the security floor. A banquet hall is planned at the very top of the 36-storey building.
Thanks to the high-strength steel frame, office floors will have spans up to 26 m and a height of 5 m; the elevator and staircase has been moved to the east to maximize panoramic views to the west - of the Charter Garden and the city.
The architects thought of a contactless system for entering the building right up to the workplace of a specific employee (for example, artificial intelligence controls the elevator buttons), as well as access to recreational areas and toilets. It is a response to the current epidemiological situation in China and the world.
The project claims to be LEED Platinum. On the western side of the above mentioned high-efficiency façade, fans will be installed, which will turn on when the sun warms up. They are powered by photovoltaic cells. Two weather stations, at the foot and at the top of the building, will control the microclimate systems inside: they record not only temperature and humidity, but also the level of pollution and noise. Other sensors measure the number of people in a specific part of the building to maintain air quality.
All office floors will receive natural ventilation, which, however, can be supplemented with mechanical dehumidification and air filtration if desired. It is planned to reduce electricity costs by 26% thanks to the refrigeration center and the improved ventilation system. Natural light sensors are also used, which will reduce the cost of artificial lighting.
