HSBC Head Office in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) was established in 1865 in a tiny British Outpost of Hong Kong. Some 60 years ago in 1950, it was a small regional bank in the Far East. With its continual world-wide expansion, it is now the largest bank domiciled in the UK by far. It is valued at GBP 120bn whereas the other banks, Barclays, Lloyds and Standard Chartered are about GBP 30bn and the infamous RBS at about GBP 20 bn. (These figures are based on 2009 full year results)
So, what has contributed to this astonishing but solid growth?
The Location:
The head office in Hong Kong has occupied the “Feng Shui” sweet spot. It is between the hill (mountain) behind and the sea (water) in front. At this point, the energy coming down the hill is held or stopped by the sea in front. This area becomes an energy pool.
In front of the HSBC building is Statue Square. The story as the goes, the bank bought the land and then presented it to the Hong Kong Government as a park. Once it is a park, it is highly unlikely that anything can be built there. One of the tenets of Feng Shui, it is best not to have the front of the building blocked.
The location of the HSBC building is the right place – hill at the back, sea in front and a clear space in front of the building.
This is the ideal Feng Shui configuration.
The energy pool in front of the building provides the Head Office with the necessary energy (quantity and quality) for the business.
Google Earth image of HSBC Head Office in Hong Kong with Statue Square in front.
The Building:
A question many people have asked – why is there a “gap” beneath the HSBC building. Hong Kong is a crowded place and the buildings are very close to each other. The gap underneath the building is to allow the energy from the hill to move down to the front of the building. If there was no gap, the energy who have to struggle through the gaps between the building. This energy squeezing past this gap would move too fast to be of any benefit to HSBC and the neighbouring buildings. The escalators to the building bring the energy up from the energy pool.
Image on Flickr by adaptorplug on the gap beneath the HSBC building and the escalators.
The building is clad in glass with the superstructure of Steel. These elements are suitable for the period 7 (1985-2005)where metal is the predominant element.
Conclusion:
The building is at a good location; in an energy pool between the hill and the sea. The design of the building is congruous with the time it was built.
Dr Michael Oon
