Welcome to the Archives of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. The purpose of this online collection is to function as a tool for scholars, students, architects, preservationists, journalists and other interested parties. The archive consists of photographs, slides, articles and publications from Rudolph’s lifetime; physical drawings and models; personal photos and memorabilia; and contemporary photographs and articles.

Some of the materials are in the public domain, some are offered under Creative Commons, and some are owned by others, including the Paul Rudolph Estate. Please speak with a representative of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture before using any drawings or photos in the Archives. In all cases, the researcher shall determine how to appropriately publish or otherwise distribute the materials found in this collection, while maintaining appropriate protection of the applicable intellectual property rights.

In his will, Paul Rudolph gave his Architectural Archives (including drawings, plans, renderings, blueprints, models and other materials prepared in connection with his professional practice of architecture) to the Library of Congress Trust Fund following his death in 1997. A Stipulation of Settlement, signed on June 6, 2001 between the Paul Rudolph Estate and the Library of Congress Trust Fund, resulted in the transfer of those items to the Library of Congress among the Architectural Archives, that the Library of Congress determined suitable for its collections. The intellectual property rights of items transferred to the Library of Congress are in the public domain. The usage of the Paul M. Rudolph Archive at the Library of Congress and any intellectual property rights are governed by the Library of Congress Rights and Permissions.

However, the Library of Congress has not received the entirety of the Paul Rudolph architectural works, and therefore ownership and intellectual property rights of any materials that were not selected by the Library of Congress may not be in the public domain and may belong to the Paul Rudolph Estate.

LOCATION
Address: 26 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
City: Hong Kong
State:
Zip Code:
Nation: China

STATUS
Type: Commercial
Status: Project

TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1989
Site Area:
Floor Area:
Height: 1,201.74 ft (366.29 m)
Floors (Above Ground): 110
Building Cost:

PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client: Sino Land Company, Ltd.
Architect: Paul Rudolph
Associate Architect:
Landscape:
Structural:
MEP:
QS/PM:

SUPPLIERS
Contractor:
Subcontractor(s):

Sino Tower (Harbour Road Project)

The project as described in an undated description by Paul Rudolph titled ‘Notes on the Proposed Architectural Design’:

