Development of Modern Architecture in Hong Kong.
香港現代建築的發展
Author: Edward Leung. 作者：梁以華
Date: June 2013. 日期：2013年6月
Case Study 2: Landmark in Central
案例2：置地廣場
Building / Site: Landmark
建築 /地點：置地廣場
Theme: Mobility and Efficiency
主題：流動感及效率性
Location: Made up of two parts: North part being Gloucester Tower and Atrium on Des Voeux Road and Pedder Street, the South part being the Edinburgh Tower and York House (used to be Landmark East), on Queens Road Central and Ice House Street.
位置：干諾廣場，干諾道以北。
Ownership: Hongkong Land.
業權：置地公司。
Architect (original building): P&T Architects.
建築師 (原建築)：畢馬丹拿建築師。
Architect (recent years alterations): Aedas Ltd.
建築師 (近年改造)：凱達國際。
Year of Construction: Phase One:1979; Phase Two: 1982; recent re-development: 2007.
建造年期：第一期：1979；第二期：1982；近年重建2007。
History:
The site comprising today’s Landmark complex has a complicated history of acquisitions and constructions spanning 150 years. It is made of several individual lots used to be occupied by various buildings belonging to different developers. The configuration of site lots “demonstrates how the boundaries along the north shore of the Hong Kong Island have evolved” (Nissim, Roger, “Land Administration and Practice in Hong Kong”, 1998, Hong Kong University Press, p46), which in turns testifies the early reclamation sequence (Cameron, Nigel, “The Hongkong Land Company Ltd: A brief History”, 1979). The various stages of amalgamations and re-configurations of this ensemble demonstrates how the owner and architect utilized opportunities of land exchanges, explored statutory mechanisms, addressed the social aspirations, aligned contemporary commercial market trends, and borrowed experiences from international architectural ideas, to fully explore the development potentials, and deliver the architectural innovations, to serve the developer, the users, and the public. Its architecture testifies the history of architectural evolution and the maturity of urban development in Hong Kong.
歷史：
組成今日置地廣場的地盤擁有一段橫跨150年之複雜的收購及建設。它由幾塊屬不同發展商擁有的不同建築物的地段組成。它的組合「揭示港島北岸的地界演化」(李森：「香港土地管理及實務」，1998)，因而是早期填海步驟之見証 (甘馬倫：《置地公司簡史》，1979)。這建築羣在不同階段的合拼和重組，顯示出業主和建築師如何利用土地交換、發掘法規機制、回應社會訴求、配合當時商業市場動向、借用國際建築理念、充份發揮發展力，達致建築創意，為發展商、使用者和公眾服務。其建築見証香港建築的蛻變及都市發展的成熟過程。
Heritage of Prestigious Hotel:
Back in the end of the 19th century, when Des Voeux Road was still the Praya, the site at the corner of Pedder Street (now Gloucester Tower) used to be occupied by the powerful merchant Dent & Co until it failed in 1867. Then Hong Kong Hotel, originally on the south side, took over this site to extend as the North prestigious wing. The hotel was visited by many celebrities including Dr Sun, which the current Dr Sun Trail of Hong Kong still identifies this site as a major historic spot. On the other side facing Queens Road Central, at the corner of Ice House Street (now York House), stood the originally St Francis Hotel, later renamed Astor Hotel in 1911. After the north wing of the Hong Kong Hotel was burn down on the New Year Day of 1926. Hongkong Land acquired the NW corner of the site in 1928 to build the 9 storey Gloucester Hotel, recognizing the importance of a prestigious hotel in the center of Central District. Thus when Hongkong Land started to consider redeveloping part of the Landmark into a prestigious hotel in 2005, it rightly follows up the hotel tradition on this site.
