Planners reject Swire Properties’ proposed enhancements to its Taikoo Place redevelopment

Swire Properties’ proposed enhancements to its HK$15 billion Taikoo Place redevelopment in Quarry Bay was rejected by Hong Kong’s Town Planning Board (TPB) on Friday.

In its application to the TPB, the developer introduced changes to the original approved plan from 2011, which comprises two Grade-A office towers, One Taikoo Place and Two Taikoo Place, with a total gross floor area of two million square feet plus a 69,000 square foot open space.

Swire Properties said it was “disappointed by the TPB’s decision not to approve its application, given the overwhelming public support the proposal received - 1,384 supportive comments were made by stakeholders from different sectors during the public consultation process.”

The proposed changes included increasing the building height of Two Taikoo Place by 17 metres to 212 metres.

Swire had also planned to turn 115,000 square feet of pre-approved office space at Two Taikoo Place (and several other buildings) into an area for food and beverage, retail, wellness and recreational facilities and to accommodate an upgraded, permanent home for ArtisTree, a multi-functional arts space .

ArtisTree is currently located at Cornwall House, one of the three industrial buildings set to be redeveloped into the One and Two Taikoo Place office towers. The other two were Somerset House, and Warwick House.