M+ | I.M. Pei's tallest building project - Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong

‘It was his first major high-rise building...’ reflects Sandi Pei, on working with his father, I. M. Pei, as a junior architect on the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.

I. M. Pei envisioned a tower of four interlocking sections, a simple design conveying authority and conviction. ‘I simply took that idea and just made a paper model,’ Sandi remembers. Sandi and his father experimented: ‘I showed it to him, and then we began to play around... we kind of pushed and pulled, projected these triangular shafts to create this form of the building.’

The Bank of China Tower’s structure allows it to use significantly less steel than typical for a building of its size, while still withstanding Hong Kong’s typhoon-strength winds. Today, the tower is one of the most recognisable features of the city’s skyline, and for Sandi Pei, it’s a project that continues to hold significance: ‘We feel very privileged for that opportunity… [it] remains the most important project that I have done in my career.’

Learn more about the stories behind the designs. ‘I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture’ is open now until 5 January 2025 at M+.

‘I. M. Pei: Life Is Architecture’ is generously supported by the Lead Sponsor Bank of China (Hong Kong).

M+ is Hong Kong’s global museum of visual culture.

Subscribe to our channel: https://mplus.org/subscribe
Sign up to the M+ Newsletter: https://mplus.org/en-newsletter
M+ Magazine for more visual culture: https://mplus.org.hk/magazine

Instagram:   / mplusmuseum  
M+ Shop: https://shop.mplus.org.hk
Website: https://mplus.org.hk