尊貴酒店的傳統：
在19世紀末當德輔道仍然是海傍的時候，畢打街角的地盤 (今日之告羅士打大厦) 的業主是強盛的商行顛地，直至它在1987年倒閉。原本在南方的香港大酒店購下此地而擴建為尊貴的北翼。不少名人，包括孫中山先生亦曾下塌此間，因而孫中山史跡逕亦以此為一站。在面向皇后大道中的另一面，在雪廠街的角落 (今日之約克大厦)，以前是聖法蘭士酒店，之後在1911年改稱雅士酒店。在1926年的元旦日，香港大酒店北翼燒毀。置地公司遂購入地盤的西北角，在1928年改建為9層的告羅士打酒店，確認在中環核心的尊貴酒店的重要性。所以當置地公司在2005年考慮把置地廣場部份再發展為尊貴酒店的時候，正是承傳這地點的酒店的傳統。
Early Use of Statutory Development Potential:
The Landmark site went through multiple stages of redevelopment through its history. The building form resulted from such various stages reveal the innovative strategies by both developer and architect to fully utilize potentials permitted by regulations at particular times. Thus the Landmark can be seen as a history book of statutory evolution of Hong Kong.
早期利用上法定發展潛力：
置地廣場經歷過多階段的再發展。不同階段引發的建築形態揭示發展商和建築師，如何充份利用特定時代的法規所賦予的潛力，發揮創意的策畧。因此置地廣場可以視為記載香港法規蛻變的歷史書。
One example can be seen in the history of Gloucester Building (on the corner of Des Voeux Road and Pedder Street), built in 1932, after Hongkong Land bought this site after the northern portion of the old Hong Kong Hotel which was burnt down on New Year Day of 1926. “The idea in creating residential accommodation in Gloucester Building was to lease it to proprietors of the (original) … Hotels. … Those tenants living there (were) being regarded as residents and not occupiers of hotel rooms” (Cameron, Nigel, “The Hongkong Land Company Ltd: A Brief History”, Offset Printing Company (HK), 1979, p28). The original Hong Kong Hotel, although only of 6 storeys, was actually a building of substantial height, due to very tall floor to floor height to accommodate the luxurious foyers and dancing hall. The 1903 Building Ordinance clause 188 permitted, for non-domestic buildings, including hotels, “the height of any building here-in re-erected may be equal to the height of the existing building”. The developer and architect thus re-developed the site into Gloucester Building, as a 9 storey building with much less floor to floor height, where the 9th floor was set back from the façade, and the parapet of 8th floor matches that of the old Hotel.
其中一例是置地公司在香港大酒店北翼在1926年元旦日燒毀後購入該地盤，而於1932年建的告士打行(畢打街與德輔道中的街角)。「在告士打行提供住宅原意是租給(原)酒店的股東， …其中的住客並不被視為酒店客而是被視為住宅業主」(甘馬倫：《置地公司簡史》，1979)。原本的香港大酒店雖然衹有6層，但是因為它的尊貴的大堂及舞廳的每層高度，其實是很高的建築物。1903年的建築物法例的第188條容許非住宅，包括酒店，「重建至原有的建築物的高度」。發展商和建築師因此將這地盤重新發展為9層的告士打行，每層高度較矮，而第9層則後退，讓第8層之牆頂與舊有酒店相同。
Site Amalgamations and Major Re-development in 1970s:
Development control in Hong Kong changed from traditional height and volume calculation to the new plot ratio calculation in 1964, effectively encouraging tall commercial towers. The earlier restrictions that dictated the form of Gloucester Building is no longer relevant. The re-consideration of all the plots of land between Des Voeux Road and Queens Road Central opened up all new possibilities that resulted in the modern efficient twin towers of Landmark in early 1980s.
1970年代的地盤整合及主要重建：
在1964年香港的發展控制由傳統的高度及體積計算轉成新的面積比率計算，無形中鼓勵高的商業塔樓。早前主宰了告士打行的形態的限制已不再合用。將德輔道中至皇后大道中的所有地段重新考慮，可以打開新的機會，造就了1980年代現代而高效的置地廣場的雙塔。
Another important historic factor was the building of the MTR (underground public rail transport system of Hong Kong) in late 1970s, which facilitated re-developments of existing properties along the MTR routes, in particularly around the Central Station.
