Remember the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong. iSQUARE now stands on its former site. The story of iSQUARE is one of transformation. It is a story of Hong Kong’s ever-evolving urban landscape.
iSQUARE is a towering 31-storey shopping center. It is located at 63 Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon. The location is prime. Nathan Road and Peking Road intersect here.
The Hyatt Regency Hotel once graced this spot. It opened in 1969. Sadly it closed on January 1 2006. In 2004, plans were announced. The old hotel would be redeveloped. It would become a retail-led building. This new building would be called iSQUARE.
Demolition of the Hyatt Regency was complete by January 1 2007. Construction of iSQUARE began in September of the same year. Gammon Construction built iSQUARE. The building was completed in 2009.
Associated International Hotels Ltd developed and owns iSQUARE. DTZ handles the management. Rocco Design Architects Limited and Benoy Architects designed it. Their collaboration resulted in a modern shopping destination.
iSQUARE boasts 600000 square feet of retail floor area. The mall spans from the basement to level 8. Above that iTOWER rises 20 storeys. It houses several restaurants with Victoria Harbour views.
iSQUARE was the first complex with a direct link to the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station. This provides easy access for shoppers. Level 7 features five cinemas with 1000 seats.
The exterior of iSQUARE is striking. It features over 4000 glass and special components. The Peking Road entrance has a large LED screen. It displays animations. The LB floor has a projection device wall.
Inside there is an interactive projection between the MTR level and the ground floor. The escalator near Nathan Road features LED lights. The LB level offers a unique visual field.
The mall houses over 140 shops. iSQUARE offers a diverse retail experience.
Rocco S.K. Yim wanted to make the journey to the “sky lobby” an asset. It is 26 meters above the street. He wanted to create desirable interior spaces. These spaces would offer city and harbor views. iSQUARE creates visual contact with the city at various levels. It is unlike malls that only look inward.
Yim set the building back from Peking Road. This created a civic plaza. The plaza invites people to slow down before entering. Express escalators channel pedestrian movement. They draw people from the street into the building. The sky lobbies are illuminated in red, yellow and blue. This gives each a unique appearance.
So as you stand here take a moment to appreciate iSQUARE. It is a modern landmark. It stands as a testament to Hong Kong’s dynamic spirit. It blends retail entertainment and architectural innovation.