Zaha Hadid Architects Design Revealed for World’s Priciest Real Estate Plot

A distinctive design for an impressive location

2 Murray Road
A rendering of the building at 2 Murray Road.
Zaha Hadid Architects

What do you do when you have the world’s most expensive plot of land? The answer isn’t all that complicated: you find a renowned architecture firm to create a singular building on that space. In case you were wondering where one would find such expensive land, the answer is simple: at 2 Murray Road in Hong Kong. In 2017, the land was purchased by developer Henderson Land for $3 billion.

An article released at the time noted that it was “the first commercial lot in Central to go on sale in two decades,” which might help explain the cost — a kind of premium real estate’s premium real estate.

Writing at Dezeen, Tom Ravenscroft has the details on the building slated to be built on the site. The design comes from Zaha Hadid Architects, and will ultimately rise 36 stories above the ground. The site was previously occupied by a parking garage.

The article notes that the look of the building was inspired in part by the local nature. Ravenscroft writes, “the building’s form was based on the shape of a bud from the Bauhinia plant, which was previously grown near the site and is the flower at the center of the city’s flag.” The building is described as “an urban oasis” on the Zaha Hadid Architects website.

That sense of a balance with nature extends to the design, which targets an LEED Platinum rating and is aiming for a 3-star ranking for China’s Green Building Rating Program. The end result is an impressive blend of skilled architecture and organic design.

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