The culmination of an urban regeneration project 30 years in the making, Taikoo Place has all the hallmarks of a modern business district: a great location, state-of-the-art offices, excellent transportation links, and a vibrant mix of dining and green spaces. Behind the scenes, our team ensures the seamless operation of 150 elevators and 46 escalators, keeping the heart of this bustling interconnected complex beating strong.
Forward-thinking, well planned, and well implemented – Taikoo Place is a sprawling complex made up of 10 interconnected Grade-A office towers, home to more than 300 multinational companies and organizations, as well as over 200 restaurants, cafés, bars, and takeaways. Outside, a collection of carefully curated green public spaces and shared amenities offer a welcome respite from the urban landscape, while great transportation connections provide easy access to buses, trams, and the MTR – Hong Kong’s efficient metro system.
Covering more than four hectares in the east of Hong Kong Island, Taikoo Place was once a bustling industrial hub, home to Swire’s Taikoo Dockyards and Taikoo Sugar Refinery – from which the redevelopment now gets its name.
"It’s an incredibly well-organized commercial hub," says Calynn Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Jardine Schindler Group. "The whole complex shows a real dedication to delivering an exceptional experience for everyone who lives, works, or visits the area. It’s no coincidence that we have our Hong Kong and regional headquarter offices here."
Developed in phases, the bustling complex now boasts a total floor area of 650,000 square meters. Its 10 interconnected buildings are linked by a series of elevated air-conditioned pedestrian walkways. Throughout Taikoo Place, our team takes care of 196 elevators and escalators, which include 83 Schindler 7000 elevators in its three most recent buildings – One Island East, One Taikoo Place, and Two Taikoo Place.
The whole complex shows a real dedication to delivering an exceptional experience for everyone who lives, works, or visits the area. It’s no coincidence that we have our Hong Kong and regional headquarter offices here," says Calynn Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Jardine Schindler Group.
These three skyscrapers are among the greenest in the city, contributing to Taikoo Place’s distinction as the first development in Hong Kong to receive Gold certification in the LEED’s rating system for existing communities. This certification recognizes the development’s integrative planning, green spaces, conservation, as well as transportation connectivity and accessibility.
"It’s a great achievement and one built on a lot of hard work and dedication to doing things right," says Thomas Cheung, our Key Account Service Operation Manager at Taikoo Place. Vertical mobility is a key section in the rating system, and the innovations our elevators and escalators are packed with all consistently help projects to achieve the highest levels of energy efficiency.
"Our Schindler 7000 elevators all come with standard eco-friendly features, such as regenerative drives, LED lighting, and a standby mode (for when the elevator is parked)," explains Thomas. "Also, all our units in One Island East, One Taikoo Place, and Two Taikoo Place are connected to our local Technical Operations Center so they are monitored 24/7 – helping to increase their performance and extend their service lives."
It’s a great achievement and one built on a lot of hard work and dedication to doing things right," says Thomas Cheung, Key Account Service Operation Manager
While the complex’s newer towers often grab the spotlight, the buildings that have been around a little longer in the complex are also benefiting from our technological innovations. Devon House, which opened for business in 1993 and where we have 22 elevators, was recently upgraded to Schindler PORT, bringing the building into the modern era.
Devon House was the first building in Asia to be equipped with our Miconic 10 dispatch system – the world's first practical destination control system designed to enhance traffic efficiency, and the predecessor to our pioneering Schindler PORT technology.
"It was relatively straightforward to upgrade the terminals that had been in place before," explains Jeff Wong, Project Manager. "Now the elevators are running more efficiently and the people working in the building have shorter waiting times. It’s a win-win!" he adds with a smile.
It was relatively straightforward to upgrade the terminals that had been in place before," Jeff Wong, Project Manager.
