Bank of China Head Office Building

Beijing, China

Information
- Head office building of the Bank of
China
Major components include skylit
gardens, monumental banking
hall, corporate and tenant offices,
board room, reception hall
- Below grade: cafeterias, 2,000-seat
auditorium, vaults, parking
1.8 million sq. ft. (168,000 sq. meters)
Architect
Pei Partnership Architects
Design Consultant
I.M. Pei Architect
Design Institute
China Academy of Building Research

The new Bank of China Head Office occupies a key site in the new financial district of
Beijing. It stands at the intersection of two of
the most important thoroughfares in Chinas
capital city: Xidan Street, a north-south
shopping spine, and Changanjie, the citys
main east-west axis, which leads directly
to Tiananmen Square and the entrance to
the Forbidden City. This intersection will be
reinforced as a vital transportation hub by
a new bus terminal and a new subway line
that will connect to existing routes. Directly
opposite the Bank is a new public square.
The head office takes full advantage of its
site with a building envelope that maximizes
usable space within while observing regulated height limits. The overall bulk is further
reduced by placing extensive facilities below
grade. Its quietly elegant Roman travertine
cladding acknowledges both the importance
of the site and the solidity and stability of
the Bank. The Head Offices ceremonial
main entrance is located at the corner of
Xidan Street and Changanjie. It is topped
by a reception room with a peaked skylight
overlooking both the ancient and the modern city.
The building consists of two L-shaped components that enclose a central court, 180
square feet by 130 feet high, which includes
a Chinese garden. A large lower level
auditorium and cafeteria facilities lead off
the garden which Bank officials look upon
from encircling executive offices on the
upper floors.

Bank of China Head Office Building

Beijing, China

Above left and right: Exterior views

Below: Site plan

PROJECT LOCATION

Pei Partnership Architects

Bank of China Head Office Building

Beijing, China

Above upper left: Stone garden detail

Above lower left: Garden detail
Above right: Atrium
Below: Floor plan of atrium and banking halls

Pei Partnership Architects

Bank of China Head Office Building

Beijing, China

Left: Top floor reception hall

Upper middle: Auditorium prefunction
Lower middle: Auditorium
Upper right: Executive floor corridor
Lower right: Executive office

Pei Partnership Architects