另一個重要的歷史因素是1970年代地下鐵路的興建，讓沿鐵路的現有物業再發展，尤其是在中環站周圍。
Hongkong Land embarked an ambitious long term plan to amalgamate a number of their premises in Central, to achieve a site large enough to develop a group of office towers in line with the then North American trend. Such advanced re-development strategy was probably borrowed from then New York experience, where the principle of property investment was “one unified lot was usually valued at 10% more than the sum of its parts, though some believed that it could worth 50% more” (Willis, Carol, “Form Follows Finance”, Princeton Architectural Press, 1995, p161) .
置地公司展開了一個整合他們旗下在中環的物業的長遠而大膽的計劃，以求達到一塊可以發展為配合當時北美潮流的商業塔樓羣的龐大地盤。這種先進的重建策畧很可能從當時紐約的經驗借來，原理是物業投資在於「一個整合的地段通常比其部份加起來多10%，有人相信可能值得50%」(威廉士，《形態跟隨金融》，1995) 。
To such objective, Hongkong Land executed a bold move in 1974 of exchanging one of their prime buildings, Jardine House on No 14-16 Pedder Street (the site of the current Wheelock House), with another developer Wheelock, in exchange of their Lane Crawford Building on No 14 Des Voeux Road. By demolishing all the three buildings along Des Voeux Road, namely Gloucester Building, Lane Crawford and Winsor House, a large enough site was available to build the new Gloucester Tower and a new large Atrium, as Landmark Phase One, completed in 1979.
為了這個目標，置地公司在1974年進了一個大膽的行動，以他們其中一間核心建築，畢打街14至16號的怡和大厦 (現今德豐大厦的地盤)，跟另一發展商德豐交換他們在德輔道中14號的連卡佛大厦。衹要拆缷沿德輔道中的一列三間大厦，告士打行、連卡佛大厦和温沙大厦，便可以形成一個足夠大建成新的告羅士打大厦以及新的中庭，在1979年完成置地廣場第一期。
Next, both Marina House and Edinburgh Building on Queens Road Central were demolished in 1979 to make way for new Edinburgh Tower and Landmark East to complete Landmark Phase Two in 1982. These timely moves caught both the economic development of Hong Kong and the international commercial market in 1980s, and thus, “in a single comprehensive and imaginative scheme of entirely contemporary design, will not only be completely renewed but will form a very large part of a new concept for an old area” (Cameron, Nigel, “The Hongkong Land Company Ltd: A Brief History”, Offset Printing Company (HK), 1979, p60).
接著，面向皇后大道中的公主行及公爵行則在1979年被拆缷，以便建成新的公爵大厦及置地東座，在1982年完成廣場第一期。這些合時的舉動，切合了1980年代香港的經驗發展以及國際商業市場，因此「在這單項全面及創意的完全現代設計的方案裏，使這片舊地域完全更新，並塑造成一片很大面積的新概念」(甘馬倫：《置地公司簡史》，1979)。
Architecture:
The Introduction of Urban Indoor Atrium:
The Landmark Development was one of the most significant and influential piece of modern commercial architecture in Hong Kong, because it brought the then popular North American commercial indoor urban atrium concept to Hong Kong.
建築：
置地廣場發展項目引進了當時北美流行的都市室內商業中庭，使之成為是當時香港最重要和最具影響力的現代商業建築。
The maturing of the North American model probably started with Ford Foundation Headquarters in New York (Kevin Roche, 1967), which is designed with trees and pavings like a garden, and the outdoor plaza on Tudor City Place extends seamlessly through the grand glass walls into the atrium space. Next major milestone was probably IDS Centre in Minneapolis (Philip Johnson and John Burgee, 1973), with a glass roofed atrium surrounded by commercial towers. Its key success was its connection to surrounding blocks by “a system of second level bridges, or skywalks, … feed directly into the plaza atrium, … (making it) the center of life, the main spatial event, the place to be” (Bednar, Michael, “The New Atrium”, McGraw-Hill Book Ltd, 1986, p48). This manner adopted in IDS that pedestrians easily enter the multi-level atrium at high levels, is very similar to the way in Hong Kong, that the footbridges linking the building from across Des Voeux Road leads onto Landmark’s 2nd floor arcades, overlooking the atrium central space.
