‘Bronze, as a colour close to gold, gives an aura of luxury. Used in such vast array as on the new St. George’s Building, Hong Kong, its effect is almost Babylonian.’

– Far East Builder (architecture magazine), 1969

Take a stroll in Central, Hong Kong’s super-modern commercial district, and you will find hints of history everywhere, enshrined in statues, parks and street names. Names like ‘Chater Road’, a main thoroughfare in Central, hark back to the very beginnings of the district as we know it today.

The street is named after Sir Paul Chater, who is often referred to as the ‘father of Hong Kong’. Chater co-founded Hongkong Land, which built iconic commercial buildings on land reclaimed by the Praya Reclamation Scheme – today’s Central – in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. One of the first buildings to be built as part of this scheme was St. George’s Building, in 1904.    

The first St. George’s Building was designed by prominent architecture firm Leigh & Orange, whose designs still grace Hong Kong today. It was a relatively small four-storey building designed in the Edwardian Baroque tradition, a style influenced by Sir Christopher Wren, who built St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

In 1928, at a time when there were few skyscrapers in Hong Kong, St. George’s Building was purchased by Sir Elly Kadoorie, scion of a successful family business. After the war, dramatic changes were afoot in the city. Hong Kong’s economy was no longer solely reliant on entrepôt trade, but instead the site of a rapidly expanding manufacturing and tourism scene. The topography of Central reflected this change and underwent a dramatic evolution in line with the increasing clamour for office space.  

Amidst the changing face of Central, brothers Lawrence Kadoorie (later Lord) and Horace Kadoorie (later Sir), sons of Sir Elly, decided to redevelop St. George’s Building to cater to this growing demand. A trio of Chinese, Austrian and Scottish architects were chosen to fulfil the Kadoories’ ‘unique’ and ‘prestige’ design brief.

The new 275-foot St. George’s Building was unveiled in 1969 and was widely acclaimed as one of the first aluminium curtain-wall designs in Hong Kong. Two prestigious early tenants were the American Club and the Bank of America.

Today, St. George’s Building is a preferred location for a diverse range of tenants, including boutique financial services, private investors and family offices, as well as insurance and legal personnel, and other specialists. It has a total floor area of 183,000 square feet, with retail shop spaces on the ground floor and office units above. The building retains its distinctive and unique character as a striking ‘bronze tower’.

St. George’s Building offers professionals and businesses an exclusive and discreet location in the heart of Central, and the same high standards of building management that the Kadoories have insisted upon since the 1920s.

Contact Us
For further information about this commercial property or for general rental enquiries, please contact us at +852 2139 7000 or complete an online enquiry form.