International Commerce Center – the Future King of Hong Kong

International Commerce Center

The International Commerce Centre (traditional Chinese: 環球貿易廣場), abbr. ICC Tower, is a 118 floor, 484 m skyscraper under construction in West Kowloon, Hong Kong; as part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station.   The height has been scaled back from earlier plans due to regulations that didn’t allow buildings to be taller than the surrounding mountains. The original proposal for this building was called Kowloon Station Phase 7 and it was designed to be 574 m tall.  Even with the height reduction, it will still clearly rise over the current tallest in Hong Kong, 2 International Finance Centre.

Its formal development name is Union Square Phase 7 and the name International Commerce Centre was officially announced in 2005. Upon completion by 2010, the skyscraper will become Hong Kong’s tallest building and will have the third highest roof in the world, after the Burj Dubai and the Shanghai World Financial Centre.

A five-star hotel operated by Ritz-Carlton will occupy the top 15 floors of the tower. The hotel’s lobby will be 425 m above the ground, becoming the highest hotel in the world surpassing that of the Park Hyatt in the Shanghai World Financial Centre.

A viewing deck on the 100th floor will be opened to the public when the building opens in 2010.