Headquarters for the British-Consulate General and the British Council, Hong Kong. Supreme Court Road, Hong Kong. 1992-1996.

In 1992 Terry Farrell & Partners was selected from a shortlist of six architectural practices to design the headquarters for the British-Consulate General and the British Council in Hong Kong. The complex was completed in 1996 - a year before Hong Kong's reversion from British to Chinese sovereignty, and it's commission and design in the early 1990s was set against a highly public and political backdrop.

In 1988, the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher had stated that following the handover, Britain's official representation should be housed in a single landmark building whose stature would symbolize Britain's continuing interest in Hong Kong. TFPs design interpreted the FCO's brief in a final design which provided a gross floor area of 17,000 square metres, comprising of the British Consulate Headquarters, the British Council Headquarters, and a 2000 square meter residential building. The two buildings are set at right angles to each other, retaining separate identities, and linked by a shared entrance pavilion. Set on steeply sloping land next to Hong Kong park, the low-rise building aimed to contrast with the surrounding high-rise blocks by carving out a strong street presence and presenting 'an amenable face that would meld with and enhance its surroundings'. From street level it's long linear design appears to consist of independent buildings, although unity is provided by the continuous roof and consistency of materials. Topped by a thin-edged flat roof overhang, the elevations are composed of geometric forms rising from solid masonry bases that become lighter and more open through the use of increased glazing, as they rise in elevation.

Construction Partners:
Quantity Surveyor: Widnell
Landscape Architect: Denton Corker Marshall
Engineering Consultant: Arup