北美形式的成熟期可能始於紐約福特基金總部 (Kevin Roche, 1967)，它以仿花園的樹木及地磚設計，將室外的都鐸城市廣場無縫地透過大玻璃牆伸展進入室內中庭。接著的里程碑可能是明尼阿波利斯市IDS中心(Philip Johnson and John Burgee, 1973)，以商業塔樓包圍著玻璃頂的中庭。它成功之處在於與四周的樓宇的聯系，「以二樓的天橋的系統 (聯系)，… 引進到中庭廣場 … (使之為)活力的中心、主要活動空間、必到地點」(畢納：《新中庭》，1986)。這種在IDS讓行人輕易地從高處進入多層中庭的手法，與在香港行人天橋跨越德輔道中引進置地廣場二樓商場走廊而俯瞰中央中庭空間的方法非常相似。
On closer examination, the Landmark atrium built in 1979 bears a number of design features borrowed from IDS Center, including, square grid roof-lights, circular fountain, indoor trees, light poles, and the multi-level experience enabled by overlooking decks and cris-crossing escalators. Records that the Hongkong Land senior management visited European and North American cities at the inception of the project, further enforce the speculation that the Landmark development strategy probably made reference to these then prominent examples.
仔細觀察下，建於1979年的置地廣場中庭擁有不少從IDS中心借來的設計特徵，包括正方格玻璃天窗、圓型噴水池、室內樹木、燈柱，以及利用高處的平台及交义扶手電梯方便俯瞰的多層體驗。有記錄置地公司的高級管理層在項目概念期曾到歐美城市探訪，進一步顯示置地廣場的發展策畧有可能參考這些著名的例子。
Thematic Design of Atrium Space:
Well noting the North American experience, the developer understands that “city parks are not abstractions, … they mean nothing divorced from their practical tangible use” (Jacobs, Jane, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, Random House, 1993, p145s). In Landmark Atrium, Shops are lined on all four sides, leisure café is placed on a raised café platform, and escalators offer a sense of busy sense of Mobility across the space. Matured trees, rough pavings, circular fountain, and in particular the famous half-round “Romeo and Juliet Balconies” overlooking the centre, reveal its design ambition to re-create the European town plaza in a daylit air-conditioned commercial context.
中庭空間的主題設計：
發展商在注意到北美的經驗下意識到「城市園地並非抽象物，…若是脫離實際使用便變得全無意義」(簡雅各布斯：《美國偉大城市的生與死》，1993)。在置地廣場的中庭，四邊以商店包圍，昇高平台設置咖啡室，而扶手電梯則給予在空間中的繁忙流動性的感覺。成長的大樹、粗糙的地磚、圓型噴水池、以及著名的半圓形「羅密歐與茱麗葉露台」可供俯瞰中央，揭示它當初以日光照滿的空調商業環境中重塑歐洲小鎮廣場的設計野心。
Configuration of Office Towers:
The white deep surrounds of window modules, make up an impressive regular prefect square grid elevation on all sides, similar to the aesthetics of Centre Point of London (Richard Seifert, 1967). After the war, North American high-rises tend to emphasis on usable floor efficiency (rentable office space in proportion to typical construction floor plate size), lift service efficiency (dividing the vertical zones to even out the waiting time), and depth of floor space (the maximum distance from an office desk near the central core to the window). Building on the experience of Connaught Building, the developer devised a refined configuration of a efficiency four lift-zone stacking, a more efficient central core floor plate of 16,000 sq ft, a more daylit space with rooms with windows on all four sides the depth of office limited to 10m only, and an exceedingly usable floor efficiency of 75% (low zone) to 83 % (top zone). Such configuration permits the twin square plan towers to nicely fit on a diagonal disposition on this dumb-bell shaped site, to mitigate blockage of view.
