Setting standards In 1985 Swire Properties purchased a seemingly isolated plot of land in Admiralty, then home to the former Victoria Barracks. Envisaging the masterplan for a successful future that no one else imagined at the time, created fertile ground for transformative placemaking. On a notable tract of land in a prime location, with an original idea and a blueprint, conveniently connected to the rest of the city. Gaining status over the past four decades as a pioneering integrated development, Pacific Place has demonstrated that the best places are deliberately created with intent, ensuring that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Top-tier office space that extended Central Business District; a cluster of five-star hotels, exclusive high-rise serviced apartments and an ingeniously-designed retail stage created a new benchmark for mixed-use developments in the region; putting Admiralty firmly on the map. And Swire Properties’ visionary master plan didn’t stop there. An innovative new tunnel linking Pacific Place with Wan Chai allowed careful extension into the surrounding community. This delivered a plan of revitalisation for Star Street Precinct – with prime office space, re-designed residences and an enhanced streetscape, the vibrant backdrop to new shops, bars, restaurants and landscaped open spaces. Returning to a historical Hong Kong neighbourhood the refreshed hallmarks of texture, colour and personality; even willingly investing resources on initiatives to the benefit of the wider community. st The opportunity for In the decade before the turn of the 21 century, Hong Kong had begun to identify global recognition new commercial zones and vibrant employment hubs across the city. One was Quarry Bay, where Swire Properties had over 100 years of association. The company seized a unique opportunity – invested in land and built a premium office- led infrastructure. And ultimately, its transformation into the present-day global business district, Taikoo Place. This has been placemaking on a grand scale. Taikoo Place is now home to over 300 international corporations and successfully serves the widest needs of more than 35,000 office workers. Anchored by two MTR stations, with ten premium office towers, including One and Two Taikoo Place, Hong Kong’s smartest and greenest offices, the complex is inventively connected by an expansive series of elevated footbridges. With vibrant hubs enhanced by the convenience of restaurants, bars and a members’ club, and with EAST offering residences and a lifestyle hotel on the doorstep, Taikoo Place delivers the efficiencies of business life balanced by recreational spaces. Here, landscaped gardens and parks are brought to life by artistic installations, seasonal markets and a dedicated approach to sustainable community-building. SWIRE PROPERTIES PAGE 7