URBANISM
The site lends itself to a ‘Focal’ Building for the following reasons:
1. The site is essentially a plaza: bounded on three sides by streets augmented by a park on two sides, and a diagonal view of the harbour.
2. This plaza is developed 3 dimensionally by building of varying height, but they form a definition of the space.
3. This space is felt because the openness of the site is juxtaposed to a highly developed and very dense surrounding area.
4. The openings should be maintained in so far as possible.
5. The site has diagonal views to the water: the one to the northeast is open above a bridge (about 8m) and the one to the northwest is open above the exposition building podium (about 51m). In a sense the roof of the podium is the front terrace for the new project, since the harbour and magnificent views are immediately adjacent to the exposition building.
RELATIONSHIP OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN TO SITE
1. The proposed design grows logically from the site, the proposed tower is pushed as far south as possible to maximize the views of the harbour.
2. The building aligns with the streets because all the other building align themselves with the streets. This contributes a sense of harmony with the other buildings. The placement of the columns at a 45 degree angle to the streets creates a sense of turning around the three sides of the site open to the streets, plus giving the building at certain points eight sides.
3. The inherent openness of the site is to a large degree maintained since the bulk of the building is placed above the podium of the exposition building, clustered and sloping columns frame large open spaces (invitations to enter the building). They also allow one to see through the building to a large degree, thereby sensing the open plaza in which the building is placed. This openness at the base is a civic gesture which will be appreciated by the surrounding buildings.
PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION
The existing pedestrian bridges lead one into the great open space formed by the 16 diagonal clustered columns. The bridges are essentially arranged in an asymmetrical manner but the escalator and elevator system is arranged symmetrically in order to give a simple sense of orientation. The actual entries to the building are symmetrically placed at the four corners with an office lobby atrium placed to the west and a shopping center placed to the east, with direct circulation between the two.
Circulation at grade is essentially diagonally through the site as well as parallel to the streets. The diagonal circulation is interrupted by the proposed sunken garden which have generous stairs leading to three levels of terraces. The garden is sunken on order to create an isolated more intimate exterior “Room” removed from the noise of the traffic and having its own character. A reflecting pool (possibly converted to a skating rink in the winter) plus waterfalls and possibly a restaurant, plus semi-private sitting groups are proposed. The sunken outdoor garden would be placed tangentially to the fours levels of the shopping, each level would be directly related to corresponding levels of the garden. The sunken area would leave approximately 65% of the public garden at grade.
Pedestrian circulation to the hotel is isolated from other circulation patterns. In that an elevator lobby has been place ‘outside’ the main tower, put at the natural entry point when approaching the site from the principal entrance to the exhibition centre. Three elevators would take hotel patrons directly to the hotel lobby. Service elevators would take all luggage to appropriate designations.
Steps and elevators are placed in direct relationship to vehicular unloading points. Escalators connect the grade and second floor (elevator dispatch floor).
HOTEL
The hotel is placed with it’s lobby slightly above the roof of the podium of the exposition building, thereby, giving the hotel lobby and its adjunct facilities views of the harbour. The core of the office building tower runs through the center of this floor, but since the lobby is three stories in height, the entire space can be developed into a series of mezzanines containing appropriate hotel functions.
The hotel lobby follows the essential form of the typical hotel floors above, consequently it is an ‘X’ form which allows harbour views from each of the legs of the ‘X’. The ends of the ‘X’ forms have splendid potentials for development of special function, including terraces, dining, suites, etc. Approximately 350 hotel rooms are conceived of as each having a major space, relatively intimate, private and secure, juxtaposed to a glass enclosed balcony or greenhouse.
All hotel circulation is separated from office circulation.
TOWER
The office tower is divided into six groups vertically with ten floors in each group. The floors of each group are slightly smaller that the group of floors below it. This is partially for structural reasons. But it is also to lend a less bulky appearance to the tower itself, making it more graceful.
Each group of floors is separated from the next by a refuge floor, which is proposed to be left open. This is a further effort to reduce the apparent bulk of the building, and to graduate the scale of the building. The open floors might accommodate some mechanical equipment, plus have a small coffee shop, plus serve as a viewing terrace and social center. In addition the transfer of wind loads from the perimeter to the central core, which will entail very deep girders, could be introduced at the open floors. Exterior artificial lighting with easy access may be appropriate and effective.
The typical office floors are square with alternative floors a modified ‘X’ reflecting the essential structural organization of the building. The ends of the ‘X’ become cantilevered ‘Bay Windows’ giving them opportunity for unique offices plus more corner windowed offices.
The typical office floor is based on one meter square with a ten meter structural system bi-laterally. This is augmented by the ‘X’ structural wind bracing.
The essential dimensions of the ‘core’ remain the same for the entire height of the building, but since the elevators are dropped off at regular intervals the usable floor space remains fairly constant in spite of the reduction of mass in the upper groups of office floors.
FENESTRATION
It is proposed that the windows of much of the entire project be slanted outward at approximately 45 degrees so that the sun never strikes the surface of the glass. This arrangement would have profound effect on the both the interior and exterior of the building both architecturally and mechanically. The resulting exterior catches the light and reflections in multiple ways, rendering the entire building cut like a jewel. From the interior the box-like space of the typical office would be modified by the implied invitation to look out and down from the sloping wall of glass.
THE TERMINUS OF THE BUILDING
The mechanical equipment at the top of the building is proposed to be housed in a series of separate enclosures connected by platforms, steps, ramps, etc. Each enclosure is to be separated somewhat from its neighbor. Sloping exposed columns, forming a truncated pyramid, would support the whole. Each enclosure would have an elongated form with faceted gold leafed ends, reflecting the sun. The arrangement of the forming would create a sense of movement, giving almost the sense of levitation, especially when seen against the moving clouds. Artificial lighting would ensure a memorable image from great distances.
SCALE
The intention is to make a building which has a strong image from great distances, but which maintains its sense of the dynamic from the middle distance and close at hand. The overall ‘A’ form becomes more faceted and smaller in scale the closer one comes to it. The silhouette is very three dimensional and constantly changing, especially at the top and at the sides. The clustering of columns is in keeping with the size of the project and the need for a degree of monumentality. These large columns give way to a relatively plastic or sculptural arrangement of solids and voids which make up the two atriums, shopping, entry walks, office lobbies, etc. Some activities call for large and rather grandly scaled spaces while others need to be small and intimate in character.
MATERIALS
It is proposed that the entire superstructure be sheathed with a silver like glass with the exception of the core (both inside and outside) which should be sheathed with granite, and all exposed structural members could be sheathed with very light aluminum; gold leaf could be added at the top on the sloping surfaces of the mechanical system and perhaps at the entrances, granite should be used for the flooring and walls of major ‘public’ space. In general the best buildings have the fewest number of materials.
SUMMARY
The site affects profoundly the surrounding buildings because of the density of Hong Kong at this area. The building works best urbanistically if it is as open as possible at the base allowing light and air for neighbors as well as for the building itself. This means extending the building vertically. The image of the building (from outside and at great distances) is best given by a memorable silhouette - an ‘A’ frame at the base with ever decreasing horizontal dimensions as the building soars into the sky. The apparent bulk of the building could be decreased by the introduction of open ‘refuge floors’ plus the use of faceted and sloping glass. Light, air, dematerialization of the bulk, clarity of circulation, clarity of structure, variety of spaces formed in accordance with use, plus simplicity of the use of materials, and detailing will ensure a dynamic building for people to use, to remember, and to add to the beauty of Hong Kong.