寫字樓塔樓的形態：
窗口的白色深框在四面組成令人印象深刻的、規則的正方格立面，近似倫敦中心大厦的美學(Richard Seifert, 1967)。戰後北美的高廈開始著重可用樓面率 (可租寫字樓樓面與建築樓面比例)，升降機服務效率 (將高度分區以均分等候時間，及樓面深度 (由核心服務筒旁的寫字桌至窗口的最遠距離)。建基於康樂大厦的經驗，發展商發掘出一個改良的四區升降機排疊，達至一個較高效的中央核心服務筒的1萬6千平方呎樓面，四面皆有可獲日光的有窗房間而寫字樓深度不超10米，而可用樓面率則達到極高效的由低層的75%至高層的83%。這個造型容許兩座方型平面塔樓在這個啞鈴形的地盤對角放置，減少觀境阻礙。
Recent Years Remodeling:
近年重塑：
Re-development enabled by Regulatory Changes:
Continuing the earlier fore-sight and ambition of the 1980s, the developer saw another opportunity in 2004 as Hong Kong just began to come around the corner of economic upturn after years of recession. Recognizing the commercial trend to operate new world-class hotel, and market opportunity to open up the rather quiet Queen’s Road front as top-end retail premise, Hongkong Land embarks on yet another bold plan to re-model this composite lot again. This was also the time when the Hong Kong government implemented various regulatory moves to promote urban environmental improvements and public spaces. Just like in 1970s, when new regulations of plot ratio calculations enabled the redevelopment of buildings on this compound lot into tall office towers, this time in 2005, timely regulatory changes offered opportunities again for this combined site.
因條例改變而容許的重新發展：
延續1980年代的先見與壯舉，發展商在2004年乘香港剛從多年經濟衰退轉而向上看到再一個機遇。置地公司意識到商界需要新的國際級酒店的潮流，及把較靜的皇后大道中街面開放為頂級零售商店的市場機會，於是展開另一輪大膽的計劃，把這片組合地段重塑。這亦是香港政府施行種種條例舉動以鼓勵環境改善及公共空間。就像在1970年代，當新地積率條例容易這片組合地段的建築物重建為高身寫字樓大厦一樣，這次在2005年，適時的條例改變再次給予這片組合地盤新的機會。
Hotel Design:
The view of grand façade Hong Kong Hotel facing the harbour, as easily seen from ships arriving, must have been one of the most impressive approaches to this City of Victoria back in the end of the 19th century. Indeed a number of prestigious hotels, like Furama, Hilton and Carlton, were still in existence until recent years. Thus the re-development of part of the Edinburgh Tower in 2005 into a hotel, was not only a timely business move by the developer to catch the market demand of prestigious boutique hotel in this central business district of the metropolis, but also a rightful recognition of the tradition of hotel in Central.
酒店設計：
香港大酒店那面向海港的宏偉立面的外觀，可讓來臨的船隻容易看見，必然是19世紀進入維多利亞港的最吸引的境象。其實直至近年，許多尊貴的酒店，如富麗華、希爾頓和xxx仍存。因此在2005年將公爵大厦部份再發展成酒店，不單是發展商為迎合這都會中央商貿區內對高檔精品酒店的市場需求的合時商業行為，更是對中環的酒店傳統的正確認同。
To cater for the modern urban environment and modern techniques available to the building industry, after years of researches, the Building Authority of Hong Kong launched the performance standard for controlling natural lighting and ventilation for buildings. Borrowing from international standards, the Vertical Daylight Factor concept was introduced under Practice Notes PNAP 278 (later consolidated into APP130), shifting the method of calculating permissible window areas from reliance on traditional simplistic prescribed geometries, to use of daylight engineering. Under such rules, the windows of the existing office floors of Edinburgh Tower could be re-assessed, and by re-shaping the adjacent old Landmark East building, the rooms of Edinburgh Tower could be demonstrated to be able to convert to hotel rooms.
