AD Classics AD Classics Bank of China Tower I.M. Pei

架构师提供的文本描述。当受托在一个复杂的内陆地点设计中国银行大厦时，贝被要求在一个台风多发地区建立一个高而独特的总部，这将代表中国人民的愿望，同时也象征着对英国殖民地的善意。

Text description provided by the architects. When commissioned to design the Bank of China Tower on an intricate inland site, I.M. Pei was requested to create an unavoidably tall unique headquarters in a typhoon-prone region that would represent the aspirations of the Chinese people yet also symbolize good will toward the British Colony.

该解决方案同时吸收了建筑和工程，涉及到一座不对称的塔楼，使天际线和街道融为一体。中国银行大厦高70层，高达1209英尺。在一九九0年五月启用时，它是亚洲最高的建筑物，至今仍是香港最高的建筑物之一。

The solution assimilates architecture and engineering simultaneously, involving an asymmetrical tower that informs both skyline and street. The Bank of China Tower stands 70 stories tall, reaching a height of 1,209 feet. At the time of its opening in May 1990, it was the tallest building in Asia and still remains one of the tallest in Hong Kong.

塔由四根竖井组成，从一个52米长的立方体中出现，它的质量以象限一象限减小，直到一个三角形棱镜存在。多面棱镜覆盖着反光玻璃，反映了不断变化的天空，锚定了广阔的商业区，为香港高耸的天际线提供了一个具有特色的垂直轴。

Comprised of four vertical shafts, the tower emerges from a 52-meter cube and reduces its mass, quadrant by quadrant, until a single triangular prism resides. The faceted prism is clad in reflective glass that mirrors the changing sky, anchoring the expansive business district and providing a characteristic vertical axis to Hong Kong's towering skyline.

建筑中的四个轴产生了一个现代组合结构体系，它不仅能抵抗高速风，而且不需要许多内部垂直支撑。因此，中国银行(BankofChina)使用的钢材比一般建筑所用的钢要少。

The four shafts that from the building produce a modern composite structural system that not only resists high-velocity winds, but eliminates the need for many internal vertical supports. As a result, the Bank of China uses less steel than typical for a building its size.

贝的一个关键问题是中国人民和英国殖民地结构的象征意义。最初的计划包括一个x形十字支撑。然而，在中国，“X”形被视为死亡的象征。作为另一种选择，贝选择了使用较少威胁的钻石形式。

A key issue for I.M. Pei was the symbolism of the structure for the Chinese people and the British Colony. Original plans included an x-shaped cross-brace. However, in China the "X" shape is seen as a symbol of death. As an alternative, Pei chose to use less menacing diamond forms.

竹子植物也是这座独特建筑的重要灵感。这种巨大结构的树干代表着竹子的生长模式，象征着中国文化的希望和复兴。

The bamboo plant was also a significant inspiration for this unique building. The trunk of this massive structure is representative of the growth patterns of bamboo, the symbol of hope and revitalization in the Chinese culture.

在地面，塔被从街道拉回来，创造了一种友好的行人氛围，完全可以到达，并且不受城市疯人院的影响。它周围是一条宽阔的长廊，两侧是凉水花园，可以抑制周围交通的活动和噪音。

At ground level, the tower is pulled back from the street to create an amicable pedestrian atmosphere that is fully accessible and sheltered from the urban bedlam. It is surrounded by a broad promenade, and flanked by cooling water gardens that muffle the activity and noise of surrounding traffic.