Arms outstretched to embrace approaching visitors, Citibank/Asia Pacific Finance Plaza exemplifies architect Rocco Yim’s philosophy that a conjoined development of this stature should draw upon its surroundings as an integral component of its design rationale. Because the ground floor was volunteered as a permanent right of way. keeping it accessible to the public around the clock, the plaza gained a bonus increment to its plot ratio.

Yim’s L-shaped plan links a double parallelogram to a curvilinear facade that resembles a reflective shield. Between these asymmetrical wings, ‘in keeping with Hong Kong’s spontaneity and freedom from rigid constraints.’ a flight of stairs ascends through the main portico to the ground floor lobby, which affords easy access to the interior shopping arcade, to neighbouring buildings further along the Garden Road incline and across a footbridge to the green refuge of Hong Kong Park.

While later rivals have followed its lead. Citibank/Asia Pacific Finance Plaza was the first privately developed commercial building to incorporate such features as raised floors and an optic-fibre telecommunications ‘backbone.’ Altogether its achievement is a far cry from its predecessor on this site, a utilitarian 2 storey government block which survived an even earlier age of military ceremonials staged on its surrounding parade ground.

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