為應付現代都市環境及建築工業擁有的先進技術，香港的屋宇機關經多年研究，推行以性能標準控制建築物之自然採光及通風。實務指引PNAP 278 (後來組合成APP130) 借用國際標準，引入垂直面日光系數，將計算所需窗口面積的方法，由
依賴傳統簡單既定幾何轉移到用日光工程進行。在此規定下，讓公爵大廈的現有寫字樓窗口重新評估，而衹要將鄰近的置地東翼改變形狀，公爵大廈的房間就可以証實為適用為轉作酒店房間之用。
The result is the Landmark Mandarin, with 113 luxurious rooms, and a club house offering pool, gym and spa facilities. It sets the standard for hospitality not only in Hong Kong but also in the region.
最終成果是擁有113間尊貴房間及有泳池、健身房及按摩池的會所的置地文華酒店，不單為香港亦為地區訂下酒店的標準。
Dedication of Passages and Improvement of Barrier Free Access:
Procedures that encourage dedication of private indoor spaces for public passages, facilitated new re-configuration and extension planning of existing commercial buildings. Using the experience of successful and welcomed dedication of arcades connecting pedestrian footbridges in Central, the architect embarked on a much more extensive re-organization of the entire commercial complex. Public arcades and escalators and lifts suitable for disabled person use are re-arranged to better integrate the footbridges, the streets, and the underground MTR concourses. Lifts and public toilets for disabled persons and baby prams are added to serve a wider public. Southern façade is set back to create a vehicular layby to alleviate the traffic condition of Queens Road Central. All these designs are rare opportunities to improve the overall livable urban environment of CBD of Hong Kong, and thus the government granted favorable development bonuses.
In total, the building dedicated public passages of 4,226m to the public, in exchange for 13,931sm bonus floor area, thus achieving a 9.5% gain in total GFA of the development to a total of 159,213sm.
撥出通道及改進無障礙通道：
鼓勵撥出私有室內空間作公共通道的程序，有利現有商業建築重新改裝及擴建計劃。利用以往成功及受歡迎地撥出中環的商場通道和連接天橋的經驗，建築師進入一項更龐大的整座商業組羣的重組。給殘障人仕使用的公用商場通道建築、扶手電梯、升降機被重新排列，以便更佳連接行人天橋、街道，和地下鐵路月台。此外再加給殘障人仕和嬰兒車使用的建升降機和公厠，使更廣泛的公眾可享用。南面外牆亦後退以造成車輛停泊處，以舒緩皇后大道中的交通濟塞。這些都是罕有的改善香港商業中心區的整體宜居都市環境的機遇，因而政府亦賦予了有利的發展誘因。
最後此建築撥出了4,226平方米的公共通道予公眾，換取13,931平方米的額外樓面，因而達到總建築面積獲得9.5%的增加，致物業的總樓面為159,213平方米。
Re-invention of Modern Retail Atrium:
Modern shopping mall makes up an important component in Modern Architecture. Yet, departed from the traditional streetscapes, its most familiar failure is the danger of monotony. As North America entered a stage of rising trend of shopping malls after the War, Kansas architect J.C. Nicholas summarized his experience by noting that designer should avoid “extreme Modernist design that may be quickly outdated,… (and that) second floors are seldom advisable” (Sudjic, Deyan, “The 100 Mile City”, Adre Deutch Ltd (London),1992, p222). These reminders are still very valid in the architectural scene today.
重新創造現代商業中庭
現代商場是現代建築的一個重要部份。可是因為脫離了傳統街貌，於是千遍一律性的危機就成為最常見的敗筆。當戰後北美進入一段商場潮流加速的時期，康州建築師尼古拉斯將他的經驗總結，指出設計師應避免「極端現代化設計因為很容易過氣，… (亦) 不建議做二樓」(舒廸捷：《百里都城》，1992)。這些提點在今天之建築環境依然非常合用。
One of such architectural trick is to build up a strong overall architectural language from the intended character of the place, and yet permit individual retailers to design shopfronts in line with such theme. One of such very successful example is Vaughan Mills in Toronto (2004, by JPRA as design architect), where the mall is divided in six zones dominated by six colour ranges, representing the six “neigbourhoods” in Canada. The colour in each zone is dominated by the public pavings, furniture and artwork, and shopfront designs the colour range of such respective zone.