In Taikoo Place, our innovative solutions have been used at every step of the elevator’s life cycle. Completed in 2018, One Taikoo Place – with its dual-level roof combining a green roof and a solar PV system – was the first commercial building in Hong Kong to receive three different platinum ratings for sustainability and wellness – with WELL, BEAM Plus and LEED Final Platinum certifications.
To complement the building's sleek design, the elevators were customized with a "flush transom". A transom is the panel directly above an elevator door, to visually heighten the entrance. Set in One Taikoo Place’s high-ceilinged lobby, the elevator doors create the illusion of extending four meters from the floor to the ceiling. With the help of an additional panel in the landing doors, they align perfectly with the transom, ensuring a smooth, flush transition that integrates seamlessly with the skyscraper’s overall aesthetic.
Two Taikoo Place, the complex's latest addition, stands 42 floors tall and was completed in September 2022. Its lobby features dramatic 15-meter-tall glass panels, creating an expansive, light-filled atrium. Overhead, the ceiling is covered in a cloud-like array of lanterns each shaped like sugar cubes, in a nod to the Taikoo Sugar Refinery. The water features outside also reflect the area’s historical ties to dockyards and shipping.
The new skyscraper was built to the highest sustainability standards. It's achieved Platinum Certification ratings for LEED, WELL, and BEAM Plus and is also among the first buildings in the city to achieve WiredScore and SmartScore platinum ratings in recognition of its best-in-class smart infrastructure and advanced connectivity. It was designed with external shading devices to minimize solar heat gain, while taking into account urban wind corridors to help air to flow naturally between buildings and prevent air stagnation. Urban wind corridors play a significant role in curbing urban heatwaves and reducing the impact of tropical nights – phenomena that can significantly increase temperatures in built-up areas if not accounted for.
Inside the building, the vertical transportation system that our team installed – which includes 26 Schindler 7000 and seven Schindler 5500 elevators, as well as eight Schindler 9300 escalators – is just as impressive.
"All of the passenger elevators are coordinated by our Schindler PORT technology," explains Paul Lee, our Project Manager for Two Taikoo Place. In addition to keeping the elevators running efficiently, it also fits seamlessly into the building's Visitor Management System – allowing secure access to be maintained at all times.
"On top of that, our Schindler PORT turnstiles provide multiple ways to access the building," says Paul. QR codes can be supplied for visitors, which can be scanned either from their phones or a printout. For people who work in the building, there are even more options.
"They can access the building using a company card, or a registered Octopus card", says Paul, referring to a popular contactless smart card used for electronic payments in Hong Kong. "Additionally, the turnstiles have built-in cameras for facial recognition." While not currently implemented, the turnstiles also have palm vein scanners that could potentially offer another method of access in the future. Palm vein scanning is an advanced biometric technique. Like the fingerprints on your fingers, the pattern of veins in your palm is unique, making it a reliable method of identification.
As part of the Two Taikoo Place project, a new section of elevated walkways was constructed, arching from the new skyscraper to provide direct access to One Taikoo Place and One Island East.
In this new section, our team also installed a panoramic inclined elevator to enhance mobility between the buildings.
"It’s a unique elevator and was also a unique challenge for our team," says Chun Shing Chan, our Lead Technical Supervisor. The elevator was shipped from Italy, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and with travel restrictions in place at the time, it made taking measurements challenging. "Our colleagues in Schindler Italy supported us by providing all the information we needed, and once the parts arrived in Hong Kong, we could assemble the elevator without too much trouble. It’s a great example of collaboration and the power of our global network."
In addition to the inclined elevator, our team now looks after a total of 46 escalators throughout Taikoo Place – providing exceptional mobility between street level and the elevated walkways, and ensuring that connectivity and ease of access between its buildings is always maintained.
"Our partnership with Taikoo Place goes back a long way," says Zafer Kabadayi, Managing Director of Jardine Schindler Hong Kong. "We installed our first unit there in 1992, and have been working together with a shared ambition to deliver an exceptional experience ever since."