其中一樣建築手段就是以目標的地點風格去建立一個強烈的整體建築語言，但同時容易個別商户跟隨這個主題設計其舖面。多倫多旺妙斯商場就是一個非常成功的例子 (2004, JPRA 是為建築設計師)。商場分為六區以六色系代表加拿大的六種鄰里。每區的色調以公眾地方的地磚、傢俱及藝術主導，而商舖設計則配合著該區色系。
There is an often misconception that powerful retailers would have an incentive to create extraordinary shopfronts to dominate the premise. But in fact, given coherent theme, clear directions, consistent management, and professional co-ordinations from the landlord, designers of the retailers can always come up with innovative designs to adhere to the theme and yet appear strongly individualistic. Very successful examples in Hong Kong include the Elements and the Skyplaza (the Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport). The architecture of Landmark renovation in 2005 intends to establish an overall warm tone luxurious interior for both the landlord and the retailers. Landlord’s architect work together with the respective architect and designer of each retail brand to develop the shopfront design. In the end, the brands can create a range of characterized facades, with luxurious materials from the warm tone pallet, like bronze, leather, stone and lights that echo the respective style of the brands, and yet coherent with the overall architecture.
常有一個錯覺是強勢的商户會有動機去創立非凡的舖面去主宰該場所，但其實衹要有整體的主題、清楚的指引、貫徹的管理，和業主方面專業的統籌，商户的設計通常都可以提出創意的設計，在迎合主題的同時，亦表達著非常強烈的個性。圓方商場及航天廣場 (香港國際機場的二號客運大樓) 均是在這方面非常成功的香港例子。置地廣場在2005年裝修時的建築為業主和商户訂立一個整體温暖色系，業主的建築師與個別商户品牌的建築師和設計師共同合作以開發的舖面設計，最後品牌均能從高檔質量的、温暖色系的，和回應自身的風格的物料，如黄銅、皮革、石塊和燈光等，創造出一系列的獨具個性而又能配合整體建築的舖面。
To follow up from the successfully attracted international top-end retail flagships by introducing double-storey shops with a tall shopfront in Princes Building renovation in 1998, architect re-constructs the structures and floors around the Landmark atrium in 2005, to allow ground floor shops to extend upwards, and thus create opportunities for tall impressive shopfronts facing the atrium, freely designed by individual tenants. This innovative move not only substantially improves the retail floor efficiency, but also skillfully dresses up modern retailers as traditional low-rise townhouses, thereby respects the original design idea of creating a modern indoor atrium in the spirit of a European town square.
承接1998年太子大廈裝修時，因引入擁有高身舖面的雙層舖位而吸引國際高檔旗艦的成功，建築師在2005年將置地廣場中庭四周的結構和樓面重建，容許地舖往上發展，製造面向中庭的、宏偉高身的，和容許個別商户設計的舖面的機遇。這項創意的行動不但大大改進零售樓面效率，而且巧妙地把現代商户莊扮為傳統低層樓羣，因而尊重了原來意念，創造一個附合歐洲市鎮廣場的精神的現代室內中庭。
By re-shaping the office tower above the south-east corner, creating a new sun-lit southern glazed façade on the south face, and planning a dynamic widening arcade, the public indoor space immediately opens up towards the retail focused Queens Road Central. The new 23-storey modern office building named York House arises from the 1980s basement structure. Such challenging engineering economizes time and cost, minimizes environmental pollution, sustains embedded energy, and mitigates public disruption.
利用將東南角的寫字樓大廈重塑、製造一個新的充滿陽光的朝南破玻璃立面，和規劃一個富動感的漸擴寬的商場通道，這公共室內空間頓時往集中零售的皇后大道中。新的23層高的現代寫字樓約克大厦，建於1980年代的地庫之上。這項富挑戰性的工程設計節省了時間和金錢、減少了環境污染、持續了隱藏能源，和減低了公眾滋擾。